- Digital nomad visa
- Yes
Overall6/10Easier visas than about 55% of cities
Good to know
Good to Know
- Since 1 January 2025 Romania is fully inside Schengen (air, sea, and land borders), so any days spent here count toward the same shared 90/180-day Schengen limit as time spent in other Schengen countries — track your total days across the whole zone, not just Romania.
- If you're American, British, Canadian, Australian, or from most of the EU, you currently need no visa or pre-registration to enter Romania for stays up to 90 days — just a passport valid at least 3 months beyond your departure and issued within the last 10 years.
- Watch for the EU's ETIAS travel authorization, expected to become mandatory for visa-exempt travelers in late 2026 — it will add a small online form and fee before your trip, but is not required yet.
- Wanting to stay longer than 90 days? You'll need a long-stay visa or residence permit arranged in advance — the 90-day tourist allowance is not extendable from inside the country.
- The income bar for Romania's digital nomad visa has risen sharply since 2022 (it's now pegged at 3x the national average gross salary and adjusts every year), so it's currently one of the higher income thresholds among European nomad visas — double-check the live figure before budgeting your application around older blog posts.
- If you stay under 183 days in any 12-month period, you generally owe zero Romanian tax on your foreign income — many nomads deliberately structure their stay around this line and track entry/exit days carefully since partial days count.
- The visa fee and application channel (online eVisa vs. in-person at a consulate) vary by source and by which embassy you use — confirm directly with your nearest Romanian consulate rather than relying on a single guide.
- This visa strictly forbids taking local Romanian employment or invoicing Romanian clients — all income must originate abroad.
- Romania became a full Schengen member on January 1, 2025, so a Romanian residence permit now also enables visa-free travel across the wider Schengen area for up to 90 days in any 180-day period.
Visa Free Entry
- Baseline Rule
- The standard 90/180-day Schengen rule applies: eligible non-EU nationals may stay in Romania (and the wider Schengen Area) for up to 90 days within any rolling 180-day period without a visa. Because Romania is now fully in Schengen, days spent in Romania count toward the same shared 90-day allowance as time spent in France, Germany, Italy, etc., and vice versa.
- Who Qualifies
- EU/EEA/Swiss citizens can enter with just a valid passport or national ID card and face no day-limit on residence in Romania (though stays over 3 months require registering with the General Inspectorate for Immigration). Nationals of many non-EU countries — including the US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and South Korea — are visa-exempt for short stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period. Nationals not on Romania's visa-exemption list must obtain a Romanian Short-Stay (Type C) Schengen visa in advance.
- Schengen Status
- Romania is a full Schengen Area member. Internal air and sea border checks were lifted on 31 March 2024, and internal land border checks (with Hungary and Bulgaria) were lifted on 1 January 2025, completing full Schengen integration.
- Overstay Consequences
- Overstaying the 90/180-day limit can result in fines, denial of future Schengen entry, and an entry ban of up to 3 years.
- Upcoming Change ETIAS
- The EU's ETIAS pre-travel authorization is expected to become mandatory for currently visa-exempt travelers starting late 2026. It is not a visa but an online pre-screening form (reported fee around €7, validity around 3 years). It is not yet in effect, so no action is required at this time, but nomads planning travel close to the rollout date should check the official EU ETIAS site before booking.
- Extending Beyond 90 Days
- The 90-day visa-free stay cannot be extended in-country. Anyone wanting to stay longer must apply for a Romanian long-stay (Type D) visa or a residence permit through Romania's immigration authority (IGI) — this is covered separately under digital nomad / long-stay visa options.
- Process For Visa Exempt Travelers
- No advance application or fee is currently required for visa-exempt nationals; entry is granted at the border on presentation of a valid passport. Passport requirements: issued within the last 10 years, and valid for at least 3 months beyond the planned departure date from the Schengen Area.
Digital Nomad Visa And Tax
- Overview
- Romania has offered a dedicated digital nomad visa since 2022 for non-EU/EEA/Swiss citizens who work remotely for a foreign employer or run their own foreign-registered business. It is a long-stay visa that must be converted into a temporary residence permit after arrival. EU/EEA/Swiss citizens do not need this visa and can instead register for a residence certificate for stays over 3 months.
- Visa Name
- Digital Nomad Visa (Long-Stay Visa for Remote Work, D/AD type), introduced under Law 22/2022 and amended by Law 69/2023
- Visa Ease Tier
- moderate
- Application Fee
- RON 1,495
Consular fee historically quoted as €120 (converted here at current EUR/RON exchange rates); at least one recent source reports an increase to roughly €300 as of April 2026. Confirm the exact current fee with the embassy/consulate handling your application, as it is set in euros and can change.
- Application Path
- Applications are submitted either through the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs eVisa portal or in person at a Romanian embassy/consulate — sources disagree on whether fully online submission is currently available everywhere, so check with your nearest consulate. Processing time is commonly quoted at 7–14 business days for straightforward online cases, but can extend to 30–60 days at busier consulates. Once the entry visa is issued, holders must travel to Romania and apply for a temporary residence permit at the General Inspectorate for Immigration (IGI), generally within 90 days of entry.
- Income Requirement
- RON 27,816
This threshold has risen steeply since the visa launched in 2022 (it was roughly 18,000–18,500 RON per month as recently as 2023–2024). Because it is pegged to the average salary, always verify the current figure before applying rather than relying on older guides.
- Duration And Renewal
- Sources disagree on the exact renewal structure. One common description: the visa grants initial entry, followed by a residence permit valid for around 6 months (aligned with the 183-day tax-residency checkpoint), renewable as long as requirements continue to be met, up to a maximum of 3 years on temporary residence status. Another common description (tied to the original 2022 law): an initial residence permit of 1 year, renewable once, for a combined maximum of 24 months. Renewal applications should be filed at least 30 days before the current permit expires, and for renewals beyond 6 months you may need to submit an income certificate from ANAF (the Romanian tax authority). After the digital-nomad pathway is exhausted, many long-term nomads transition to a business-based residence permit by registering a Romanian company (SRL), which can be done remotely via power of attorney.
- Residence Permit Fee
- RON 259
Card issuance fee paid on arrival in Romania at the General Inspectorate for Immigration (IGI); additional consular-equivalent fees (commonly cited around €120–170) may also apply.
- Visa Ease Tier Rationale
- Romania offers 90-day visa-free Schengen entry plus a dedicated digital nomad visa with tax exemption under 183 days, but the visa requires a high income threshold (~$6,000/month), extensive documentation, and involves bureaucratic ambiguity around renewal terms and fees.
Tax Regime
- Caveat
- The tax exemption applies specifically to foreign salary/consulting income under the digital nomad legislation. Income earned inside Romania (e.g. local rental income) or certain other global income types (dividends, crypto gains) may still be taxable even during the exempt window.
- 183 Day Rule
- Under Law 69/2023, digital nomad visa holders who spend fewer than 183 days in Romania within any consecutive 12-month period are exempt from Romanian income tax and from pension (CAS) and health insurance (CASS) social contributions on their foreign-sourced income.
- Beyond 183 Days
- Once you exceed 183 days in Romania within a 12-month period, you become a Romanian tax resident on your worldwide income. This triggers a flat 10% personal income tax rate, plus social contributions that can add roughly 25% (pension) and 10% (health) on top for other income types — self-employed/freelance structures can sometimes qualify for more favorable micro-enterprise tax treatment, but this depends heavily on individual structure and should be checked with a local accountant.
- Double Taxation
- Romania has double taxation treaties with over 90 countries, including the US and UK, which can prevent being taxed twice on the same income — but treaty application depends on your home country's own residency rules, so cross-check with a tax advisor there too.
- Registration Obligation
- If you cross the 183-day threshold, you are required to register with ANAF (Agenția Națională de Administrare Fiscală) within 30 days, and file the annual Unique Declaration (Form 212) by May 25 of the following year if you have Romanian-taxable income.
Eligibility
- Non-EU/EEA/Swiss citizen (EU/EEA citizens use a simpler residence registration instead)
- Employed remotely by a company registered outside Romania, or owner/manager of a company registered abroad for at least 3 years
- All work must be performed remotely via information and communication technology
- Income must come entirely from foreign sources — the visa cannot be used to work for Romanian clients or companies, and holders are generally barred from local employment during at least the first months of stay
- Clean criminal record with no prior entry refusals to Romania
- Valid private health insurance for the full duration of stay
Documents Required
- Completed visa application form
- Valid passport (at least 3 months' validity from application date)
- Proof of remote employment/business ownership abroad (employment contract, freelance/service agreements, or company registration documents for a foreign-registered business operating at least 3 years)
- Proof of income meeting the minimum threshold (payslips, bank statements, tax documents) covering the prior 6 months
- Private health insurance valid in Romania for the full stay (travel insurance is not accepted; full residency-grade coverage is required)
- Proof of accommodation in Romania (lease agreement, hotel booking, or host letter), typically for a minimum of 3 months
- Clean criminal record certificate from country of residence/citizenship, often required to be apostilled and translated into Romanian
- Letter of intent/motivation explaining the purpose of stay
- Medical certificate (obtained locally in Romania) confirming no public health risk, required at the residence permit stage
AI-generated estimateData refreshed July 2026
Sources cited for this category
These are the sources cited in this visas research for this city. Individual figures may not each trace to one of them.
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Data last updated July 2026 · Verify anything important.