How to hire foreign workers in Romania in 2026

The short version: register on the state platform, check the occupation against the deficit list, file one application per worker. The long version is where companies get caught.

Since 27 April 2026 the work permit no longer exists. Title I of Government Ordinance 25/2014 was repealed, and with it the aviz de angajare and the aviz de detasare. In their place is a single electronic application, the cerere unica, filed through WorkinRomania.gov.ro.

Before you can file anything, your company has to exist on that platform. Employers are entered in the Register of Employers of Foreigners. If you intend to hire directly, without going through a placement agency, registration is not enough: you need full authorisation from the National Employment Agency. That carries conditions. No outstanding liabilities to the consolidated budget, a clean fiscal record, at least 24 months of uninterrupted economic activity, an average of at least 50 employees in the previous year, and a financial guarantee of 1 000 euro for every worker you apply for.

The occupation matters as much as the company. Permanent, seasonal and cross-border workers can only be brought in for occupations on the Deficit Occupations List approved by the Ministry of Labour. Highly qualified workers travel a different route on the D/AM1 visa and are not bound by that list.

Your foreign headcount is capped. A legal entity cannot employ more foreign workers than its average number of employees in the previous year. An individual may employ at most three.

What most companies underestimate is what happens after approval. The employment contract must be bilingual. Safety training must be delivered in a language the worker actually understands. The Romanian language and integration programme must run for six months at a minimum of six hours per week. Penalties under the ordinance reach 40 000 lei and can be applied for each worker separately.