Government Emergency Ordinance no. 32/2026 on the access of foreign nationals to the labour market in Romania (‘GEO no. 32/2026’), published in the Official Gazette of Romania (Monitorul Oficial) no. 335 of 27 April 2026, has changed the procedure by which companies in Romania employ workers from outside the European Union. The work permit (aviz de muncă) issued by the General Inspectorate for Immigration has been replaced by a single application (cerere unică), filed exclusively online on the WorkinRomania.gov.ro platform, which constitutes the initial stage of the procedure for obtaining the long-stay visa for employment.
GEO no. 32/2026 repealed Title I of Government Ordinance no. 25/2014 and amended Government Emergency Ordinance no. 194/2002 on the regime of foreign nationals in Romania and the Labour Code. For 2026, by Government Decision no. 1169/2025 on establishing the quota of newly admitted foreign workers on the labour market in 2026 (‘Government Decision no. 1169/2025’), the Government set a quota of 90,000 newly admitted foreign workers on the labour market.
1. What has changed: from the work permit to the single application
Until GEO no. 32/2026, the employer first obtained a work permit from the General Inspectorate for Immigration, and the worker then applied for the long-stay visa. The new system centralises the procedure: the employer registers on the WorkinRomania.gov.ro platform, uploads the firm job offer and files the single application, while the checks carried out by the institutions involved, including the National Employment Agency, the Labour Inspectorate, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the General Inspectorate for Immigration, are performed through the electronic platform.
The annual quota set by Government Decision no. 1169/2025 applies only to workers holding a D/AM2 visa, the issue of which is conditional on the approved quota not having been exhausted. Workers falling within the categories eligible for the D/AM1 visa, as well as posted workers, do not count towards the quota.
2. The D/AM1 visa and the D/AM2 visa
The D/AM1 visa
The D/AM1 visa concerns highly qualified workers (for example, IT specialists, engineers, economists or managers employed for at least 6 months), as well as other categories provided for by law, such as teaching staff, researchers, artists and professional athletes, or citizens of the Republic of Moldova, Ukraine and Serbia employed full-time. For this category there are no occupation-related restrictions, and the single application is filed by the registered employer.
The D/AM2 visa
The D/AM2 visa concerns permanent, seasonal and cross-border workers. Permanent employment on the basis of the D/AM2 visa is possible only for the occupations included in the list of shortage occupations approved by order of the Minister of Labour.
3. Registered employer or authorised employer
Employers intending to recruit workers from outside the European Union are, as a rule, required to register or obtain authorisation, as the case may be, on the WorkinRomania.gov.ro platform, and are automatically entered in the Register of employers of foreign nationals. The registration conditions include having no outstanding liabilities to the general consolidated budget and no relevant entries in the tax record. A registered employer may recruit D/AM1 workers directly, but D/AM2 workers only through an authorised placement agency. In addition, under the rules applicable from 8 August 2026, employers may employ foreign nationals, within a calendar year, without a contract with a placement agency, up to the average number of employees in the previous year, as explained in section 8. By way of exception, employers that obtain the special authorisation provided for by GEO no. 32/2026 from the National Employment Agency (‘ANOFM’) may also recruit D/AM2 workers directly, without the intermediation of a placement agency, subject to the additional authorisation conditions, including the provision of a financial guarantee.
To recruit D/AM2 workers directly, the employer must be authorised. The conditions are:
- at least 24 months of uninterrupted economic activity prior to filing the application;
- an average headcount of at least 50 employees in the previous year;
- no outstanding liabilities to the general consolidated budget and no entries in the tax record;
- the employer having employed foreign nationals in the year preceding the filing of the application for authorisation and, on the date of filing of the application, no more than 20% of them being in one of the following situations: (i) they no longer hold a valid right of residence in Romania, as a result of the expiry of the period provided for in Article 56(6) of GEO no. 194/2002 or of the annulment or revocation of that right; (ii) they no longer hold a valid long-stay visa, as a result of its annulment or revocation under Article 33(2) and (4)(a)–(c) and (g) of the same Ordinance;
- a financial guarantee of EUR 1,000, in the lei equivalent, for each foreign worker, provided by way of a deposit with the State Treasury or by a bank guarantee letter.
The financial guarantee is intended to secure the obligations of the authorised employer and to cover in part the costs of repatriating foreign workers, the expenses incurred by the authorities for their accommodation, meals, care or support in situations of vulnerability or risk, and the administrative fines imposed on the employer under GEO no. 32/2026 which have become enforceable and have not been paid within the statutory time limit. Under Article 16(1) of GEO no. 32/2026, ANOFM determines the employer’s application for authorisation within no more than 15 working days from the date on which it is uploaded to the WorkinRomania.gov.ro platform.
4. Placement agencies
Placement agencies that act as intermediaries in the employment of D/AM2 workers require an authorisation issued by ANOFM, valid for two years and renewable for successive two-year periods. The agency provides a guarantee of EUR 75,000 for up to 250 placed workers and of EUR 50,000 for each additional tranche of 250 workers. Workers may not be charged any commissions, fees, charges or guarantees; the costs are borne by the employer, on the basis of the services contract with the agency.
5. Steps in the procedure
- Registration of the employer on WorkinRomania.gov.ro or, as the case may be, obtaining the authorisation required for the direct recruitment of D/AM2 workers.
- Uploading the firm job offer, specifying the position, duties, salary, working hours, contract term, place of work and the other mandatory conditions.
- Filing the single application for each foreign worker, by the authorised employer or through the placement agency.
- Obtaining the long-stay visa for employment and the worker’s entry into Romania.
- Conclusion of the individual employment contract and fulfilment of the post-employment obligations.
6. The employment contract and post-employment obligations
GEO no. 32/2026 amended the Labour Code. The individual employment contract is drawn up in Romanian and in the language of the worker’s state of origin or in a language of international circulation which the worker understands. Drawing up the individual employment contract in Romanian only is sanctioned by a fine of 6,000 lei for each contract. The medical certificate may be presented no later than the date on which work commences.
The Labour Code provides for two new cases of termination of the contract by operation of law: the rejection of the single application and a finding by the General Inspectorate for Immigration that the foreign national is staying illegally. After employment, according to the official guide, the employer also has the following obligations:
- to provide the foreign worker with the same remuneration and the same working conditions as Romanian employees;
- to inform the worker at least 10 days before arrival, in a language which the worker understands;
- to notify the placement agency and the General Inspectorate for Immigration, within 5 working days, of unjustified absences exceeding 3 consecutive working days;
- to provide Romanian language and cultural integration courses for at least 6 months.
7. Posting and intra-corporate transfer
The secondment permit has been abolished. Workers posted by companies from the EU, the European Economic Area or Switzerland who hold a valid residence permit in that state may be posted to Romania for no more than 12 months, with the possibility of extension to up to 18 months within a 36-month period. For workers posted from third countries, the procedure is available only in the case of intra-corporate transfers, under the special conditions laid down by law.
8. Change of employer and transitional arrangements
- Applications for a work permit or a secondment permit filed before the Ordinance entered into force are determined under the former law, and foreign nationals may apply for the visa within 180 days of the permit being issued.
- From 8 August 2026, foreign nationals holding a temporary right of residence for work may change employer under the new rules.
- From 8 August 2026, employers may employ foreign nationals, within a calendar year, without a contract with a placement agency, up to the average number of employees in the previous year.
- Until 31 December 2026, foreign nationals whose right of residence has expired may apply for an extension without a new long-stay visa, if they meet the conditions laid down by GEO no. 32/2026.
- Long-stay visa applications filed by 31 December 2026 remain subject to the former law.
9. Suspension of the list of shortage occupations
The List of shortage occupations was approved by Order no. 1,073/2026. The Bucharest Court of Appeal suspended the enforcement of the Order, and since September 2026 the WorkinRomania platform has deactivated the workflows for the registration and authorisation of employers and for the filing of the single application for the D/AM2 visa. The Ministry of Labour has announced that it will lodge an appeal (recurs).
The General Inspectorate for Immigration has stated that it will take into account the objective impossibility for employers to begin or complete registration or authorisation. We recommend that employers keep evidence of their attempts to file and check official communications regularly until the platform is unblocked.
Are you recruiting workers from outside the EU, or do you have applications blocked on WorkinRomania? We will review your situation and tell you what steps you can take now.
Frequently asked questions
Is a work permit still required for a non-EU worker?
No. Since 27 April 2026, the work permit has been replaced by the single application filed on the WorkinRomania.gov.ro platform. Permit applications filed before that date are determined under the former law.
What is the difference between the D/AM1 visa and the D/AM2 visa?
The D/AM1 visa concerns highly qualified workers and other special categories and is not subject to occupational restrictions. The D/AM2 visa concerns permanent, seasonal and cross-border workers and, for permanent employment, is limited to shortage occupations.
Can I employ a worker holding a D/AM2 visa directly, without a placement agency?
Yes, if you are an authorised employer: at least 24 months of activity, an average of at least 50 employees in the previous year, no outstanding liabilities to the general consolidated budget and a guarantee of EUR 1,000 for each worker.
In what language is the employment contract with a foreign worker concluded?
In Romanian and in the language of the worker’s state of origin or in a language of international circulation which the worker understands. A contract concluded in Romanian only is sanctioned by a fine of 6,000 lei.
How many foreign workers may be admitted in 2026?
The quota set by the Government for 2026 is 90,000 newly admitted foreign workers on the labour market. The quota applies only to D/AM2 visas.
Adesman & Asociații assists employers in Romania and foreign investors with the recruitment of non-EU workers, in their dealings with the authorities and in drafting employment contracts. Find out more about our employment law practice.
Are you planning to recruit staff from outside the EU? Speak to our employment law team.
This material is provided for general information purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. The applicable regime must be assessed in light of the specific circumstances of each employer and the legislation in force at the date of the assessment.
