You do not need a work permit, a visa or a sponsor to start a job in Romania if you hold an EU, EEA or Swiss passport. That is the headline. The reality of working in Romania is a mix of straightforward rules, set by the Labour Code, and details that the counters like to check: a written contract, a place in the employer's register, a CNP number for your payslip. This guide covers the main rules, the figures that matter in 2026 and the places where a foreign employee most often needs help.
What are your rights when working in Romania as a European?
Citizens of the EU, the EEA and Switzerland have free access to the labour market, under the same conditions as Romanians. You can work as an employee or on your own account. After three months, you register your residence, and your certificate includes the personal number, the CNP, which your employer and the banks need; see residence in Romania for EU citizens.
British citizens and other non-Europeans need a title that allows work, unless they are protected by the Withdrawal Agreement. The details are in moving to Romania from the UK.
How do you find a job when working in Romania?
The National Employment Agency (ANOFM) lists offers for free, and has 41 county agencies plus one in Bucharest. EURES advisers are present in each county agency. Listings are mostly in Romanian. Private recruitment agencies must be on the national register held by ANOFM. Prepare a CV in Romanian, and in another language if the employer asks, preferably in the Europass format, and bring your diplomas to the interview. Some jobs require a medical certificate or a psychological test.
If your profession is regulated or you need your diploma recognised, you go through the national centre for recognition of diplomas (CNRED) at the Ministry of Education.
What does the employment contract include?
The contract is written, and you should receive a signed copy before you start. The employer registers it in the general register of employees. A few rules you can rely on, from the Labour Code and EURES:
- Type: permanent, or fixed-term for up to 36 months; full-time or part-time; remote work must be set out in the contract.
- Probation (permanent contract): 90 calendar days at most for an executing job, 120 for a management job, 30 for a person with a disability. During this period the contract can end by simple notification.
- Working time: 8 hours a day, 40 a week, and 48 at most including overtime. Overtime is given back as time off within 90 days or paid with a premium of at least 75%. Night work (10 pm to 6 am) carries a premium of at least 25% or a one-hour reduction.
- Paid leave: at least 20 working days a year, plus 3 extra days for under-18s, workers with disabilities and arduous jobs. The holiday pay must be paid at least 5 working days before you leave.
Your contract is where most disagreements start, and it is in Romanian. Moovy can translate a clause in plain English, point out what to ask about before you sign (probation, notice, remote work, leave) and help you prepare questions for HR. It cannot represent you and is no substitute for a lawyer in a dispute.
What is the minimum wage in Romania?
Since 1 July 2026 the guaranteed minimum gross wage is 4,325 lei a month for full-time work, which EURES converts to about €850, or 2,699 lei net. In construction it is 4,582 lei. A tax-exempt allowance of 200 lei a month applies to people paid exactly the minimum wage (it was 300 lei until 30 June 2026), as long as gross income does not exceed 4,325 lei. The minimum can apply to an employee for up to two years from the start of the contract; after that, the basic salary must be higher.
For context, the average gross wage was 9,272 lei in February 2026. See cost of living in Romania.
What do you pay from your salary?
As an employee, your employer withholds the pension contribution (CAS) of 25% and the health contribution (CASS) of 10% of your gross salary, and income tax of 10% in 2026. You have nothing to file for that salary in the normal case. If you are paid by a foreign employer while living in Romania, the employer does not withhold for you and you must declare and pay yourself.
How do notice periods and dismissal work?
- Resignation: the notice period is set by the contract or collective agreement and cannot exceed 20 working days, or 45 for a management job. You do not have to give a reason, and you can leave without notice if the employer does not meet its obligations (Labour Code, article 81).
- Dismissal for reasons not related to conduct (for example redundancy or unsuitability): at least 20 working days' notice. The decision must be in writing and state the reasons.
- Disciplinary dismissal: no notice period.
Our source for the Labour Code is a consolidated version from March 2023, and the legislation portal was not reachable when we checked, so confirm recent amendments before relying on a detail.
What happens if you lose your job?
Register with the employment agency of your area and ask for the benefit within 12 months of the end of the contract, with your U1 form if you worked in another country. You need at least 12 months of contributions in the previous 24, a loss of job not of your own making and legal residence in Romania. According to ANOFM, the benefit equals the reference social indicator (660 lei), plus 3% to 10% of your average gross salary of the last 12 months if you have at least three years of contributions. It lasts 6 months (at least one year of contributions), 9 months (at least five years) or 12 months (more than ten years). Ask ANOFM about the current amount when you apply.
What are the common mistakes?
- Resigning and expecting benefit. A voluntary departure does not qualify.
- Leaving Romania for more than three months while receiving benefit. Payment stops.
- Missing the monthly appointment at the agency, which suspends the allowance.
- Arriving with a foreign benefit without the U2 form and without registering within 7 days.
- Starting without a written contract.
What should you expect from jobs in Romania for foreigners?
Job offers on the ANOFM site are mostly in Romanian, so the Europass CV and a translation of your diplomas help. EURES advisers in each county agency can guide a European jobseeker, which is useful for an ANOFM job search from abroad. Before you accept an offer, check the written contract for the basic salary, the probation period, working hours, the leave entitlement, whether remote work is allowed and how it is organised, and the notice period. A minimum-wage contract is allowed for up to two years from the start, so ask how the salary evolves afterwards.
Some jobs ask for a medical certificate or a psychological test. For a regulated profession or a recognised diploma, start the recognition procedure early through the national centre. If you are offered work as a self-employed person for a Romanian client, ask ANAF or an accountant what that regime would cost you before you compare it with a salary.
How does working in Romania affect your first-year paperwork?
A job gives you much of what the administration asks for: the contract or employer certificate for the IGI, a register entry that proves your employment, a payslip that proves your income for a lease or a bank, and an employer that withholds your health and pension contributions. That makes an employed move administratively lighter than a freelance or a retirement move. But it also means your employer needs your CNP early, so register your residence soon. If your employer is abroad, none of this happens automatically, and you take on the monthly declaration of your own income.
What next?
Settle the administrative sequence with the moving to Romania guide, and if you prefer self-employment, ask ANAF which regime applies to you. Rules and figures are updated regularly, so confirm them with the Labour Inspectorate or ANOFM before you sign.