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Passport, Visa & Permits


Passport

You must have a valid passport to travel abroad. A passport is an official government document that certifies one's identity and citizenship. The process of obtaining a passport may be time-consuming and costly, therefore make sure to start the procedures several months before you plan to leave. Your passport must be valid 6 months beyond your intended stay.

Visa

A visa is a stamp or endorsement placed by authorities on a passport that allows the passport holder to enter a country. This permission is called "entry clearance". Visas are obtained from Romanian embassies or consulates around the world.

Who needs a visa?

As Romania is a member of the European Union, citizens of EU and EFTA states (which also include Liechtenstein, Iceland, Norway and Switzerland), do not need a visa to enter Romania and can enter the country using either a passport or an officially approved ID card.

Additionally, the following categories of people don't need a visa to enter Romania for a maximum of 90 days in any 180 days:

All types of visas must be obtained before entering Romania from a Romanian embassy or consulate abroad. For a complete list of the Romanian diplomatic missions in the world, refer to the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Note that the visa application can also be submitted online, on the E-visa portal of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Short-Stay Visa for Romania

A short stay visa is available for people who want to stay in Romania for a maximum of 90 days in a 180 day period, for the following purposes: official diplomatic mission, tourism, business, private visits, transportation, participation to cultural, scientific or humanitarian activities, short-term medical treatment or other activities that do not contravene to Romanian law.

Note that taking paid or unpaid employment is not allowed by this type of visa.

The visa can be issued for single or multiple entries. In both cases, the total duration one is allowed to stay in Romania is 3 months, in any 6-month period.

The requirements of the short-term visa depend on the purpose of the visa and on the country. The following types of documents are requested in most cases:

Beware that processing visa applications generally takes up to several weeks, so allow sufficient time in advance.

The cost of issuing a short stay visa is 60 EUR.

Business Visa for Romania

In addition to the general requirements of a short stay visa, applicants for a short-term business visa must submit:

Long-Stay Visa for Romania

Long stay visas allow nationals of other countries to stay on the Romanian territory for periods of no more than 90 days, for the following purposes: business, professional activities, employment, studies, family reunification, religious activities, research, or other purposes. The long stay visa is granted for 90 days at the most, but can be prolonged following an official request to the General Inspectorate for Immigration.

EU and EFTA nationals do not need a long stay visa for obtaining a long stay permit to Romania. For other nationals, long stay visas ("type D" visas) are granted by the Ministry of Administration and Internal Affairs - Immigrations Inspectorate. A long-stay visa takes 30 to 45 days to process, so make sure you apply early.

The cost of issuing a long stay visa is 120 EUR.

Long-Stay Visa for Work in Romania

In order to be allowed to legally work in Romania, you must obtain a work permit, a long stay visa and a residence permit.

The work permit is generally applied for by the prospective employer, after the job offer has been made. The employer must prove that the applicant has the knowledge and experience to carry out her duties and that the position could not be filled by a Romanian or EU national. Copies of diplomas and professional certificates are requested, along with a CV and references from former employees.

The issuance of the work permit can take up to 45 days.

The documentation requested for the issuance of long stay visas for work purposes are the following:

The visa must be requested up to 60 days after the arrival of the work permit.

Long-Stay Visa for Study for Romania

The following types of documents are necessary for the issuance of study visas:

Registration and Residence Permits in Romania

Shortly after entering the country with a long stay visa, you must present yourself to the Romanian Ministry of Finance in order to obtain a Fiscal Identification Number.

You will need the following documentation:

If you plan to stay within Romania after the 90 day term of the long stay visa, you need to obtain a residence permit. Residence permits are granted by the General Inspectorate for Immigration within the Romanian Ministry of Administration and Internal Affairs and should be applied for no later than 30 days prior to the expiry of the long stay visa.

The documents needed in order to apply for a residence permit are the following:

Residence permits are granted for a period of up to a year, and should be renewed at least 30 days prior to their expiry.

Refer to the website of the General Inspectorate for Immigration for further details.

Residence Permits for Studying in Romania

Residence permits should be obtained no later than 30 days prior to the expiry of the long-stay visas for studies from the General Inspectorate for Immigration.

In order to obtain a residence permit you need the following documentation:

Students having a Romanian residence permit for study purposes are entitled to work part-time in the country without obtaining work permits.

Refer to the website of the General Inspectorate for Immigration for further details.

Registration of EU / EFTA Citizens

Citizens of the EU / EFTA countries have the right to work in Romania without obtaining a work permit and a long stay visa.

EU nationals must register their work contract at the General Inspectorate for Immigration and obtain a registration certificate. Registration certificates are granted for periods up to 5 years, but for no less than 1 year.

The following documents should be provided in order to obtain a registration certificate:

Long-Term Residence Permit for Romania

Citizens of Non-EU / EFTA states can obtain a long-term residence permit in Romania after having continuous residence in the country for 5 years, and absence from Romanian territory of no more than 10 months or 6 consecutive months.

Long-term residence should be applied for at the General Inspectorate for Immigration. The documentation to be submitted is the following:

Applications are processed within 6 months. Once granted, the long-term residence permit is valid for 10 years.

Romanian Citizenship

If you have lived in Romania for at least 8 years, if you have been married to a Romanian citizen for at least 5 years or if you have at least one Romanian biological parent, you can apply for Romanian citizenship. Romania allows for dual citizenship.

Individuals applying for Romanian citizenship should have knowledge of Romanian language, both written and spoken, the Constitution of Romania and the Romanian culture and customs.

An application should be filed, together with the requested documentation, and it will be usually followed by an interview.

For further information, you should address your queries to the Romanian Authority for Citizenship within the Ministry of Justice.

This section is intended for reference only. We strongly recommend that you contact the embassy directly for the most up-to-date information that pertains to your specific situation.


24/04/2017

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