How to Get a Long Stay Visa in Romania

Table of Contents

Question: Who can request a long stay visa in Romania and what is the time span granted for a one time stay?

Answer: 1. Romanian long stay visa shall be granted to the foreigner, upon request for a period of 90 days, with one or multiple entries. There are multiple purposes for the application, and they are described below by our lawyers in Romania:

economic activities – to the foreigners that are to carry out independent economic activities or within family associations, according to the law concerning the organization and performance of certain economic activities by natural persons;
professional activities – to foreigners who have the right to individually exercise professions on the Romanian territory based on certain special laws;
carrying out commercial activities – to foreigners who are or will become shareholders or associates in Romanian trade companies, having responsibilities for running and administering them;
employment – to foreigners who are to enter Romania in order to be employed. The Romanian long stay visa granted for such purpose shall be issued also to sportsmen who are to perform in certain clubs and teams in Romania, based on an individual work contract or a civil convention under the terms of the law;
studies – to foreigners who are to enter Romania for attending high school, university or post-university courses, as the case may be, or for obtaining scientific titles within public or accredited private institutions, according to the law;
family reunification – to foreigners who are to enter Romania in order to regain family unity;
religious or humanitarian activities – to foreigners who are to enter Romania in order to carry out activities in the field of recognized cults, at the request of such organizations, or for humanitarian purpose;
scientific research activities – to foreigners who are to enter Romania in order to carry out scientific research activities;
other purpose.

2. Long stay visa allows the foreigners who enter the Romanian territory to request a renewal of the temporary stay and to obtain a stay permit.

Quick Facts
Long stay visa types	Economic/professional/commercial activity, employment/intra-company transfer, study, family reunification, religious or scientific activities, digital nomads
Long stay visa in Romania validity	90 days, extended through a long-term stay permit
Exempted foreign nationals	EU/EEA and Swiss nationals can apply for an extension of the temporary stay permit without the need to apply for a long stay visa. Our experts in Romania can give you details
When to apply for the long stay visa in Romania	45 days before the travel date
Where is the visa application submitted	The General Inspectorate for Immigration
Time needed to obtain the long stay visa (approx.)	60 days or 20 days for applicants who have the proper approval for employment/company transfer
Application documents	Filled-in application form, police record, proof of medical insurance, proof of fee payment, visa-specific supporting documents (proof of employment in Romania, letter of acceptance for study purposes, proof of investment, etc.)
Application fees	120 EUR *fees can be subject to change
Dependents can join the holder of the long stay visa in Romania (Yes/No)	Yes
Special conditions for the long stay visa for investing in Romania	Approval from the Ministry of Entrepreneurship on the business plan of foreign investors, in order to obtain the visa – in some cases
Minimum long stay before applying for permanent residence	5 years
Documents for obtaining permanent residence in Romania	Application form, valid identification document, proof of lawful and continuous stay in the country for the minimum period, taxes
Citizenship after permanent residence	Yes, subject to naturalization requirements
Naturalization requirements	At least 8 years lawful stay (5 of married to a Romanian citizen), loyal to the Romanian state, good conduct, meets the minimum income requirements, has Romanian language knowledge, is fit for social integration, know the Romanian Constitution and anthem
Dual citizenship permitted (Yes/No)	Yes

Our Romanian lawyers can help you apply if your reason to enter the country falls under one of the abovementioned categories.

Question: How can I get a Romanian visas (long stay one), for carrying out economic activities? What documents do I need?

Answer: The long-stay visas for economic activities shall be granted for foreigners that are to carry out independent economic activities or within family associations, in accordance with the law regarding the organization and performance of economic activities, by natural persons and upon presenting the following documents:

the proof of complying with the conditions regarding the professional qualification, stipulated by the law regarding the organization and performance of economic activities by natural persons;
medical insurance for the visa’s validity period of time;
criminal record certificate or other document with same legal value.

Question: What conditions need to be met for requesting a Romanian long-stay visa for professional activities

Answer: 1. The long-stay visa for performing individual professional activities shall be granted to foreigners who are to carry out such activities, in accordance with the special laws that regulate the conditions for carrying out such professions.

2. Such type of visa may be granted to the foreigners complying with the following conditions:

The proof of complying with the legal conditions for performing such professions;
The proof that in the country of origin they perform a similar profession with the one they intend to carry out in Romania;
They provide the medical insurance for the visa’s validity period of time;
They present a criminal record or other document with the same legal value.

Question: I want to come to Romania for business reasons, start a new business in your country. Is there a specific visa I need to get for developing commercial activities?

Answer: 1. Such type of visa shall be granted based on the approval of the Romanian Agency of Foreign Investment, to foreigners who are shareholders or associates of trade companies that are Romanian legal persons, and who have responsibilities in running and administrating such companies.

2. The approval of the Romanian Agency for Foreign Investment shall be granted to foreigners mentioned in par. (1) and who comply with the following conditions:

availability of a business plan for the company in Romania that contains data regarding the nature location and duration of the relevant activity, estimated needs for manpower, as well as the financial activity projection during the investment amortization period of time;
they prove by a bank statement issued by a bank in Romania, on the name of the natural person, foreign citizen, applicant of the approval, that they dispose of the necessary funds for performing the activity, in amount of at least EUR 100,000 in case they are shareholders in a stock company, and EUR 70,000 in case they are associates in a limited liability company;
investment to be made by the company in the future in accordance with the business plan mentioned at letter a) should be materialized by capital or technology contribution in minimum amount of :
- EUR 100,000 for a stock company or of
- EUR 70,000 for a limited liability company;
alternatively to letter c) , the creation of a minimum number of 10 work places, in case of a limited liability company and minimum 15 work places, in case of a stock company.

2.1 In case of the companies having two or more associates of shareholders, who request the granting of approval, the conditions stipulated at par. (2) shall need to be separately analyzed for each of the applicants, the value of the investment to be made by the company or the number of jobs created.

2.2 Foreigners who previously obtained an approval from the Romanian Agency of Foreign Investment can request the issuance of another approval only subject to the condition of proving the objective impossibility to comply with the previous business plan.

3. The approval application shall be accompanied by the followings:

The approval of the Romanian Agency of Foreign Investment;
Criminal record certificate or other document of the same legal value
Medical insurance for the visa’s validity term.

4. The application, accompanied by the documents mentioned at par. (3), shall be submitted to the diplomatic missions or consular offices of Romania and shall be submitted through the Consular Relations Directorate, within the Ministry of External Affairs, to the Authority for foreigners for approval, in accordance with the competences.

5. The approval of the Romanian Agency for Foreign Investment is valid for 6 months from issuing date and it is meant to establish the fulfillment of the technical and economic utility conditions of the activity to be carried out by the foreigner. Our Romanian lawyers can help interested investors with more information about this approval.

We invite you to watch the following video about this type of visa:

Question: I visited your country recently and found an employment opportunity I would not want to miss. What do I need to do if I want to come work in Romania? I assume I need a special type of visa.

Answer: 1. Among all the types of Romanian visas, the long stay visa for employment shall be granted to foreigners based on the work authorization issued by the Romanian Office for Immigrations.

2. The work authorization is issued, upon the employer’s request, subject to the fulfillment of the following conditions:

The employer proves to perform a legal activity in Romania, that he does not have debts and that he made a legal selection, presenting proofs attesting all these, according to the provisions of the special legislation regarding the appointment to an office and secondment of foreigners on the Romanian territory.
The foreigner complies with the special conditions regarding the professional qualifications, experience in such activity and authorization, with the fact that he/she is suitable from medical point of view to perform such activity, that he/she does not have a criminal record, that he/she complies with the yearly contingent approved through the Government’s decision, in accordance with the provisions of the special legislation regarding the appointment to an office and secondment of foreigners on the Romanian territory.

3. The work authorization shall not be granted to the foreigners who have held a stay right for the last 2 years, for performing commercial activities and they have not complied with the business plan.

4. The Romanian Office for Immigration Issues releases the authorization within 30 days from the receipt date of the application from the employer. In case additional verifications are needed, with the purpose of disputing the conditions for obtaining the authorization, the response time for the application may be extended with maximum 15 days.

5. The visa request shall be accompanied by the following documents:

The work authorization, issued by the Romanian Office for Immigrations
The proof of the means of support at the level of at least the minimum average salary for the entire period of time mentioned in the visa;
Criminal record or other document of the same legal value, issued by the authorities in the country of origin or of residence;
Medical insurance for the validity term of the visa.

6. The foreigner may request a long-stay visa for employment within 30 days from the issuance of the authorization. The visa is approved by the National Visa Center.

Question: We are a group of students from Greece who would like to study in Romania, in a college we already been accepted to. Do we need a visa to do this?

Answer: In your case, we would like to inform you that you need a Romanian long stay visa for studies.

1. The long-stay visa for studies may be granted upon request, for foreigners who request entry into the Romanian territory as students or participating to pupils exchange programs.

2. The quality of student is held by the foreigners accepted for studies by a state owned or private education institute accredited in accordance with the law, including for participating to PHD studies.

3. The application shall be accompanied by the following documents :

In case of the students:
- The proof of acceptance for studies issued by the ministry of Education and Research, which shall indicate that he/she will attend day courses;
- The proof of payment of the tuition fee for at least one year of schooling;
- The proof of the means of support in amount of at least the net average salary in Romania, for the entire period of time written in the visa;
- Criminal record certificate or other document of the same value;
- Medical insurance for the visa duration validity;
- In case the student is underaged, the parents’ approval in respect to the stay on the Romanian territory for study purposes;
in case of foreigners participating to a pupils exchange program:
- The proof of acceptance for studies issued by the Ministry of Education and research, which shall indicate that he/she will attend day courses;
- The proof of participating to a pupils exchange program, organized by an institution established according to the law and recognized for such purpose;
- The proof submitted by the organization, which organizes the pupil exchange program, which shall confirm that they will provide the means of support and eventual expenses related to the repatriation;
- Medical insurance for the duration of the visa’s validity;
- The proof regarding the ensuring of the accommodation within a family selected by the organization, which organizes the exchange of pupils program and which holds a living space considered to be normal for a family in Romania;
- In case the foreigner is under aged, the parents’ or guardian’s approval in respect to the stay on the Romanian territory.

4. Foreigners participating to a pupil exchange program shall have an age of usually between 7 and 19 years.

5. Foreigners who are scholars of the Romanian state, as well as those of Romanian origin are not obliged to provide the documents mentioned at par. 3 letter iii.

6. The visa mentioned at par. 1 shall be granted also to foreigners who are accepted for studies, based on international documents to which Romania is a party.

Students who need assistance can reach out to the team at our law firm in Romania.

Question: I am a foreigner established in Romania, with a permanent stay permit. My family from Irak plans to visit me, what kind of visa do they need?

Answer: There is a specific Romanian long stay visa for family reunification. We will describe all the possbile case below:

1. The sponsor holding a temporary stay permit valid for one year, a permanent stay permit or beneficiary of the statute of refugee or of subsidiary protection may request the family’s reunification for:

husband / wife
minors, not married children of the sponsor or of the husband / wife including the adopted children who are actually in the care of the sponsor or of the husband / wife.

2. The authority for foreigners may approve the family’s reunification, if the conditions foreseen by the law are fulfilled, for the following categories:

First degree relatives on ascendant scale of the sponsor or of the husband / wife, in case they are unable to support themselves and they do not benefit of proper family support in the country of origin;
Full aged, unmarried children of the sponsor or of the husband / wife in case they are unable to support themselves due to medical reasons.

3. The unaccompanied minors, who benefit of the statute of refugee or subsidiary protection, may request the family’s reunification for:

First degree relatives on ascendant scale of the legal guardian; or
In case they do not have such legal guardians or if they can not be identified, and other of the relatives thereof.

4. The foreigners referred to under par. 1 holders of a stay right for study purposes, may request the family’s reunification for the husband / wife and for the minor, unmarried children, provided than the marriage should have been concluded before obtaining the stay right.

5. The foreigners who were granted the refugee statute or the subsidiary protection may request the family’s reunification for the husband / wife, provided that the marriage should have been concluded before obtaining one of these protection forms.

5.1 The foreigners mentioned at par. 1, holders of a stay right for performing scientific research activities may request the family’s reunification, even if the validity of the stay permit is less than one year.

6. The standard application form shall be submitted to the competent territorial unit of the Authority for foreigners within the applicant’s jurisdiction and it shall be accompanied by the following documents:

The marriage certificate or / as the case may be, the proof of kinship;
The applicant’s statement in original attesting that the family members will live together with the applicant;
Copy of the document attesting the stay right in Romania;
The proof of legal ownership of a living space;
The proof of the means of support;
Medical insurance of the applicant.

7. In case there are doubts regarding kinship, the Authority for foreigners may request further proofs of establishing such relationships. Our attorneys in Romania can provide details.

8. The application shall be approved if the following conditions are fulfilled:

There is no situation of bigamy or polygamy;
The applicant has an appropriate living space estimated to be normal for a similar family in Romania;
The applicant shall have means of support, besides the necessary ones for his / her own existence according to the law, in a proper amount corresponding to the minimum net salary related to the level of the national economy for each member of the family.

9. For those who benefit of the refugee statute or of subsidiary protection who request the family’s reunification, neither the submission of the documents mentioned at par.6 letter d-f shall be compulsory, nor the fulfillment of the conditions motioned at par. 8, letter b and c. Individuals with refugee status ca reach out to our Romanian lawyers for details.

10. The application shall be settled within 3 months as of the submission date.

11. The approval of the application shall be communicated in written to the foreigner.

12. In case of rejection, the reasons for rejecting the application shall be communicated to the applicant in written.

13. The visa shall be issued by the diplomatic missions or consular office of Romania in the country where the family members have their residence or domicile.

14. The visa application shall be accompanied by the following documents :

Notification of the authority for foreigners, mentioned at par. 11;
The proof of the medical insurance during visa’s validity term;
Criminal record certificate or other documents with the same legal value issued by the authorities from the country of domicile or residence of the foreigner.

15. The following categories of persons may request visa for the family reunification:

Foreigners married with Romanian citizens;
Foreigners cohabiting with Romanian citizens, if they have at least one child together, hereinafter called partners;
Children of the Romanian citizen, of the husband / wife or of the partner, including adopted ones, who have not turned 21 years or who are supported by the Romanian citizen, by the husband / wife or by the partner;
First degree relatives on ascendant scale of the Romanian citizen or of the husband / wife or of the partner.

16. The visa request submitted by the persons mentioned at par. 1 will be accompanied by the marriage certificate, or, as the case may be by the proof of the existing kinship or of the partner relationship.

17. Adoption must be decided through a decision of a competent Romanian authority, under the terms of the law, or through a decision of the Authority of another state which generates legal effects on the Romanian territory.

18. Granting the long stay visa for the family’s reunification may be rejected when the request is based on a marriage of convenience previously ascertained under the conditions of the present emergency order.

Other type of long-stay visas presented by our lawyers in Romania

1. The visa for humanitarian and religious activities

Among other types of Romanian visas, the long-stay visa for humanitarian or religious activities shall be granted to foreigners, upon request, by the diplomatic missions and the consular offices of Romania in the country where they have their residence or domicile, under the following conditions:

the existence of the approval of the Ministry of Culture and Cults or, as the case may be, of the Interdepartmental commission for the co-ordination and support of the humanitarian activities within the Ministry of Health
the proof of the quality of representative of a religious organization legally founded in Romania or of a humanitarian organization;
the proof related to the living space and to the means of support at the level of three average salaries per national economy;
the proof of medical insurance and of the fact that they do not have diseases endangering public health;
submission of the criminal record certificate or other document of same legal value issued by the authorities from the foreigner’s country of origin.

2. Romanian Long stay Visa for Performing Scientific Research Activities

1. The long-stay visa for performing scientific research activities shall be granted to foreigners based on the approval of the National Authority for Scientific Research of the Romanian Office for Immigrations.

2. The approval of the National Authority for Scientific Research shall be issued upon request of the research-development units and institutions, subject to the fulfillment of the following conditions:

The research-development units to be certified according to the law;
The existence of a receipt agreement between the units mentioned at letter (a) and the research worker who has been accepted to perform within the framework of a scientific research program.

3. The visa request shall be accompanied by the following documents :

The receipt agreement approved by the National Authority for Scientific Research;
The criminal record certificate or other documents of same legal value issued by the authorities from the country of origin;
Medical insurance for visa’s validity term.

3. Long-stay Visa for Other Purposes

Several types of long-stay visas serve other purposes. These are highlighted by the team at our Romanian law firm:

1. The long-stay visa for other purposes shall be granted to foreigners, upon request, by the diplomatic missions and the consular offices of Romania in the country where they have their residence or domicile, to the following categories of foreigners:

To those who are seconded by:
- A foreign company with headquarters on the territory of a member state of the World Organization of Trade to one of its liaison offices, subsidiaries or branches located on the Romanian territory, or to a trade company, Romanian legal person, whose associate / shareholder is the foreign company, having the same activity object, provided that they prove not having work relationships with another Romanian legal person;
- An employer with headquarters abroad to a Romanian legal person based on a commercial service contract concluded between the two parties.
- Those whose access on the Romanian labor market is regulated through bilateral agreements signed by Romania with other states;
- Those appointed as administrators of a trade company, if they can prove the fulfillment of the following conditions:
  - They are appointed as administrators;
  - At the time of the request he/she is not associate or shareholder in the respective company or any other Romanian legal person and has not been for the past two years
  - There is no other foreigner in that specific company, who obtained a stay right for such purpose;
  - That respective trade company made a contribution of capital or technology transfer of at least EUR 50,000;
- those who request the entry on the Romanian territory for the purpose of unpaid professional qualification:
  - within a company of the public private sector or
  - with an accredited institution providing professional qualification, if they prove to comply with all the following conditions:
    - they have concluded a qualification contract in order to participate to an unpaid form of qualification within a company of the public or private sector or within an accredited institution providing professional qualification;
    - the proof of the means of support at the level of at least one minimum average net salary per month for the entire period mentioned in the visa;
    - in case the foreigner is underaged, the parents’ or guardian’s approval with respect to stay on the Romanian territory for such purpose;
  - those whom perform activities within the framework of voluntary programs if they prove to comply with all the following conditions:
- they have concluded a voluntary contract with a public or private legal person without lucrative purpose, hereinafter called host-organization, under which details of the activity to be performed are mentioned, the surveillance conditions of the activity, as well as the working program;
- the host organization ensures the accommodation, the means of support and a medical insurance for the entire validity term of the visa, as well as the contingent return expenses;
- they are over 14 years, inclusive;
- in case the foreigner is under aged, the parents’ or guardian’s approval with respect to stay on the Romanian territory for such purpose;
those following a long-term medical treatment within a public or private medical institution, if they submit a letter of acceptance specifying the diagnosis and the duration of the treatment. This visa may be granted for the potential companion assisting the foreigner who is not able to take care of himself / herself, if mentioned explicitly in the letter of acceptance;
those carrying out other activities which are not contrary to the Romanian laws, if they justify their presence on the Romanian territory.

2. The foreigners foreseen in the categories of par. 1, shall receive visa if:

They present the proof of a medical insurance for the visa’s validity term;
They prove the existence of the accommodation conditions;
They submit a criminal record certificate or other documents of the same legal value issued by the authorities from the country of origin.

If you would like to also purchase a property as a holder of a long-stay visa, our team can answer your questions. Buying land in Romania is subject to more stringent requirements for foreigners, one of the conditions being for the interested party to hold a residence permit. As a holder of a long-stay visa, our team can give you detailed information about your options.

If you are a foreign national who has a long-stay visa, is married, and is now looking to get a divorce in Romania, our team can answer your questions. Typically, irretrievable marriage breakdown is the most common cause of divorce in the country, however, you can also file for divorce on other grounds, or you can choose to terminate the marriage at a notary office if the separation is amicable.

We are glad to know you would like to visit Romania for a long time. Our country holds great opportunities and we are here to help you, so you won’t have to worry about any legal issues, Through our law office, we have a team of some of the best lawyers in Romania, ready to explain every possible aspect related to your individual case. For a free case consultation, please call us now!