Romania rolls out unified work-permit system and online application portal

Romania has consolidated its work-permit categories into a single unified permit and launched an online application portal for foreign nationals, including those operating under the country’s digital nomad status framework. The change took effect across Q1-Q2 2026 and replaces the previous multi-category permit landscape that had distinct paths for employees, ICT transfers, highly-skilled workers and several other categories.

The online portal lets applicants and employers submit documents digitally and track application status, ending the paper-based dossier model that was a long-standing pain point for foreign workers and Romanian employers hiring abroad. The General Inspectorate for Immigration is the consolidated processing authority.

Why this matters

For remote workers considering Romania as a base – particularly within the digital nomad visa scheme, which has been in place since 2022 – the unified permit removes a major source of confusion at application stage. Previously, applicants and their lawyers spent meaningful time deciding which permit track applied; now there is one track with sub-categories handled administratively rather than upfront.

For European employers hiring Romanian-based remote workers from outside the EU, the online portal cuts paperwork weeks off the onboarding timeline. Romania has been quietly building a tech and services hub around Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca and Iași over the last five years, and the work-permit reform tracks that economic positioning.

Context

Romania joined Schengen for air and sea borders in March 2024 and is targeting full Schengen integration including land borders. The work-permit unification fits a broader regulatory modernisation agenda the government has been running, alongside the ongoing transition to the euro (not yet scheduled) and several judicial reforms.