The blog
Romania, from the inside.
Paperwork, daily life, neighbourhoods, budget, culture: everything we wish we had known before unpacking.
Schools in Romania for expat children: enrolment, catchment areas and the school year
Schools in Romania for expat children: compulsory education from age 4, catchment areas, preparatory class, foreign school years and the 2026-27 calendar.
6 min readFamily and workRomania PFA: how to work as a freelancer and what you pay
Romania PFA explained: ONRC registration, real system or income norm, 10% tax, CAS and CASS thresholds for 2026, the VAT limit and the annual return.
6 min readPaperworkRomania CNP number: how to get your personal and tax ID (and when you need a NIF)
Romania CNP number explained: how the IGI gives it to EU citizens, when ANAF issues a provisional NIF, form 030, deadlines, documents and common mistakes.
6 min readFamily and workRetiring in Romania: S1, pension tax and the Romanian pension age
Retiring in Romania from another EU country: the S1, residence proof, pension tax above 3,000 lei, the Romanian pension age and the rules for Britons.
6 min readPaperworkResidence in Romania for EU citizens: the IGI registration certificate
Residence in Romania for EU citizens explained: the three-month rule, the IGI certificate, documents by situation, validity and common mistakes.
6 min readWhere to liveRenting in Romania: the written lease, deposit and notice rules
Renting in Romania: rents in Bucharest, Cluj, Iași and Timișoara, what a written lease must say, the deposit, utilities, notice periods and eviction rules.
6 min readPaperworkOpening a bank account in Romania: CNP, lei and the basic account
Bank account in Romania for expats: documents, the CNP, your right to a basic payment account, fees to compare, deposit protection and paying in lei.
6 min readPaperworkMoving to Romania: the step-by-step guide to your first weeks
Moving to Romania as a European: what to do in which order, from the IGI registration certificate and CNP to health cover, tax and a bank account in lei.
6 min readPaperworkMoving to Romania from the UK after Brexit: visa, permit and healthcare
Moving to Romania from the UK after Brexit: the 90/180-day rule, long-stay visa and IGI permit, Withdrawal Agreement rights, healthcare, work and property.
6 min readDaily lifeLiving in Romania: language, Orthodox Easter, public holidays and daily life
Living in Romania day to day: the language, formal address, Orthodox Easter dates, public holidays, tipping, the 112 emergency number and counters.
6 min readBudgetIncome tax in Romania for new residents: 10%, CAS, CASS and the Declarația unică
Income tax in Romania for new residents: tax residence tests, the 10% rate, CAS and CASS, monthly duty for foreign pay, the annual return and local taxes.
6 min readHealthHealthcare in Romania for expats: CASS, your family doctor and the S1
Healthcare in Romania for expats: how the public insurance works, who pays the 10% CASS, how to use an S1, and how to register with a family doctor.
6 min readPaperworkDriving in Romania: your licence, registering a car and the rovinieta
Driving in Romania with an EU licence: no exchange needed, registering a car from another EU state, RAR, ITP, RCA insurance and rovinieta prices.
6 min readBudgetCost of living in Romania: rents, wages and prices in Bucharest, Cluj and beyond
Cost of living in Romania in 2026: rents in Bucharest, Cluj, Iași and Timișoara, minimum and average wages, VAT, fixed official costs and a budget method.
5 min readWhere to liveBuying property in Romania as a foreigner: the notary, land book and taxes
Buying property in Romania as a foreigner: the notary deed, the land book extract, who pays the 3% or 1% sale tax, local property tax and prices by city.
6 min readWhere to liveBest places to live in Romania: Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca, Brașov and Timișoara
Best places to live in Romania for expats: Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca, Brașov, Timișoara, Iași and Oradea compared on rent, property prices and practicalities.
6 min readYour move, one step at a time.
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