Romania
ROURomania joined Schengen in full from January 2025. The country combines a 10% flat personal income tax with EU/Schengen membership and a low cost of living. Long-stay residency includes a dedicated Digital Nomad Visa (introduced 2022 β minimum income ~β¬3,700/month from foreign sources), skilled-employment Long-Stay Visa, and family reunification. Romania's descent regime is generous: descendants of pre-1918 Romanian citizens (including former Bessarabia / Moldova) can claim citizenship without language testing under the simplified procedure.
- Naturalisation
- 8 years
- Tax system
- Residence Based
- Currency
- Romanian leu (RON)
- Dual citizenship
- Allowed
- Capital
- Bucharest
- Region
- europe
- Population
- 19,120,000
- Cost-of-living
- 39 /100
Passport Rank
#12
Visa-Free
155
destinations
Visa-free travel
A Romania passport has visa-free access to 155 destinations. See the full Romania passport breakdown β
Passports that enter Romania without a prior visa (91)
Visa-free, visa on arrival, or on an eTA.
Community-sourced (passport-index, synced 2026-08-18) β verify with the embassy before travel.
Immigrating to Canada from Romania
Current IRCC processing times for Romania nationals, by application type.
| Visitor visa (outside Canada) | 37 days |
| Super visa | No processing time available |
| Study permit | No processing time available |
| Work permit | No processing time available |
| Sponsor a dependent child | No processing time available |
| Adopted child (citizenship) | Not enough data |
| Government-assisted refugees | Not enough data |
| Privately sponsored refugees | sponsor: Not enough data / refugee: Not enough data |
Your application may take longer than the times shown here. Theyβre not a maximum or a guarantee.
As of 2026-09-22 (IRCC). See all Canada processing times β
Source: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada β βCheck processing timesβ. This is a copy of the version available at https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/application/check-processing-times.html. Reproduced under the Government of Canadaβs non-commercial reproduction terms; not endorsed by or affiliated with IRCC.
Sources & last verified
Government of Canada β non-commercial reproduction (canada.ca Terms and conditions)
Country Details
- Capital
- Bucharest
- Currency
- Romanian leu (RON)
- Languages
- Romanian
- Population
- 19,120,000
- Tax System
- Residence Based
- Dual Citizenship
- Allowed
- Naturalisation
- 8 years
- Schengen / EU
- Schengen / EU
- Climate
- Continental / Black Sea
- English Proficiency Rank
- #18
- GDP per capita
- $22,538
- Life expectancy
- 76.46 yrs
- Population growth
- -0.17%/yr
Romania operates a 10% flat personal income tax. The IT-sector exemption (10-year income-tax exemption for software engineers, recently narrowed) was significantly scaled back in 2024 but partially retained for senior developers earning above defined thresholds.
GDP per capita, life expectancy, and population growth: World Bank (2025).
Indices
Cost of Living
39
Safety
75
Healthcare
60
Quality of Life
152
Tax Summary
- Tax System
- Residence Based
- Territorial Taxation
- No β worldwide income taxed for residents
- Naturalisation
- 8 years of legal residency
- Dual Citizenship
- Allowed
- Special Tax Regime
- Romania operates a 10% flat personal income tax. The IT-sector exemption (10-year income-tax exemption for software engineers, recently narrowed) was significantly scaled back in 2024 but partially retained for senior developers earning above defined thresholds.
Cost of Living by City
β scroll the table β
| City | Rent 1BR centre | Rent outside | Groceries | Utilities | Transit pass |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bucharest | $600 | $420 | $240 | $150 | $18 |
| Cluj-Napoca | $580 | $420 | $230 | $145 | $16 |
Monthly USD figures. Typical central 1-bedroom rent, grocery basket for one, household utilities, monthly transit pass.
Visa Categories & Immigration Authority
Major Visa Categories
- Schengen C
- Long-stay D Visa
- Temporary Residence Permit
- Long-term Residence Permit
- Work Residence Permit
- Family Reunification Permit
- Student Residence Permit
- Digital Nomad Visa
- Authority
- Inspectoratul General pentru ImigrΔri (IGI)
- Official Portal
- igi.mai.gov.ro
- Phone
- +40 21 207 70 00
- igi@mai.gov.ro
Naturalisation Details
- Residence Years
- 8
- Language Test
- Yes (Romanian conversational)
- Civic Test
- Yes
- Oath Required
- Yes
- Dual Allowed
- Yes
- Fee
- $200
- Processing
- ~24 months
International Schools
β scroll the table β
| School | City | Curriculum | Tuition (USD/yr) |
|---|---|---|---|
| American International School of Bucharest | Bucharest | American / IB | $18,000β$28,000 |
| Transylvania College Cluj-Napoca | Cluj-Napoca | British / IB | $14,000β$22,000 |
Daily Life Logistics
Internet
240 Mbps median
85% fibre coverage
eSIM: Orange Romania, Vodafone Romania, Digi
LGBTQ+ Legal Status
- Same-Sex Marriage
- Not legal
- Civil Partnerships
- Not recognised
- Anti-Discrimination Law
- Yes
- ILGA Rank
- #41
Religious Life
- Halal Food
- Widely available
- Kosher Food
- Limited
- Prayer Facilities
- Common
Regulators & official sources
Bodies that regulate immigration advice in Romania, and the official sources indexed for it by Visa Atlas. Descriptions are verbatim; each links to its source.
National Union of Romanian Bars
UNBRNational body of the Romanian bar regulating attorneys. There is no dedicated immigration-adviser regulator; representation is by licensed attorneys.
Related Guides
Fastest paths to an EU passport in 2025
A sourced comparison of the shortest EU naturalisation timelines, from 2-year descent fast-tracks to 5-year residency routes β plus the hidden requirements that extend them in practice.
Zero and low-tax residencies: the real list
Countries with zero personal income tax, territorial-only taxation, or special expatriate regimes β and what each one actually requires from you to qualify as a resident.
Exit tax: countries that charge you to leave
Country-by-country reference of departure taxes, deemed-disposition rules, and wealth-locking regimes that trigger when tax residency ends.
Related on The Citizenship Desk
Move here
Life logistics
Citizenship by Descent
Sources & last verified
- Last verified