Romania Work Visa: How to Get a Work Permit and D/AM Visa

Romania is one of the largest international road haulage nations in the European Union, home to the biggest port on the Black Sea at Constanța, and — since 1 January 2025 — a full member of the Schengen Area, which removed the land border checks that used to cost its hauliers hours or days at the Hungarian frontier. It also has a structural labour shortage, because so many Romanians moved to Western Europe, and it fills that gap by recruiting from outside the EU on a very large scale.

This guide explains the work permit, the quota, the D/AM visa, the reform arriving in August 2026, the documents, the costs and renewal — and gives professional drivers a timely read on a market where the calendar matters as much as the paperwork.

What is a Romanian work permit?

The work permit is the aviz de angajare, issued by the General Inspectorate for Immigration (IGI), and is applied for by the employer. Romania’s system is quota-controlled, employer-initiated and strictly sequential: nothing happens until the IGI approves the employer’s application, and the employee cannot travel to Romania first and then seek a permit. Three separate authorisations must all be current simultaneously — the work permit from the IGI, a long-stay D/AM visa from a Romanian embassy, and a residence permit from the IGI after arrival.

The annual quota

The government sets an annual quota for work permits for nationals of non-EU, non-EEA and non-Swiss countries. It ran at 100,000 for 2024 and 2025, and for 2026 it was reduced to 90,000, confirmed by the National Tripartite Council for Social Dialogue — a cut of 10,000 despite continuing shortages in construction, manufacturing and services, with employers noting that demand significantly exceeds the quota. The practical consequence is timing: the IGI reported more than 74,700 work permits issued between the start of the year and early July, so the annual allocation is consumed quickly, and applications must be submitted promptly after the quota window opens rather than late in the year.

The reform is arriving in August 2026

An emergency ordinance has overhauled foreign-worker hiring, and the legislation is already in force — but full operations will begin only when the new WorkinRomania.gov.ro platform launches, scheduled for 8 August 2026. Until then, applications still run under the previous rules, with a transition period through 7 August 2026 during which the government registers employers, authorises agencies and tests the platform. The reform introduces two long-stay visa categories that will define non-EU labour migration. D/AM1 covers highly qualified workers and special categories, without quotas or shortage-list constraints. D/AM2 covers general labour and comes with an annual quota and a newly introduced List of Shortage Occupations — and that list will gate most non-EU recruitment, because if a job is not on it, employers cannot bring in workers under D/AM2 at all. The platform becomes the single point of submission for employer registrations and visa applications; employers are split into registered and authorised categories; bilingual contracts become mandatory; and recruitment agencies must obtain authorisation and meet transparency and worker-protection standards.

Who needs a work permit in Romania?

Non-EU, non-EEA and non-Swiss nationals generally do. Several categories are exempt, including foreigners whose free access to the Romanian labour market is established by treaty, holders of a valid EU Blue Card after twelve months of legal employment in Romania as a highly qualified worker, and holders of long-term residence granted by another EU member state. Note also that visa-exempt nationals cannot use ETIAS to take a job when it begins operating in the last quarter of 2026 — they still need a D/AM1 or D/AM2 to work legally.

Types of authorisation

• Aviz de angajare — the employment work permit issued by the IGI, applied for by the employer.
• D/AM long-stay visa — obtained at a Romanian embassy once the permit is issued.
• D/AM1 — from August 2026, for highly qualified workers and special categories, with no quota or shortage-list constraint.
• D/AM2 — from August 2026, for general labour, subject to the quota and the List of Shortage Occupations.
• EU Blue Card — for highly qualified workers meeting the salary threshold.

Eligibility and employer pre-conditions

You need a valid employment contract — you cannot apply for a visa without one — and the employer must satisfy a labour market test showing it could not find a local worker. The employer itself must clear two pre-conditions: it must have been carrying out activity in the relevant field for at least one year, and it must not have been penalised for undeclared work or illegal employment in the previous six months. Pay matters at the visa stage too: the minimum gross wage rose to RON 4,325 a month from 1 July 2026, up from RON 4,050, and it must be demonstrated as a means of subsistence. The EU Blue Card threshold has been RON 8,620 gross a month since 13 February 2025.

Documents you’ll need

The IGI and the consulate set the requirements; a typical file includes:

• A copy of the work permit issued by the IGI, or proof you fall into an exempt category.
• A valid passport and the visa application through the E-Visa portal.
• Proof of financial means equal to the minimum gross salary for the whole period of the visa.
• A criminal record certificate from your state of domicile or residence.
• Medical insurance valid for the duration of the visa.
• Proof of accommodation in Romania.
• The employment contract, in bilingual form once the new rules apply.

Step by step

1. You secure a valid employment contract with a Romanian employer.
2. The employer confirms its pre-conditions — a year of activity in the field, no undeclared work penalties in six months.
3. The employer runs the labour market test and submits the work permit application to the IGI.
4. The IGI issues the aviz de angajare, typically within about 30 days.
5. You apply for the D/AM long-stay visa within 60 days of the permit being issued, via the E-Visa portal and the Romanian consulate.
6. The consulate processes the visa, commonly in 10 to 30 days.
7. You travel to Romania on the D/AM visa.
8. You apply to the IGI for your residence permit after arrival.

Processing time

The IGI decision takes around 30 days, and the visa takes 10 to 30 days, so end-to-end, a realistic plan runs two to four months. One deadline is unforgiving: you must apply for the D/AM long-stay visa at a Romanian embassy within 60 days of the work permit being issued, or the visa will lapse. And because the quota is consumed through the year, a file that would sail through in February can hit a wall in October.

Fees

The employer pays roughly €100 for the work permit application, and the long-stay visa fee is around €120. Budget also for the criminal record certificate, medical insurance, translations and legalisation. The authorities set fees that are subject to change, so confirm the current figures with the IGI and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs before you pay.

Validity, renewal and changing employer

Permits and residence are granted for defined periods and renewed while the employment continues. The rule that matters most if you are weighing an offer: under the current framework, changing employers requires restarting the entire process from the beginning. That is due to ease — from 8 August 2026, foreign nationals who obtained temporary work permits under the previous legal framework may change employers under the relevant provisions of the emergency ordinance on the regime of foreigners. If you are already in Romania, that date is worth marking.

After you arrive

Apply to the IGI for your residence permit promptly, and keep all three authorisations aligned, as they must be current simultaneously. As holders of long-stay visas and residence permits, D/AM1 and D/AM2 holders are exempt from registration in the Entry/Exit System, which has been fully operational across the 29 participating countries since 10 April 2026 and applies to short stays rather than to workers. Appeals against decisions must be filed within 30 days, and the National Employment Agency must resolve them within 45 days.

Common reasons for refusal

The most common are the quota being exhausted; an employer that fails its pre-conditions, having traded in the field for under a year or been penalised for undeclared work within six months; a failed labour market test; missing the 60-day window to apply for the D/AM visa after the permit is issued; or means of subsistence below the minimum gross wage. From August 2026, expect a further and significant change: a general-labour job that does not appear on the List of Shortage Occupations cannot proceed under D/AM2 at all.

Tips to get approved

Apply early in the quota year. With 90,000 places for 2026 and more than 74,700 issued by early July, this is not a theoretical concern — it is the single most likely reason a good application fails. Check the employer’s pre-conditions before anything else, diarise the 60-day visa window from the day the permit is issued, and watch for the List of Shortage Occupations, because, from 8 August 2026, it determines whether a general-labour route exists for your job at all.

Your rights as a foreign worker

Romanian labour law applies, with the statutory minimum wage as a floor, and the reform strengthens protections: bilingual contracts become mandatory, recruitment agencies must be authorised and meet transparency and worker-protection standards, and employer accounts can be suspended or deleted for non-compliance. Appeals are time-bound in both directions — 30 days to file, 45 for the National Employment Agency to resolve. Romania is in the EU and, since January 2025, fully in Schengen.

For professional drivers in Romania

Romania is one of the most important driver markets in the European Union, and the case is straightforward. It is among the largest international haulage nations in the Union, Constanta is the biggest port on the Black Sea, and Corridor IV runs across the country toward Hungary and central Europe. Its own drivers left for Western Europe in enormous numbers. Hence, it recruits from outside the EU at scale — truck drivers and delivery personnel are named among the sectors in constant demand, alongside construction, hospitality and manufacturing. And on 1 January 2025, Romania became a full Schengen member, removing the land border checks that had left lorries queuing for hours at Nadlac and Bors. This change transformed the economics of Romanian haulage overnight. Three timing points decide whether this works for you. The 2026 quota was cut to 90,000 from 100,000, and more than 74,700 permits had already been issued by early July, so the year’s allocation is nearly gone. From 8 August 2026, a new system takes over, and general labour under D/AM2 will only be possible if the occupation appears on a new List of Shortage Occupations — so check whether professional driving is on it before making any plans. And under the current rules, changing employers means starting again from scratch, though it still starts on the same August date. Get the timing right, and Romania is one of the best doors in Europe.

• Browse driver vacancies in Romania.
• Register a driver profile.
• For employers — recruitment and compliance support

Work permits by region in Romania.

The work permit and the quota are national, issued by the Immigration Inspectorate wherever you work, but Romania’s development regions differ sharply — the Black Sea port, the Hungarian border crossings and the Corridor IV motorway carry most of the freight. Schengen membership since 2025 has changed how it moves.

Bucharest-Ilfov

The capital region is by far the largest economy, with the main airport, the densest distribution belt and the IGI headquarters where permits are handled. Driver jobs in Bucharest-Ilfov.

South-East

The Constanta region, home to the largest port on the Black Sea and the entry point for cargo moving inland along the Danube and Corridor IV. Driver jobs in the South-East.

West

The Timisoara and Arad region, containing the Nadlac crossing into Hungary — historically the choke point for Romanian hauliers and set to be transformed by Schengen membership in January 2025. Driver jobs in the West.

South-Muntenia

The industrial belt south of the capital, with automotive plants, refineries and the Danube port at Giurgiu opposite Bulgaria. Driver jobs in South Muntenia.

North-West

The Cluj and Oradea region, with the Bors crossing into Hungary, has a growing technology sector and heavy westbound freight. Driver jobs in North-West.

Centre

The Brasov and Sibiu region, an automotive and manufacturing heartland in the Carpathian basin, lies along the main routes to the north and west. Driver jobs in Centre.

South-West Oltenia

The Craiova region, with vehicle manufacturing and the Danube crossings toward Bulgaria and the Balkan corridors. Driver jobs in South-West Oltenia.

North-East

The Iasi region on the Moldovan border is the most populous development region, with routes heading east toward Chisinau and Ukraine. Driver jobs in the North East.

Related guides

• EU work visa — overview
• Romania residence permit
• Health insurance in Romania
• Romanian citizenship

Official government sources

• General Inspectorate for Immigration — work permits, quotas and residence permits.
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs — long-stay visa policy and Romanian consulates.
• E-Visa Portal — the official online visa application service.
• National Employment Agency — labour market matters and appeals.

Information only — not legal or immigration advice. The annual quota is reset each year, and a major reform takes full effect from 8 August 2026 with a new List of Shortage Occupations. Always confirm current requirements with the official Romanian authorities before you apply or pay anyone.