As a foreign citizen you have unrestricted access to the labour market in Romania if:

• you have a long-term permit to stay on Romanian territory.
• you have a temporary stay permit for family reunification and are a family member of a Romanian citizen.
• you have a temporary stay permit for studies (only with an individual labor contract for part-time work, no more than 4 hours/ day).
• Romania has signed treaties with your country of origin in which labor-related aspects are regulated.
• you are engaged in teaching, scientific or other such specific activities, with temporary character, in relevant entities accredited or provisionally-licensed in Romania.
• you are engaged in temporary activities requested by Ministries of the government or other entities of the central or local public administration or by autonomous administrative entities.
• you have been appointed in charge of a subsidiary, representation or branch, operating on Romanian territory, of a company whose head office is in another country, as demonstrated by documents required by applicable Romanian law.
• you have a temporary stay permit as issued to victims of a crime (e.g. victims of trafficking in human beings or migrant smuggling).
• you previously had a stay permit in Romania as a family member of a Romanian citizen, and are now in one of the following situations:
  • your marriage has been pronounced terminated.
  • your partnership relationship has ended.
  • your Romanian-citizen sponsor has died.
  • you have come of age or have turned 21 years old, in the situation where you are a family member of a Romanian citizen.
• you have been granted a form of protection in Romania.
• you are tolerated, in which case you have access to the labour market for the duration of you having tolerated status in Romania.

Important to know!

• If you want be employed in Romania, the documents necessary for obtaining the visa for work purposes include the employment notice as a copy. This is a document that the Romanian employer receives from the territorial office of General Inspectorate for Immigration in the county in which he has his registered the office after he has made the decision to hire you.
• The application for an employment permit must be filed by the employer on your behalf.
• The employment permit is not transferable. This means you cannot use the same permit to get a different job or to work for a different employer from the one with whom you had your original labor contract in Romania.
• The single employment permit is valid for 1 year, and can be extended for successive periods of one year each, for as long as you are under contract with your employer.
• In case your labour contract expires before the end of the period for which your residence permit is valid, you have 90 days to find a new job. If you find a new employer, he/she will be under an obligation to facilitate a new notice of employment, and afterwards you can sign a new labour contract with them. Following that, you will need to go to the General Inspectorate for Immigration to get an extension of your residence permit. If you cannot find a job within the 90 days mentioned above, you will have to leave Romanian territory, unless you are entitled to unemployment benefit.

Authorities in charge:

• The General Inspectorate for Immigration – issues the employment permit.
• The Territorial Labor Inspectorates – provide oversight in labour relations and health & safety.

If you have been granted a form of protection in Romania, you have unrestricted access to the labour market, just like any Romanian citizen. Once you have been granted a form of protection: you can register as a job-seeker with the County Employment Agencies, you can enroll in vocational training courses, and you can prepare for job interviews / other practical assignments which may be required by the employer.

1. How to become employed?

To become employed you need to find an employer, and sometimes to pass a basic knowledge of Romanian language test. Also, sometimes you may be asked to provide other documents such as a Curriculum Vitae (CV) or a medical certificate that you are medically fit for the job.

For the assignment in a certain position, it is advised to also submit to the employer your diplomas, equivalated by the Romanian state, attesting your level of study and specialization.

Employment will be made based on an Individual Labour Contract. The Individual Labour Contract:

• Is an agreement under which an individual called employee, undertakes to work for an employer (an individual or a legal entity) in exchange for an amount of money called salary.
• Is to be concluded in writing, in Romanian, if both sides (employer and employee) agree on it. The contract shall be signed in two (2) original copies: one for you and one for the employer. Make sure you receive an original copy! The obligation to conclude the individual labor contract in a written form lies with the employer, before you start working as their employee.
• The contract gives you access to social protection measures and protects you from possible abuses from your employer.
• The employer must register the Contract in the General Registry of Employees (REVISAL), which is transmitted to the Territorial Employment Inspectorate. Registration must be performed before you start work.

Important to know!

• A contract signed only by you, and not signed and stamped by the employer has no legal value in Romania.
• Once properly signed, your Labor Contract can only be amended with your agreement.
• Any changes brought to your Labor Contract must be made in writing, in the form of an Addendum, and must be signed by the employer and you.
• Before signing the employment contract and / or an addendum to it, read it carefully and make sure that you understand the terms and conditions. If something is not clear enough, ask the employer. You can also ask the organizations providing support for foreigners to help you if something is not clear.

2. Work without legal documentation, or black-market labor

If you have not signed an individual labour contract and you are getting paid directly and without having a document signed, such as a payroll (a document that proves you are receiving a salary) – you are an illegal worker.

What are the risks in being an illegal worker?

If you are working without a registered Labour Contract:

• You will not benefit from social protection measures, both while you are working and after your labor relationship ends, and you cannot file legal action against your employer if they violate your rights.
• Your employer can pay you less than minimum wage and less than they should pay you considering your qualifications and working time.
• You will have no set date for receiving your monthly pay, and you may not be paid at all for months.
• You will have no clear working hours.
• You will not be provided with work equipment, and/or with protection equipment.
• You will not be able to take your annual leave, you will not be entitled to unemployment benefit, you will not be entitled to disability pension in case of a labour accident and you will not be entitled to sick pay or free hospitalization if needed.
• You will not accumulate the length of service required for retirement/pension.
• You can become a victim of trafficking in human beings for labor exploitation, etc.

Authorities in charge:

• County Employment Agencies
• Territorial Labor Inspectorates