In Romania, there is no town hall counter where you declare your arrival. The office that counts is the Inspectoratul General pentru Imigrări, the IGI, which is part of the Ministry of the Interior. That surprises people who come from countries where registration is a municipal matter. If you plan to live here for more than a few weeks, residence in Romania starts with a visit to the IGI office of your județ (county), and you leave with a document that carries the number you will need for everything else.
What does residence in Romania mean for an EU citizen?
For three months after you arrive, you need nothing beyond a valid identity card or passport. After that, if you intend to stay, you have to register your residence. According to the IGI, you do this at the territorial unit of the county where you live, and the certificate (certificat de înregistrare) is issued the same day. It is valid for up to five years and for no less than one.
The certificate matters for what it contains. It carries your cod numeric personal (CNP), the personal number that Romania uses for tax, health insurance and banking. The step-by-step logic of that number is explained in the Romania CNP number guide. Swiss citizens are treated like EU and EEA citizens under the same ordinance.
What do you need to qualify for residence in Romania?
The right to stay beyond three months rests on one of a few situations. The IGI lists them: you work, as an employee or as a self-employed person; you have enough resources and health insurance; you study at an approved institution with insurance and resources; or you are a family member of someone in one of these situations. The IGI notes that the list of activities is not exhaustive, so volunteering and posted work are covered too.
Which documents does the IGI ask for?
Everyone brings the standard application form (cerere tip) and an identity card or passport, in original and in copy. After that, it depends on your situation.
- Employee: your employment contract or a certificate from your employer, plus an extract from the employer's register of employees, signed and stamped.
- Posted worker: the posting contract and a letter from the Romanian company giving the period, translated and legalised.
- Self-employed or company manager: a certificate from the trade register (ONRC), or the authorisation required for a regulated profession.
- Pensioner, person of independent means or jobseeker: proof of resources at least equal to the Romanian guaranteed minimum income (a recent pension slip, last year's tax notice or bank statements), plus proof of health insurance.
- Student: proof of enrolment, proof of health insurance and a declaration that you can support yourself.
- Family member: the identity document of the EU citizen, proof of their residence, civil status documents proving the link, resources and insurance.
Foreign documents normally need an authorised translation into Romanian. Ask the county office whether it also wants them legalised, since the practice varies by document.
Documents depend heavily on your case. A retiree with an S1, a freelancer who has not yet registered a business and a student do not bring the same folder. Moovy can build a checklist for your situation, in the order the IGI looks at it. It does not file anything on your behalf.
What counts as proof of health insurance for residence in Romania?
This is where files get stuck. The IGI accepts a Romanian insured-person card or document, a European Health Insurance Card or European form such as the S1, or a private policy that covers in Romania at least the risks of the Romanian public insurance. Travel insurance is not accepted. For the broader picture of cover, read healthcare in Romania for expats.
How do you register step by step?
- Check your category (work, resources, study or family) and gather the documents above.
- Go to the IGI office of your county before the end of your third month. Offices work with appointments in some places, so check by phone or on the website first.
- Submit the application with originals and copies.
- Leave with the certificate. If something is missing, you have up to 30 days to supply it. A refusal is written, reasoned and can be challenged before the administrative court.
- Note the expiry date. Go back to the IGI before it passes, because there is no automatic renewal.
What about family members and the other situations?
Family members of an EU citizen follow the same registration, with their own papers: civil status documents proving the marriage or kinship, the identity document of the EU citizen, proof of that person's residence in Romania, resources and health insurance. Family members of a Romanian citizen have a slightly different list: a civil status document, a valid Romanian identity card and proof of health insurance. If a family member is not an EU citizen, they receive a residence card rather than a certificate. According to the IGI, a card is issued within 90 days of the first application and within 30 days for later ones.
Students deserve a note. Being enrolled is not enough on its own: you also need health insurance and a declaration that you can support yourself. If you are only studying and do not work, your European card may be enough for care, but only if you are entitled to it. If you work part-time, you may have to join the Romanian system.
Which small details make the visit smoother?
Counters in Romania reward preparation. Bring everything twice: originals and a full set of copies, in the order in which the officer will ask. Ask in advance whether your county office takes appointments, because practice differs between a large city and a small county seat. Bring cash only if you have checked that a fee is due, since the IGI publishes none for the certificate. If your documents are in another language, order the translation before the visit. And note the name of the office, the date and the officer, in case your file needs follow-up within the 30-day window.
Once registered, keep the certificate safe. It is the document you will show for the lease, for the bank, for the health insurance house and, later, for the school if you have children. Take a photo and store it with your other papers.
What does it cost and what happens if you are late?
The IGI publishes no fee for the certificate. Your Europe says an EU citizen's registration certificate should be issued immediately and should cost no more than a national identity card. As the exact amount is not published, ask your county office.
Not registering on time is an administrative offence punished by a fine. The text of the ordinance we could read is an old consolidated version that gave a small amount, so check the current figure with the IGI. EU law also provides that failing to register is never a reason to expel an EU citizen.
Common mistakes with residence in Romania
- Going to the town hall. For EU citizens, the IGI handles the registration, not the municipality.
- Arriving with travel insurance only. It is refused. See above.
- Forgetting the CNP is on the certificate. Banks, employers and the tax office will ask for it.
- Letting the certificate expire. Renewal is your job.
- Ignoring the change of situation. If you change from employee to self-employed, ask the IGI whether it needs to know.
What happens after you have the certificate?
You hold the key to the rest of the paperwork: tax number, health registration, bank account. Follow the order in moving to Romania: the first-weeks guide. After five years of legal residence, EU rules allow you to ask for permanent residence; check the conditions with the IGI when you get close. Procedures can change, so confirm them with your county office before going.