For a French, Spanish or Italian speaker, the first week of living in Romania has a peculiar charm: the words look familiar. Bună ziua is "good day", mulțumesc is "thank you", and the Latin roots show in half the shop signs. The second week brings the reality check, which is that familiarity is not fluency, and that the systems around you, from the calendar to the counter, have their own logic. This guide covers the everyday basics that official sources document: language, forms of address, holidays, money, emergencies and administrative habits.
What is living in Romania like when you do not speak Romanian?
Romanian is the official language. Schools can also teach in the languages of national minorities and in internationally used languages, according to Eurydice. In Bucharest, English often helps. Elsewhere, a few words of Romanian make a difference: bună ziua (hello), mulțumesc (thank you), vă rog (please). Do not assume that the person at the counter speaks French, even though the languages are close. Written forms and websites are mostly in Romanian too, although the immigration office publishes some information in English.
Plan for Romanian lessons in the first year if you stay. It changes how the paperwork feels, as described in moving to Romania: the first-weeks guide.
How do people address each other?
Romanian has an informal tu and a respectful dumneavoastră. With strangers, officials and older people, begin with the formal form and with domnule (sir) or doamnă (madam), and move to tu when the other person suggests it. This is custom, with no official text behind it. Name days (onomastica) are often celebrated, for the saint whose name you bear, in addition to birthdays.
What are the public holidays when living in Romania?
The Labour Code lists these non-working days (article 139, in a consolidated version from 2023, with 6 and 7 January added by law 52/2023): 1 and 2 January, 6 and 7 January, 24 January (Union of the Principalities), Good Friday, Easter and Easter Monday, 1 May, 1 June (Children's Day), Pentecost and Whit Monday, 15 August, 30 November (St Andrew), 1 December (National Day) and 25 and 26 December. Easter and Pentecost follow the Orthodox calendar, which differs from Western Europe's most years. Employees of another recognised Christian denomination, such as Catholics and Protestants, take Good Friday, Easter and Pentecost on their own church's dates. Employees of a recognised non-Christian religion are entitled to two days for each of its three major annual holidays. The employer grants those days.
In 2026, Orthodox Easter falls on 12 April (Good Friday 10 April, Easter Monday 13 April) and Orthodox Pentecost on 31 May, with the Monday holiday on 1 June. The EURES holiday list does not mention 6 and 7 January, which the Labour Code text includes, so check the official calendar each year.
Holidays change the planning of every procedure: a lease signing, an IGI appointment, a school enrolment. Moovy can help you plan paperwork around Orthodox dates and the closures that follow, and suggest what to prepare when offices are open. It does not book appointments for you.
How does money work in daily life?
The currency is the leu (plural lei, code RON). Do not expect to pay in euros: prices and payments are in lei, and bills and fines are issued in lei. Exchanging money requires an identity document in banks and exchange offices. For an account, see opening a bank account in Romania. Tipping (bacșiș) is not required by law; the amount is a matter of custom. For the person who receives it, it is taxable income under the Fiscal Code, which is a curious detail but a real one.
What do you need to know about counters and paperwork?
A lot of procedures still happen in person, by appointment or in a queue. Bring originals and photocopies of everything, plus translations of foreign documents by an authorised translator. Payments are moving online: for example, the trade register stopped accepting cash at its counters on 15 October 2026. Online tools include the tax authority's personal space (SPV), the Ghișeul.ro platform for local taxes and myportal.onrc.ro for company matters. Our sources say that access to the national digital identity system for foreign residents is still to be confirmed, so expect to visit counters for some procedures.
What should you do in an emergency?
Dial 112, the European emergency number, free from landlines and mobiles, for ambulance, fire brigade and police. Operators in many countries answer in English too; the languages available in Romania are not confirmed in our sources. For health cover, see healthcare in Romania for expats.
What are the common mistakes?
- Paying in euros for something priced in lei.
- Planning a procedure around Orthodox Easter, when offices close on different dates than in your home country.
- Arriving at the counter without photocopies.
- Assuming everyone speaks French or English.
- Using tu with officials before they invite it.
How does Orthodox Easter shape the calendar?
For many newcomers, Easter in Romania is the first time the calendar surprises them. The Orthodox date often differs from the Western one. The public holidays include Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Monday, and the Orthodox Pentecost the same way. The school calendar also reflects it: for 2026-2027, the Easter break runs from 24 April to 4 May 2027. If you need a document, an appointment at the IGI or a notary signature around those dates, book early and confirm that the office is open. Public holidays also fall on dates such as 1 June (Children's Day) and 1 December (National Day), which are not holidays in every country.
What are working hours and leave like when living in Romania?
According to EURES, the standard working week is 40 hours, 8 hours a day, with a cap of 48 hours including overtime. Overtime is compensated with time off within 90 days or paid with a premium of at least 75%. Night work between 10 pm and 6 am carries a premium of at least 25% or a one-hour reduction of the day. Employees have at least 20 working days of paid leave a year. These are legal minimums, and a contract or collective agreement can go further. The full picture is in working in Romania.
Which tools help you in everyday administration?
Three online tools are useful. The tax authority's personal space, the SPV, gives you access to your tax record and lets you file returns. The Ghișeul.ro platform handles the payment of local taxes and fines for connected municipalities. And myportal.onrc.ro handles trade register procedures if you start a business. Check which ones your town hall supports. Between the tools and the counters, a good habit is to keep a folder, paper and digital, with copies of your registration certificate, your lease, your health insurance proof and your payments.
What changes depending on your nationality?
For daily life, nothing: these customs apply to everyone. French speakers learn faster because the languages are close, but should not assume the other person speaks French. British citizens experience the same daily life, but the right to stay and healthcare follow separate rules; see moving to Romania from the UK. To choose where to settle, read best places to live in Romania. Holiday lists are revised, so verify each year's calendar before planning.