Romania EU free movement

EU, EEA and Swiss citizens may live and work in Romania without a visa. Stays over 3 months require registering residence with the General Inspectorate for Immigration, which issues a registration certificate on the same day. ^{1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12}

Requirements

• Citizens of EU and EEA states and of Switzerland can live in Romania without a visa or residence permit. ^{1 8}
• Stays of up to 3 months need only a valid passport or national ID card. ^{1 3}
• After 3 months, work, self-employment, study, or sufficient resources with health insurance is needed. ^{3 12}
• Registration needs a valid ID or passport plus proof of work, study, or resources and insurance. ²
• Valid national identity document or passport; the documents for registration depend on the purpose of the stay. ^{10 9}
• Register residence at the General Inspectorate for Immigration unit of the county where you live if staying over 3 months. ^{9 10}
• The registration certificate is issued on the same day and is valid for up to 5 years, but not less than 1 year. ⁹
• Missing the 3-month registration deadline is punishable by a fine of 25 to 50 lei. ¹²
• Declare any change of name, nationality or address to the IGI within 30 days. ¹²
• Permanent residence is acquired automatically after 5 years of continuous lawful residence. ⁴
• After 5 years of continuous legal stay, apply to the IGI for a permanent residence card, valid for 10 years. ¹¹

Stay

• No time limit; register residence with the county unit of the General Inspectorate for Immigration within 3 months of arrival.
• First 3 months up to 3 months: Valid ID card or passport only.
• After 3 months: Worker, self-employed person, student, or person with sufficient resources and comprehensive health insurance; registration of residence.

Nationality

Citizens of the 27 EU states, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. Open to: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland.

Work

EU, EEA and Swiss citizens and their family members can work as employees or self-employed on the same conditions as Romanian citizens.

Family

Family members of any nationality may join; non-EU family members receive a residence card (issued within 90 days, valid up to 5 years) and may need an entry visa unless exempt.

Checked 2026-10-10

Official sources

1. Residence rights when living abroad in the EU · European Union, Your Europe · checked 2026-10-10
2. Registering residence abroad after the first 3 months · European Union, Your Europe · checked 2026-10-10
3. Residence rights for economically inactive EU citizens · European Union, Your Europe · checked 2026-10-10
4. Permanent residence (after 5 years) for EU nationals · European Union, Your Europe · checked 2026-10-10
5. Work permits · European Union, Your Europe · checked 2026-10-10
6. Work in the public sector abroad · European Union, Your Europe · checked 2026-10-10
7. Your non-EU spouse and children's residence rights in the EU · European Union, Your Europe · checked 2026-10-10
8. The European Economic Area (EEA), Switzerland and the North · European Parliament · checked 2026-10-10
9. Residence registration (EU, EEA and Swiss citizens) · General Inspectorate for Immigration (IGI), Romania · checked 2026-10-10 · published 2022-01-26
10. Admission: entry of EU, EEA and Swiss citizens and their families · General Inspectorate for Immigration (IGI), Romania · checked 2026-10-10 · published 2022-01-26
11. Granting permanent residence · General Inspectorate for Immigration (IGI), Romania · checked 2026-10-10 · published 2025-08-18
12. Limits of retaining the right of residence · General Inspectorate for Immigration (IGI), Romania · checked 2026-10-10 · published 2022-01-26