Research checked: 29 September 2026. Romania does not offer a general “open sponsorship visa” for overseas jobseekers. In the usual process, a genuine Romanian employer first obtains an employment notice from the General Inspectorate for Immigration, the worker then applies for the D/AM long-stay employment visa, and after entry the worker obtains the appropriate single residence permit.
Each stage has a different purpose and decision-maker. An employer’s notice is not the visa, and a visa is not the final residence card. Applicants should understand the complete sequence before paying for documents, resigning from a current job or travelling.
Romania work-route comparison
| Situation | Likely route | Main requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Ordinary long-term employment | Permanent-worker notice, D/AM visa and single permit | Eligible employer, job and annual quota |
| Time-limited seasonal activity | Seasonal employment notice and D/AM visa | Fixed seasonal contract and route conditions |
| Highly qualified job | Highly qualified notice and EU Blue Card | Qualifications, six-month contract and salary test |
| Transfer within a corporate group | ICT posting/permit route | Qualifying group relationship and prior employment |
| Worker posted by foreign employer | Posting notice and D/DT visa | Continuing foreign employment and Romanian beneficiary |
| EU/EEA/Swiss citizen | Free labour-market access | Registration rules rather than ordinary work notice |
What sponsorship means in Romania
A sponsoring employer offers a real job, proves that it satisfies the legal conditions, applies to IGI for the correct employment notice and completes the Romanian employment formalities. The worker supplies truthful qualification, identity, health and criminal-record evidence and follows the visa and residence process.
The employer cannot guarantee approval or sell a government decision. Ordinary permits are connected to a particular employer and work basis. A document obtained for one company is not a transferable licence to work for any business after arrival.
Stage one: the employer’s employment notice
The Romanian employer applies to a territorial IGI unit for the employment notice. For an ordinary permanent worker, the authorities examine whether the vacancy can be filled locally, whether the foreign worker meets the training and experience requirements, and whether the employer is eligible.
Official guidance states that IGI generally processes the request within 30 days after registration. Further checks can extend that period by 15 days. These are administrative processing periods, not guarantees that recruitment, document correction and appointment time will fit inside the same window.
Employer eligibility checks
The business must genuinely operate in the field connected to the proposed job and, under the ordinary criteria, have carried out that activity for at least one year. It should have no unpaid obligations to the Romanian state and must not have been punished for undeclared or illegal employment during the relevant preceding six months.
The employer’s main purpose cannot be facilitating foreigners’ entry. The role must be compatible with its real activity, and the vacancy generally must not be fillable by Romanian, EU/EEA or qualifying resident workers. The proposed hire must also fit within the annual quota approved by the government.
Applicants should not rely on a recruiter who refuses to provide the legal employer’s tax identification, registered address and actual workplace. A newly formed shell business offering hundreds of unrelated jobs deserves additional scrutiny.
Employment-notice fees
Official IGI guidance lists an employer-paid fee in Romanian lei equivalent to EUR 100 for permanent, posted, cross-border, trainee, highly qualified, au pair and ICT workers. The seasonal-worker notice is generally the lei equivalent of EUR 25.
A EUR 25 equivalent also applies in specified cases such as certain graduates, family-reunification holders and employer or function changes. The legal payment is part of the official application; it is not a justification for a recruiter to demand hundreds or thousands of euros for “buying” a permit.
Stage two: the D/AM employment visa
After the employment notice is issued, the worker applies for the long-stay employment visa marked D/AM. Current Romanian MFA guidance says the D/AM application can be lodged within 180 days from the employment notice’s issue date.
The National Visa Center decides a standard D/AM application, with official guidance describing a 20-day decision period from lodging at the Romanian diplomatic mission or consular post. Cases with exemptions or additional checks can follow different timing. Never plan travel on the assumption that the maximum or target period is guaranteed.
D/AM1, D/AM2 and WorkinRomania
The current MFA system describes D/AM1 employment visas based on a single application initiated by the employer through WorkinRomania.gov.ro. D/AM2 covers specified applications initiated by an authorised foreign-worker placement agency or authorised employer through the same platform.
A digital platform does not remove the worker’s obligation to appear personally when requested and present the original passport and supporting documents. Confirm which application type applies directly with the employer and official Romanian system rather than accepting a login screenshot as proof of approval.
Visa documents to prepare
- Valid travel document meeting the required validity and issue-date rules.
- Employment notice or qualifying electronic employment basis.
- Registered individual employment contract where the route requires it.
- Criminal-record certificate or equivalent legal document.
- Travel medical insurance meeting the territorial and coverage conditions.
- Photographs and completed visa application.
- Supporting qualifications and regulated-profession recognition.
- Translations and legalisation required for the specific documents.
Current supporting-document guidance includes travel medical insurance with at least EUR 30,000 coverage for the relevant period and territory. Check the live eViza checklist because document pathways can differ between D/AM1, D/AM2 and exempt categories.
Stage three: the single residence permit
After entering Romania, the worker applies through IGI for the single permit that records the temporary residence right for employment. The application is personal even where documents can first be uploaded through the IGI portal.
Official guidance says an extension of temporary residence should be submitted at least 30 days before the visa-authorised stay expires. Waiting until the final week creates avoidable risk if a document, accommodation record, medical certificate or fee receipt is missing.
Permanent workers
A “permanent worker” in this system can have an indefinite or fixed-term individual employment contract based on the employment notice. The label describes the worker category, not a promise of permanent residence or lifetime employment.
Factory, warehouse, logistics, construction, hospitality and service jobs commonly advertised abroad can fall under this route. The employer still needs the correct occupation, salary and contract, and the worker must satisfy the role’s training or experience requirements.
Seasonal workers
A seasonal worker keeps a principal residence in a third country and comes temporarily for work that follows the seasons. The employment relationship uses a fixed-term contract and the seasonal employment notice.
For a seasonal worker, the visa can be issued for the expected contract duration plus five days, without exceeding 90 days under the current MFA explanation. Longer employment and residence must follow the applicable legal process rather than an informal contract extension.
EU Blue Card and highly qualified work
A highly qualified worker needs an appropriate higher-skill position and a qualifying employment contract lasting at least six months. The employer obtains the correct highly qualified employment notice, and the worker follows the Blue Card residence route.
The current salary threshold is tied to Romanian legal measures and can change. Verify the live amount with IGI before signing; do not use an old blog’s monthly figure. The Blue Card does not waive professional recognition for regulated occupations.
ICT and posted-worker routes
An intra-corporate transfer is for a qualifying manager, specialist or trainee moved within a corporate group. The worker normally remains connected to the overseas group employer and must meet the route’s prior-employment and assignment requirements.
A posted worker follows a different framework and may use the D/DT posting visa. Applicants should not let an agency label ordinary recruitment as “posting” merely to avoid the correct employment process. Identify the foreign employer, Romanian beneficiary, service agreement and continuing employment relationship.
Jobs with realistic recruitment potential
Overseas recruitment appears in manufacturing, automotive supply, food production, warehousing, construction, hospitality, agriculture and transport. Skilled demand also exists in engineering, information technology, healthcare and technical maintenance.
Demand does not prove sponsorship. Search established employer career pages, Romania’s public employment channels and EURES, then ask whether the employer has recently obtained IGI notices for the occupation and nationality involved.
Application sequence from abroad
- Interview with and verify a real Romanian employer.
- Agree the occupation, worksite, salary, hours and contract.
- The employer completes recruitment evidence and applies to IGI.
- IGI assesses the employer, worker, vacancy and annual quota.
- The employer collects the approved employment notice.
- The worker applies for the D/AM visa within 180 days.
- After visa approval, the worker enters Romania lawfully.
- The employment contract and onboarding are completed correctly.
- The worker applies for the single permit before the visa stay expires.
Do not begin working from Romania while waiting for the employment basis or visa unless an official exemption clearly applies. A future application does not legalise present work.
Verify the employer and recruiter
- Check the Romanian company’s legal registration and activity code.
- Confirm the vacancy through the company’s official contact.
- Identify any placement agency and its authorisation.
- Ask which IGI worker category and D/AM path apply.
- Compare employer, occupation and salary across every document.
- Verify the worksite and accommodation separately.
- Keep official application references and receipts.
Fraudsters copy real company records and logos. Contact HR through a number or domain you find independently; do not use only the details supplied in the recruitment message.
Contract and salary checks
Read the gross salary, likely net amount, guaranteed hours, shifts, overtime, probation, leave and termination terms. Ask whether targets or optional overtime are required to reach the advertised amount.
Confirm deductions for accommodation, transport, meals, uniforms and agency services. A low headline housing price can hide crowded conditions or mandatory transport charges. Require the address and terms in writing before travel.
Changing employer or occupation
An ordinary employment notice is employer-specific. A worker who wants to change employer or function should not start the new role based on the old document. The new employer may need a new notice under the applicable change procedure.
Check how termination affects the residence right immediately. Obtain written termination evidence, final payslips and proof of social contributions. Do not assume the residence card remains valid for unrelated work until its printed expiry date.
Relocation budget
Budget for document legalisation, visa expenses, travel, initial accommodation, food, local transport, telephone service and emergency return travel. Confirm the first payday; a worker may need to fund several weeks before receiving full salary.
Keep personal control of your passport, bank account and emergency funds. Employer-arranged housing can be useful, but ask what happens if the job ends during probation and how quickly the room must be vacated.
Scam warnings
Do not buy an IGI employment notice, WorkinRomania account, embassy appointment or guaranteed D/AM visa. Warning signs include no interview, personal-bank or cryptocurrency payments, tourist-entry instructions, refusal to name the employer and promises that one permit works for multiple companies.
The official EUR-equivalent employer fee is not a “sponsorship price.” A recruiter charging a service fee should provide a lawful written agreement and itemised service; payment still cannot guarantee a government decision.
Frequently asked questions
Is the employment notice the visa?
No. The employer obtains the notice from IGI, then the worker follows the D/AM visa process.
How long does IGI process the notice?
Official guidance says 30 days after registration, extendable by 15 days when further checks are needed.
When must the worker apply for D/AM?
The current MFA guidance allows filing within 180 days after the employment notice is issued.
Does a permanent-worker notice grant permanent residence?
No. It is an employment category; the worker initially obtains temporary residence for employment.
The realistic strategy
Target employers with real operations, a consistent occupation and experience using IGI. Verify the employer before sending sensitive documents. Track the notice date, 180-day visa window, visa validity and single-permit deadline in one case sheet.
Reject any proposal that skips from an offer letter directly to travel. The defensible sequence is employer notice, D/AM visa, lawful entry and single permit. Each document should identify the same genuine job.
For a neighbouring system where HZZ and MUP handle a combined stay-and-work permit, compare our Croatia visa sponsorship guide. Croatian procedures do not replace Romania’s IGI and D/AM stages.
Compare this process with our Hungary Visa Sponsorship Jobs in 2026: Guest-Worker Closure and Skilled Routes guide before choosing a destination or paying a recruiter.
