Residence permit
Registration certificate for residence on the Romanian territory for EU/EEA/ Swiss Confederation citizens
You are a national of a European Union, European Economic Area or Swiss Confederation member state and you wish to stay for more than three months in Romania? You must register your residence with the territorial units of the General Inspectorate for Immigration in the county where you reside.
The documents issued by the General Inspectorate for Immigration that certify the residence in Romania are: registration certificate (for EU/EEA/Swiss Confederation citizens), residence card (for family members of EU/EEA/Swiss Confederation citizens), permanent residence card (both for EU/EEA/Swiss Confederation citizens and their family members).
EU/EEA/Swiss Confederation citizens may work in Romania dependently/independently, subject to the same conditions as Romanian citizens (based on an employment contract, secondment contract, permit, etc.).
To obtain the registration certificate / the residence card, you must submit a number of documents to the territorial units of General Inspectorate for Immigration in the county where you reside, depending on the purpose of your stay in Romania. The registration certificate is issued in the same day and is valid for a period of up to 5 years, but not less than one year. The residence card is issued within 90 days from the lodging of the application. The validity of the residence card extends up to 5 years from the issuing date, but not exceeding the residence period of the EU/EEA/Swiss Confederation citizen of which the applicant is a family member. In case of subsequent applications, if the requirements of the GEO 102/2005, as further amended and supplemented, are fulfilled, the residence card will be issued no later than 30 days from the application lodging date.
Residence permit for Non- EU/ EEA/ Swiss Confederation citizens
After the enrolment process in the university is finalised, you have to apply for the residence permit, which is valid for 1 year and must be renewed every year. If awarded a scholarship from your respective country or from the Romanian Government, the residence permit is usually issued for the total duration of your studies.
f you are a pupil, student, a M.A./M.Sc. student or a Ph.D. student in order for your residence right to be extended (procurement of the residence permit) for studies, you must submit the following documents:
- application
- document for crossing the border (Passport, travel document, etc.) in original and in copy;
- letter of acceptance for studies – to be requested only upon the first extension of the residence right;
- certificate issued by the education institution;
- proof of the means of subsistence amounting to at least the minimum national net wage per month, for the entire validity period of the residence permit;
- proof of the legal ownership over the dwelling space (in original and in copy);
- medical certificate;
- duties.
Change of study profile
You can change your study profile or your professional area of specialisation if the total duration of the initial studies is not exceeded. If the new option needs a longer period of time, the procurement of a new long term residence visa for studies is necessary.
Employment during the study period
If you study in Romania and you hold a residence permit for this purpose, you can be employed only part time (4 hours/day). For this, you must obtain a work permit. See the conditions for obtaining a work permit, at the Working in Romania section.