🇷🇴 Romania Digital Nomad Visa: High Threshold, Rare Tax Clause You Can’t Ignore

The Romania digital nomad visa in brief

Romania could be the remote work base you wish you’d discovered sooner: first-class fiber even in small towns, living costs well below Western Europe and full Schengen membership. More freedom, less financial pressure. Controls at air and sea borders ended in March 2024, and at land borders on 1 January 2025.

Ready to turn that possibility into a plan? This page explains who needs which permit, how the application works in 2026 and what it means for tax. The visa is for non-EU nationals. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens do not need it: free movement already lets them live in Romania. Start with our guide What is a digital nomad visa? for the concept in general.

Your options. Your perfect fit awaits.

Your freedom to work from Romania starts with getting the details right: formally, the nomad visa is not a visa type of its own. It falls within the long-stay visa for "other purposes" (symbol D/AS) under Article 49 of the Aliens Ordinance OUG 194/2002, introduced by Law 22/2022.

Don’t let yesterday’s travel tricks derail your plans. Since full Schengen membership, every stay in Romania counts toward the 90/180-day calculation of the whole Schengen area. Stacking Schengen days and Romania days? That old trick is gone.

Requirements: three average salaries, six months in a row

Ready to make Romania your next chapter? You can apply as an employee with a contract at a company outside Romania, or as the owner of your own company registered outside Romania. That company must have existed for at least three years when you apply. In both cases, the work must be fully remote using information technology. A freshly formed company? It fails on the definition alone.

Here’s the hurdle that can stop your plans cold: money. You must prove income of at least three times the Romanian gross average salary in each of the last six months before applying, and for the whole visa period. A strong average won’t save you: every single one of those six months must clear the bar.

In 2026 the relevant average salary is 9,192 lei gross (social insurance budget law 44/2026), putting your threshold at about 27,600-27,700 lei, roughly €5,400-5,500 a month. With double-digit wage growth, that bar rises every year. This is now the most demanding visa in the EU, so make sure your finances are ready.

Don’t leave your peace of mind to chance. You also need health insurance with at least €30,000 of cover valid in Romania for the whole visa period, a clean criminal record and proof of accommodation. A minimal local policy ticks the box, but isn’t real protection. Protect what matters: see health insurance for digital nomads.

How to apply: e-visa portal, then the consulate

Your dream of moving to Romania deserves more than “someday.” Make it real, but start where the law requires: the Romanian embassy or consulate in the country where you have your residence or habitual residence. You cannot apply in Romania, at the border or at the immigration office. Already there as a tourist? You have to return to your country of residence.

Two steps stand between planning and putting your application in motion. First, apply online through the foreign ministry's e-visa portal and upload your documents. Then bring the originals to your appointment at the mission, where your application is formally registered. Allow about 30-45 days of processing, plus the appointment wait. Give your new chapter room to begin.

Since 27 April 2026 the long-stay visa costs €300 instead of €120 (emergency ordinance OUG 32/2026). You pay in advance, and if you’re refused, that money is not refunded. Your plans matter too much to let paperwork trip you up. Romania is strict about form, so prepare this package with care:

• Employment contract or extract from your company's commercial register, with certified Romanian translation
• Confirmation that the work is done fully remotely via information technology, with your role and powers of representation
• A letter of intent explaining your purpose and planned activities in Romania
• A certificate from your home tax authority confirming taxes are paid and no criminal proceedings are pending, apostilled or legalized and translated
• A criminal record certificate from your home or residence country, apostilled and translated
• Income proof for the last 6 months, health insurance, accommodation proof and a travel plan

Don’t let avoidable delays steal your momentum: apostilles and certified translations take weeks. Get the criminal record and tax certificates first; they are often accepted only if they are no more than a few months old. One crucial detail: translation can only start once the apostille is on.

After arrival: secure your residence permit at the IGI

You’ve come this far; don’t let uncertainty derail your next chapter. To stay beyond the visa, apply to the General Inspectorate for Immigration (IGI) where you live for an extension and receive a residence card. Give yourself breathing room: apply at least 30 days before your current visa or permit expires, with essentially the same documents plus proof of housing. Budget for the 259 lei card fee and an extension levy.

Protect the future you’re building: know what the law actually says, not just the common "12 plus 12 months": the first extension is granted for 6 months (Article 69 OUG 194/2002 as amended by Law 22/2022). Further extensions of up to 12 months each follow, provided you prove the income threshold for the whole period. From the second extension, the IGI also wants a tax certificate from ANAF, the Romanian tax authority.

Some law firm and service reports mention permits issued directly for 12 months, but IGI practice is not documented uniformly. Don’t put your next chapter in the hands of assumptions: plan on what the law guarantees, protect your peace of mind, and treat anything more as a bonus.

Taxes: Law 69/2023, read carefully, keep more of what you earn

You’ve worked hard for your freedom. Don’t let tax uncertainty steal the joy of living abroad. Romania is one of the few countries that settles the nomad tax question in its tax code. Law 69/2023 exempts salaries and salary-like income that a digital nomad receives from an employer outside Romania from income tax and social contributions (CAS pension and CASS health), provided you stay at most 183 days within 12 consecutive months.

Picture it: half a year working in Cluj, then your next adventure, with no Romanian tax owed on that salary. More breathing room. More freedom to plan your life. But don’t overlook two crucial limits: the 183 days run on a rolling 12-month basis, not per calendar year. And the exemption covers salary, not dividends from your own foreign company. Get your pay structure right before you arrive.

From day 184, or with your center of vital interests in Romania, you become tax resident on your worldwide income and must register with ANAF. The draw is powerful: a 10% flat income tax, tied with Bulgaria for the lowest rate in the EU. But your fresh start deserves the full picture, not expensive surprises. Dividends have been taxed at 16% since 1 January 2026 (8% in 2024), VAT rose to 21% in August 2025, and the self-employed pay CAS and CASS on top. Your real burden is closer to 20-30% depending on your setup. Protect what you’re building: explore the Romania tax guide from our network.

Your fresh start matters too much to risk getting the first step wrong. Leave your current tax residence cleanly first, then become resident in Romania. Keep your home in your current country, and you usually stay taxable there. If you are a US citizen, you remain subject to US income tax on your worldwide income wherever you live (IRS).

Life and costs in Romania

Imagine more freedom, and less financial pressure. Romania’s internet lives up to the hype: market leader Digi charges about €8 a month for gigabit fiber in 2026. Your realistic monthly costs? A one-bedroom in central Bucharest €500-700 (outside the center €370-470), in central Cluj €400-550, utilities and internet €100-150, a lunch menu €8-12 and a coworking flex desk €100-200. With €1,200-1,800 a month, you live comfortably in Bucharest. Want your money to stretch further? Brasov, Timisoara and Sibiu are 10-20% cheaper.

Find the place that feels like you: Bucharest has the most coworking spaces, Cluj-Napoca is the tech hub, and Brasov sits at the foot of the Carpathians. Private healthcare subscriptions with networks such as Regina Maria or MedLife start at about €17 a month. For peace of mind, Romania is among the safer EU countries on violent crime. But stay alert on the roads: its road fatality rate has been one of the EU's highest for years, so drive defensively or take the train.

Who the visa is truly worth it for

Your remote income could unlock a whole new life. With a stable remote income above €5,500 a month, the D/AS visa gives you an EU residence permit with Schengen mobility, half a year without Romanian tax on your salary and then one of the cheapest tax regimes in the EU, all in a country where your money goes far. The catch? That high threshold: this visa is built for high earners. Below it, you’re left with your 90 Schengen days, if your passport allows them, or neighbouring countries with lower hurdles. Find your way forward in our guide to the best countries in Europe for digital nomads and our overview of digital nomad visas.

Frequently asked questions

How much income do I need for the Romania digital nomad visa?

Dreaming of making Romania your home base? You’ll need three times the Romanian gross average salary, about 27,600-27,700 lei (roughly €5,400-5,500) a month in 2026, in each of the last six months and for the whole visa period.

Can I apply for the visa inside Romania?

No, save yourself the stress of a wasted trip. Apply online via the e-visa portal, then at the Romanian embassy or consulate in the country where you have your residence. The fee has been €300 since 27 April 2026.

Do digital nomads pay tax in Romania?

More freedom. More of your salary stays yours. Under Law 69/2023, salary from an employer outside Romania is exempt from income tax and social contributions while you stay at most 183 days in 12 months. Stay longer? After that you are resident and pay a 10% flat tax.

Can I qualify with my own company?

Yes, your own company could be your way in! It must be registered outside Romania and have existed for at least three years when you apply. Just remember: dividends paid to yourself are not covered by the tax exemption.