Romania residence and citizenship

Commercial activities — three-year investor permit

Not for EU citizens, EEA citizens.

Foreign company owner investing at least EUR 500,000 in the business can receive a three-year rather than annual residence extension; creating more than 50 full-time jobs is an alternative. EUR 500,000 = USD 559,650. EUR 300 initial visa = USD 335.79. The 30+15-day permit limit maps to two months. Citizenship remains a separate eight-year route.

Sources: Business activities (Romanian General Inspectorate for Immigration), Long-term residence (Romanian General Inspectorate for Immigration), Romanian Citizenship Law article 8 (Romanian legislative portal), ECB euro reference rates, 9 November 2026 (European Central Bank)

Commercial activities / company founder

Not for EU citizens, EEA citizens.

Non-EU/EEA company shareholder or manager with approved business plan. There is no universal capital floor; EUR 500,000 is the optional three-year permit threshold, not a route minimum. EUR 300 long-stay visa fee = USD 335.79 at 1.1193. The residence-permit decision can take 30+15 days, rounded to two months; visa and permit stages are separate. Five qualifying years to long-term residence, eight total to ordinary citizenship.

Sources: Business activities (Romanian General Inspectorate for Immigration), Long-term residence (Romanian General Inspectorate for Immigration), Romanian Citizenship Law article 8 (Romanian legislative portal), ECB euro reference rates, 9 November 2026 (European Central Bank)

Digital nomad long-stay visa

Not for EU citizens, EEA citizens.

Third-country remote employee or owner of a company registered abroad; income must meet three times Romania's average gross salary. Salary is not an investment. No cited route-specific fee or complete processing bound. A nomad visa by itself is not assumed to count toward long-term residence or naturalisation; any later qualifying switch is separate.

Sources: Romanian long-stay visa categories (Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs), Long-term residence (Romanian General Inspectorate for Immigration), Romanian Citizenship Law article 8 (Romanian legislative portal), Romanian digital nomad visa summary (Fragomen, summary)

Long-term residence after five years

Not for EU citizens, EEA citizens.

Non-EU/EEA holder of five continuous qualifying residence years. Study counts only half; short stay, seasonal work and au pair time are excluded. A separate decision and permit are required. No cited universal fee or decision bound. Citizenship ordinarily requires eight total lawful years plus long-term or permanent status.

Sources: Long-term residence (Romanian General Inspectorate for Immigration), Romanian Citizenship Law article 8 (Romanian legislative portal)

EU/EEA/Swiss permanent residence after five years

Only for EU citizens, EEA citizens, Swiss citizens.

EU/EEA/Swiss citizen or qualifying family member with more than five years' continuous legal stay. No universal fee or decision period established. Citizenship is a separate ordinary application after eight qualifying years, with possible reduction for eligible EU/EEA/Swiss applicants.

Sources: Permanent residence for EU citizens (Romanian General Inspectorate for Immigration), Romanian Citizenship Law article 8 (Romanian legislative portal)

Professional activities / self-sponsored professional

Not for EU citizens, EEA citizens.

Non-EU/EEA applicant practising a profession allowed by the relevant special law. EUR 300 long-stay visa = USD 335.79. Permit decision within 30 days, extendable 15, maps to maximum two months. No general capital investment minimum; income proof is distinct. Qualifying residence can lead to long-term residence after five years and citizenship after eight.

Sources: Professional activities (Romanian General Inspectorate for Immigration), Long-term residence (Romanian General Inspectorate for Immigration), Romanian Citizenship Law article 8 (Romanian legislative portal), ECB euro reference rates, 9 November 2026 (European Central Bank)

Employment residence and EU Blue Card

Not for EU citizens, EEA citizens.

Third-country employees require Romanian employer sponsorship; highly qualified employment has a Blue Card stream. The employer's permit charge is not treated as the applicant's fee. No cited single applicant fee, capital floor or complete decision bound. Five qualifying years may lead to long-term residence, eight total to ordinary citizenship.

Sources: Employment and posting (Romanian General Inspectorate for Immigration), Long-term residence (Romanian General Inspectorate for Immigration), Romanian Citizenship Law article 8 (Romanian legislative portal)

Family reunification residence

Eligible spouse or dependent relative of a qualifying resident sponsor, based on relationship rather than passport. Sponsorship endorsement is decided within three months; subsequent visa/permit stages add time. No single end-to-end fee or processing limit established. Qualifying residence may lead to long-term residence and citizenship; spouse of a Romanian has a distinct five-year marriage rule.

Sources: Family reunification (Romanian General Inspectorate for Immigration), Long-term residence (Romanian General Inspectorate for Immigration), Romanian Citizenship Law article 8 (Romanian legislative portal)

EU/EEA/Swiss free movement

Only for EU citizens, EEA citizens, Swiss citizens.

EU/EEA/Swiss citizens may register residence and work independently. Registration certificate is issued the same day; this is mapped to maximum one month, not zero. Fees are not established, so are not marked free. Permanent residence after five years; ordinary citizenship after eight qualifying years, with possible discretionary reduction.

Sources: Residence registration (Romanian General Inspectorate for Immigration), Permanent residence for EU citizens (Romanian General Inspectorate for Immigration), Romanian Citizenship Law article 8 (Romanian legislative portal)