Residence in Romania for Studies
You wish to study in Romania and you are the citizen of a State outside the European Union and the European Economic Area? First of all, you must enrol at the education establishment where you wish to study and be accepted there.
Then, you must obtain the long term residence visa for studies, from the Romanian diplomatic missions or consular offices.
Long term residence visa
You can obtain the long term residence visa for studies as a pupil, student, M.A./M.Sc. student, Ph.D. student or under a pupil/student exchange program. The institution where you will study may be a State or a private institution, provided it is accredited according to the law. The visa is also granted to foreign citizens who are accepted for studies based on the international accords that Romania is part of.
In order to obtain the long term residence visa, you must submit the following documents:
I. if you are a student, a M.A./M.Sc. student or a Ph.D. student:
- Proof of acceptance to studies, issued by the Ministry of National Education, attesting that you will attend full time education;
- Proof of payment of the tuition duty for at least one year of study;
- Proof of the means of subsistence, amounting to at least the minimum national net wage per month, for the entire duration mentioned in the visa;
- Certificate of Criminal Record or other document having the same legal value;
- Medical insurance during the validity period of the visa.
II. if you participate in a student exchange program:
- Proof of acceptance to studies, issued by the Ministry of National Education, attesting that you will attend full time education;
- Proof of participating in a pupil/student exchange program, performed by an organization incorporated according to the law and recognized for this purpose;
- Proof from the organization performing the pupil/student exchange, attesting that it insures your means of subsistence and the possible costs for your removal;
- Medical insurance during the validity period of the visa;
- Proof of accommodation at a family selected by the organization performing the pupil/student exchange and which owns the dwelling space considered normal for a Romanian family.
The visa duty amounts to Euro 120 and will be paid in the State where you submit your request.
The internal procedure concerns the approval of the long term residence visa by the National Visa Centre, only after the endorsement thereof by the General Inspectorate for Immigration. Such endorsement is granted by the General Inspectorate for Immigration within at most 30 days since the reception of the request, with the possibility for a 15 days extension.
The long term residence visa is granted for 90 days, including one or several trips.
Specifics of the visa for studies
Foreign citizens receiving scholarships from the Romanian State do not have the obligation to prove the payment of the tuition duty and of the means of subsistence in order to obtain the visa, and the Romanian citizens do not have the obligation to prove their means of subsistence.
Residence permit
After entering Romania, you must obtain a residence permit attesting your residence right in Romania, which you can obtain from the territorial units of the General Inspectorate for Immigration in your county of residence. In order to obtain the residence permit, you will personally submit a series of documents (a photo of you will also be taken), with at least 30 days before the expiry of your residence right, granted by the visa.
In order for your residence right to be extended (obtainment of the residence permit) for studies, you must submit the following documents:
I. If you are a student, a M.A./M.Sc. student or a Ph.D. student:
- Application form;
- certificate issued by the Faculty, containing the number of the Order given by the Ministry of Education, based on which the student was registered, the year of study, the form of financing, the duration of studies and the period of time for which the fees were paid;
- document for crossing the border (passport, travel document, etc.) in original and in copy;
- Letter of acceptance to studies issued by the Ministry of Education – to be requested only upon the first extension of the residence right;
- proof of the means of subsistence amounting to at least the national minimum net wage per month, for the entire validity period of the residence permit (account statement);
- proof of the legal ownership over the dwelling space (in original and in copy);
- medical certificate;
- proof of having health insurance (for the citizens under the age of 26 years old);
- proof of the payment of all fees for the extension of the residence permit, as follows:
- a) for students with scholarships and students occupying budget places: the 5 RON receipt or the revenue stamp having the same value;
- b) for students paying tuition fees (in RON): the equivalent of 120 Euros (the fee must be paid at the Treasury Office);
- c) for the self-funding students: the equivalent of 120 Euros (paid at the Treasury Office) and the equivalent of 260 RON, representing the cost of the document (paid at CEC Bank).
II. If you participate in a student exchange program:
- Application;
- Document for crossing the border (Passport, travel document, etc.) in original and in copy;
- Certificate issued by the education institution;
- Documents attesting the participation of the foreign citizen in a pupil/student exchange program, performed by an institution incorporated according to the law and recognized for this purpose;
- Documents attesting that the organization is incorporated and recognized according to the law;
- Certificate issued by the organization performing the pupil/student exchange;
- Medical certificate;
- Duties.
Exemptions for foreign citizens studying in Romania
The citizens who receive scholarships from the Romanian State are exempted from the payment of consular fees and the fees for obtaining the residence permit and they also do not need to make proof of their means of subsistence.
Ethnic Romanians do not need to make proof of their means of subsistence either (if they have a family member holding or having held Romanian citizenship). Foreign citizens who turned 26 years old need a social health insurance in order to have their temporary residence right extended, in accordance with Law no.95/2006 concerning the health care reform.
The foreign citizens who did not graduate during the initially granted period, may benefit from the subsequent extension of their residence right, with the purpose of graduating, for a period of maximum one year.
Deadlines for the residence permit
The residence permit will be renewed within at least 30 days before the expiry date of the previous one.
The application for the granting or extension of the residence right will be solved within 30 days from the day of its submission. If additional verifications are necessary, the deadline for solving the application may be extended by at most 15 days.
The temporary residence right for studies will be extended successively by 1 year periods. The residence permits for citizens receiving scholarships from the Romanian State will be granted over a period equal to the total duration of studies.
The residence right can be extended by at most 90 days after graduation, for the finalization of the academic records and for obtaining the study documents.
Changing the main field of study
You may change your main field of study or your professional specialization, only if the total duration of the initial period of studies is not exceeded. In case the new option involves a longer period of time, the obtaining of a new long term residence visa for studies is necessary.
Employment during the study period
If you study in Romania and you hold a residence permit in this purpose, you can be employed only part time (4 hours/day). For this, you must obtain a work pass. See the conditions for obtaining a work pass, at the Work section.
Residence in Romania of EU / EEA / Swiss Confederation citizens
You are a national of a European Union, European Economic Area or Swiss Confederation member state and you wish to stay for more than 3 months on the territory of Romania? You must register your residence with the territorial units of the General Inspectorate for Immigration in the county where you reside. The documents issued by the General Inspectorate for Immigration that certify the residence in Romania are: registration certificate (both for EU/EEA/Swiss Confederation citizens), residence card (for family members of EU/EEA/Swiss Confederation citizens), permanent residence card (both for EU/EEA/Swiss Confederation citizens and their family members). EU/EEA/Swiss Confederation citizens may work on the territory of Romania dependently/independently, subject to the same conditions as Romanian citizens (based on an employment contract, secondment contract, permit, etc.). To obtain the registration certificate / the residence card, you must submit to the territorial units of General Inspectorate for Immigration in the county where you reside a number of documents, depending on the purpose of your stay in Romania. The registration certificate is issued in the same day and is valid for a period of up to 5 years, and not less than one year. The residence card is issued within 90 days from the lodging of the application. The validity of the residence card extends up to 5 years from the issuing date, but not exceeding the residence period of the EU/EEA/Swiss Confederation citizen of which the applicant is a family member. In case of subsequent applications, if the requirements of the GEO 102/2005, as further amended and supplemented, are fulfilled, the residence card shall be issued no later than 30 days from the application lodging date.
You may carry out dependent or independent activities on the territory of Romania; these are not limited as long as they comply with the conditions set by the Romanian laws.
EU/EEA citizens who come to Romania to study, need to submit the following documents in order to obtain their registration certificate:
Studies:
a) Application form;
b) Identity card or passport (original and copy);
c) Documents certifying that the person is enrolled at an accredited education institution;
d) Proof of means of support;
e) Proof of having health insurance, except for the persons falling under art.213 par.(1) letter a) of the Law no.95/2006, as further amended and supplemented;
f) Fees.
Other cases:
In case changes occur with regard to the surname, first name, citizenship, residence address, and in case of destruction or deterioration of the document certifying the residence, you must obtain another registration certificate and residence card, respectively. In order to do so, submit the following documents at the territorial units of the General Inspectorate for Immigration in the county where you reside:
a) Standard application;
b) Identity document/passport (valid) in original and copy;
c) Registration certificate/residence card;
d) Proof of the change occurred (except for the residence address, which shall be declared);
e)Fees.
Other documents consistent with the declared purpose shall be submitted only if there are changes to the previous application (declaration of another purpose, declaration of another job, enrolment in another education institution, etc.).
As an exception, EU/EEA/Swiss Confederation citizens registered based on the means of support must prove they hold such means and the health insurance upon submission of the new application.
In case of loss or theft of the document, you must submit the same documents as above (except, of course, the document issued by GII), and, in addition, the evidence of the loss or theft issued by the police station.
Immigration Department – Iaşi
Str. Mihai Costachescu nr. 6 Iasi
+40 232 302.315 (Commissar Sorin GAIŢĂ)
+40 232 302.319 (Agent Elena AMIRONESEI, Agent Iulian BOŢOC)