Romania
Romania · Capital: Bucharest
An EU member with a flat 10% income tax, famously fast internet, a booming IT sector and very low living costs, increasingly popular with developers and remote workers.
Migration statistics
Who is arriving
Top source countries and the make-up of recent arrivals into Romania.
Policy overview
2 visa routes into Romania
Eligibility, fees, processing times and whether each route leads to permanent residence.
Digital Nomad Visa
Digital nomadRO-DNV
Residence for non-EU remote workers earning at least three times the Romanian average gross wage (about EUR 5,600 a month). The long-stay visa fee rose from EUR 120 to EUR 300 on 27 April 2026.
Eligibility
- Remote income of at least 3x the average gross wage for the last 6 months
- Work for non-Romanian employers or clients
Document checklist (8 items)
Core
Professional
Financial
Background
RO-WORK
Employer-sponsored work and residence permit. Long-stay visa fee EUR 300 since 27 April 2026.
Eligibility
- Job offer
- Work permit quota
Document checklist (9 items)
Core
Professional
Background
Economic context
The numbers behind the move
Pay reflects the local market in Romania, what you'd typically earn there, not your current salary.
Skill shortages
Sectors actively recruiting from abroad
Where Romania needs foreign talent most, and what those roles pay.
IT & software
A large, well-regarded outsourcing and product-engineering sector.
Industry & construction
Labour shortages pull in workers from across Asia.
Recent changes
What's changed lately
Recent policy changes that affect migrants, newest first.
No policy changes recorded in the last 90 days. The intelligence agent is monitoring.
Quality of life
What living there feels like
Bucharest
Capital & tech hubThe economic engine with most IT and corporate jobs and a lively, low-cost lifestyle.
- Cost index
- 52
- 1-bed rent
- $650
- Quality
- 74
Cluj-Napoca
Silicon Valley of RomaniaRomania's tech capital, a university city with a fast-growing startup ecosystem.
- Cost index
- 50
- 1-bed rent
- $620
- Quality
- 80
Timișoara
Western gatewayA handsome western city with manufacturing, IT and easy access to Central Europe.
- Cost index
- 46
- 1-bed rent
- $560
- Quality
- 78
Safety & climate
The reception you can expect
How welcoming the public and political mood is, how safe it is, and how geopolitically stable the country is right now.
Anti-migrant sentiment
trendEU and NATO member welcoming skilled migrants; near the Ukraine conflict.
Higher = more hostile public/political climate.
Geopolitical stability
A composite of governance, security and regional-risk signals. Higher means a more predictable environment for settling long term.
Higher = more stable.
Safety
Safe with low violent crime; petty theft in central Bucharest.
Higher = safer (crime index 30/100).
Where to live
Which Romania city fits you?
Cities matched to who you are, career, family, retirement, study or remote work. We flag the ones to consider and the ones to approach with care.
Cluj-Napoca
Young & techy
Romania's tech capital, a university city with a fast-growing startup ecosystem.
Bucharest
Buzzy & contrasting
The economic engine with most IT and corporate jobs and a lively, low-cost lifestyle.
Timișoara
Elegant & industrial
A handsome western city with manufacturing, IT and easy access to Central Europe.
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Immigration solicitors for Romania
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