Romania Immigration Reform Update: New Unified Work Permit System

Overview

Romania has introduced a new unified system that replaces the current fragmented work permit and visa process. The new process will be managed through a centralized online platform that will handle:

• work permit applications,
• long-stay visa applications,
• and employer registrations.

The reform aims to:

• improve digitalization,
• increase transparency,
• strengthen employer accountability,
• and simplify immigration procedures over time.

However, during the transition period, employers and applicants may experience increased complexity while authorities operationalize the platform, stabilize workflows, and standardize documentation requirements.

What Are the Key Changes? 

Unified Digital Immigration Platform

Romania is replacing its fragmented immigration process with a centralized online platform:

WorkinRomania.gov.ro

The platform will:

• process work permit applications,
• manage long-stay visa applications,
• and handle employer registrations.

The online system will be tested until August 7, 2026, and is expected to launch fully on August 8, 2026.

Applications submitted before implementation will continue under the current immigration framework. Family reunification residence permit applications will continue to require in-person procedures.

New Visa Categories

Romania’s reform introduces two visa categories:

D/AM1 Visa

Applicable to:

• highly qualified employees,
• special categories,
• academic staff,
• sports professionals,
• and certain nationalities including Moldovan, Ukrainian, and Serbian citizens.

This category is not subject to quotas or shortage occupation lists.

D/AM2 Visa

Applicable to general labor categories and subject to:

• annual quotas,
• and a shortage occupation list expected to be published by June 14, 2026.

Employers hiring non-highly skilled labor may need to monitor the shortage occupation list before planning recruitment activity.

Introduction of Employer Categories

The reform introduces two employer categories:

Registered Employers

Primarily eligible for D/AM1 visas.

Authorized Employers

Subject to stricter requirements but permitted to directly access D/AM2 routes.

To hire directly for D/AM2 roles without an agency, organizations must:

• maintain an average of at least 50 employees during the previous year,
• and demonstrate at least 24 months of activity.

Under the new system, immigration access will depend on both the individual application and the employer’s status and eligibility requirements.

Changes to Secondment Rules

Romania has redefined the scope of seconded employee status.

Non-EU nationals may only be seconded into Romania by employers established within the EU, EEA, or Switzerland.

Third-country nationals can no longer access Romania’s labor market through posting arrangements from non-EU countries. In these cases, intra-company transfer (ICT) routes may need to be considered instead.

Organizations currently relying on postings from non-EU jurisdictions may need to review existing mobility structures and local employment arrangements.

Who Will Be Affected?

The reform will primarily impact:

• multinational employers hiring into Romania,
• global mobility teams,
• HR and workforce planning functions,
• relocation and immigration stakeholders,
• staffing and recruitment agencies,
• and organizations managing cross-border deployments.

Organizations with high international hiring volumes may experience additional coordination requirements during the transition phase.

Key Benefits of the New System

The reform aims to:

• centralize immigration procedures,
• improve digital processing,
• standardize application workflows,
• and strengthen employer accountability.

The reform is expected to simplify and standardize immigration procedures over time.

Compliance Updates Employers Should Monitor

Additional changes introduced under the reform include:

• mandatory bilingual employment contracts,
• minimum language training requirements,
• stricter employer reporting obligations,
• limits on worker mobility for certain cases,
• and licensing requirements for placement agencies.

Placement agencies must also meet ownership and financial guarantee requirements linked to Romanian or EU/EEA entities.

Organizations should continue monitoring future updates regarding:

• shortage occupation lists,
• platform functionality,
• supporting documentation standards,
• and implementation guidance from Romanian authorities.

What This Means for Employers

Although the reform is intended to simplify immigration procedures long term, authorities have indicated that complexity may initially increase during implementation.

During the transition period, organizations may experience:

• evolving procedural requirements,
• additional documentation requests,
• workflow adjustments,
• and changing application expectations while the platform and processes stabilize.

Employers may also experience longer processing coordination during the transition period while procedures and documentation requirements stabilize.

For employers managing international workforce mobility, this may temporarily affect:

• onboarding coordination,
• deployment timelines,
• document preparation,
• and workforce planning processes.

Organizations relying heavily on international hiring may require coordination across HR, immigration, mobility, legal, and operational teams during implementation.

Implementation Considerations and Next Steps

Organizations managing international hiring into Romania should consider:

• reviewing existing mobility workflows,
• reassessing workforce planning timelines,
• evaluating employer eligibility requirements,
• monitoring future regulatory updates,
• and maintaining coordination across internal stakeholders during implementation.

Additional guidance regarding:

• shortage occupation lists,
• platform functionality,
• and supporting documentation standards

is still expected.

Key Takeaway

Romania’s new unified work permit system represents a significant shift toward centralized and digitalized immigration processing.

While the reform is intended to streamline immigration procedures over time, employers may experience increased administrative and operational complexity during the transition period as new systems and procedures are implemented.

For organizations managing workforce mobility into Romania, early preparation, process review, and close monitoring of regulatory developments may help support smoother implementation and workforce planning continuity.

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About Anywr

Anywr is a French international group specializing in global mobility solutions.
Founded in 2012, Anywr operates in 12 countries across 4 continents. Our mission is to support companies in addressing their Human Resources challenges. We respond to your needs in terms of international mobility, particularly in terms of immigration policies, relocation, the implementation of mobility policies and EOR.

Do you have a mobility project for your teams? Contact us!