Hiring non-EU nationals in Romania (2026)

From 2026, hiring nationals of countries outside the EU and EEA no longer goes through the employment permit (aviz de angajare) issued by the General Inspectorate for Immigration (IGI). Emergency Ordinance no. 32/2026, published in the Official Gazette no. 335 of 27 April 2026, replaced the old procedure with an electronic one on the WorkinRomania.gov.ro platform, run by the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The principles are new, and employers should understand them before they start recruiting.

This page is aimed mainly at employers. The foreign worker does not file the employment application alone; it starts from the employer, from an authorised placement agency or, in the cases provided by law, from an authorised employer.

What changed

• No employment permit for new files. The employment application and the visa application are handled through a single electronic procedure on the platform.
• The employer must be registered. Access to the procedure requires entry in the Register of Employers of Foreign Nationals or authorisation as an employer.
• Jobs are limited to certain situations. For most hires, the occupation must be on the List of shortage occupations, updated periodically. For some categories the list does not apply.
• There is an annual quota of newly admitted workers, set by government decision.
• Employment contracts have new requirements. A foreign worker’s contract is drawn up in Romanian and in the worker’s language or an international language, and failure to do so can attract a fine. The contract is registered in REGES-Online.

The two tracks

D/AM1 mainly covers highly qualified workers and other special categories (for example teaching and research staff or, under certain conditions, nationals of Moldova, Ukraine and Serbia). The registered employer files directly, and the occupation need not be on the shortage list.

D/AM2 covers permanent, seasonal and cross-border workers. The occupation must be on the List of shortage occupations. As a rule, recruitment goes through a placement agency authorised by ANOFM. An employer may recruit directly only if it has obtained authorised employer status.

Conditions for employers

For registration, the law requires, among other things: no arrears to the consolidated budget, no recent sanctions for undeclared work, no relevant convictions of the administrators and, for the D/AM2 track, at least one year of activity in a compatible field. On registration the employer uploads a firm job offer stating the position, duties, salary, working hours, contract length, place of work and, where relevant, accommodation and transport. ANOFM decides on the registration within 30 working days at most.

For authorisation (direct D/AM2 recruitment), the employer must, among other things, have at least 24 months of uninterrupted activity, an average of at least 50 employees in the previous year, no sanctions in the last two years in the areas the law lists, and provide a guarantee of EUR 1,000 for each foreign worker.

After hiring, the employer has continuing obligations: conditions equal to those of Romanian workers, compliance with the offer and the contract, notifying the authorities within the legal time limits (for example on termination or unexcused absence), suitable accommodation and transport and, under the law, Romanian language courses. Breaches can lead to suspension of the registration and loss of the right to hire foreign nationals.

Files filed before 27 April 2026

Applications for an employment or secondment permit filed before OUG no. 32/2026 came into force are decided under the previous rules. For a change of employer, applications filed with IGI up to 7 August 2026 may be decided under the old rules; from 8 August 2026 the new procedure applies. In these situations the time limits and conditions must be checked case by case.

How we can help

• Eligibility check: the occupation, the applicable track, the employer’s conditions and the risks of the procedure, before recruitment starts;
• Registration or authorisation of the employer on the platform and preparing the firm offer;
• Employment contracts and internal documents: bilingual contract, registration in REGES-Online, internal rules, notifications;
• Working with placement agencies: reviewing the contract between employer and agency;
• Compliance during employment: the employer’s obligations, change of employer, termination and dealings with the authorities;
• Appeals and disputes against authorities’ decisions, within the legal time limits.

If you are a foreign worker who has been offered a job in Romania, we recommend checking that the employer is registered on the platform and that the offer complies with the law. We can explain what documents you should receive and what rights you have. Consultations can be held in English, online.

For employment matters in general, see employment law. Contact the office.

The information is general and reflects Emergency Ordinance no. 32/2026 and public sources checked on 19 October 2026. The platform’s functions are being extended in stages, and the lists and quota are updated through secondary acts. Sources: PwC Romania alert on GEO no. 32/2026; text of GEO no. 32/2026 (IGI).