Where and how to apply

Work authorisation for highly-qualified workers

Your future employer must first apply to the General Inspectorate for ImmigrationSearch for available translations of the preceding linkEN••• (GII) for a work authorisation for highly-qualified employees. This authorisation will be issued within the quotas fixed by the Government, unless you are exempt from the quota requirement.

You can also apply for a work authorisation for highly-qualified workers if you already hold a Blue Card in another EU country. Your application will be evaluated within 15 days.

Long-stay visa

Once you have been issued with a work authorisation for highly-qualified workers, you have 60 days to apply for a long-stay visa for employment purposes (identified by the symbol D/AM) at the Romanian embassy in your country of origin or residence.

Temporary residence and work permit – the EU Blue Card

To extend your right to stay and work in Romania (granted initially through the visa), you must apply for an EU Blue Card at the territorial bureau of the GII of your residence place. 

Documents required

To obtain the work authorisationfor highly-qualified employees, your employer must submit the following documents to the GII: 

• a motivated request;
• proof that he/she carries out a legal activity in Romania;
• the certificate issued by the trade register office, attesting no entries were made regarding the opening of the bankruptcy proceedings;
• the fiscal attestation certificate issued by the public finance administration in whose territorial area the employer has his/her registered office, regarding the payment of the obligations to the state budget for the last quarter;
• a firm job offer for a highly-qualified job (copy);
• the job description;
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• the fiscal attestation certificate issued by the public finance administration in whose territorial area the employer has his/her registered office, regarding the payment of the obligations to the state budget for the last quarter;
• a certificate recognising your qualifications issued by the Ministry of Education or a diploma issued by an accredited educational institution in Romania. Your qualification must be relevant for your job description;
• if applicable, proof of your professional experience in Romania or another EU country, which is at a comparable level to college, graduate or postgraduate studies. This provision is only applicable for professions that are governed by specific regulations;
• a copy of the valid work contract or a binding work offer for highly-qualified employment that mentions the monthly or annual salary (which must be at least four times the national average gross wage);
• an authorisation document required by law (where applicable);
• your CV, including a written statement that you are medically able to work and that you have a minimum knowledge of the Romanian language or you know an international language;
• two identity photographs and copy of your travel document;
• your criminal record or another document with the same legal value issued by the authorities of the country of origin or residence, translated and legalised;
• the criminal record of the employer.

To obtain an EUBlue Card, you must present the following documents to the GII: 

• Your work contract with a salary of at least four times the national average gross wage;
• a medical certificate proving your ability to work;
• proof of possessing a living space;
• a valid travel document.

Duration of validity of Blue Card

The EU Blue Card allows you to work and stay in Romania for the duration of your work contract plus three months, and for a maximum period of two years.

Appeals

Your employer may appeal a decision refusing to issue a work authorisation, with the territorially competent Court of Appeal.

The decision of a diplomatic mission refusing to grant a visa can be appealed before the Commission for solving complaints regarding granting of visas, within the General Inspectorate for ImmigrationSearch for available translations of the preceding linkEN•••.

Decisions of the GII on the withdrawal of an existing long-term visa may be appealed before the territorially-competent Court of Appeal.

Unemployment

Your Blue Card will not be revoked if you become unemployed, it remains valid until its expiration, but not more than the period in which you receive unemployment benefits or no more than 90 days from the date of employment cessation if you do not benefit from unemployment benefits.

Family reunification

You may apply for family reunification, even if your Blue Card is valid for less than one year.

If you have resided with a Blue Card for 18 months in another EU country and move to Romania to take up a highly-skilled position with a Blue Card, your family members can join you once they comply with general conditions for family reunification and can show the initial residence permit granted to them by the first EU country.

Long-term residence

To be granted a long-term residence permit, you must show that your temporary stay as a Blue Card holder in the EU, in Switzerland or in the EEA was legal and continuous for at least five years, out of which at least two were spent in Romania.

During the five-year period, you must not have left Romania, the EU, Switzerland or the EEA for more than 12 consecutive months and for more than 18 months in total.

You must also show:

• sufficient financial resources, either by showing proof of your bank account, or a monthly income such as salary, pension etc, at least at the level of the minimum wage;
• proof of health insurance;
• suitable accommodation by having, for example, a registered lease contract.

You must also do a language test to prove a satisfactory level of Romanian and must not pose a threat to public order or national security.

If you have obtained a permanent right to stay you will be issued with a long-term residence permit, renewable every five years.

In the long-term residence permits issued, it will be mentioned that you are a “former Blue-Card holder”.

Long-term resident status gives you equal treatment with Romanian citizens as regards conditions to access the labour market (except public prerogatives), education and vocational training, social security, social and health care, social protection and medical assistance.

More on long-term resident status