The Romania Digital Nomad Visa (D/AS) is a long-stay visa under Law 22/2022 + Law 69/2023 for non-EU/EEA/Swiss remote workers earning at least 3× Romania’s average gross monthly earnings (a figure that changes over time; see Income Requirements for the 2026 official figures and confirm the current amount with the consulate or IGI) from non-Romanian employers/clients. Pairs with an income-tax and social-contribution carve-out on foreign salary while you spend no more than 183 days in Romania in any 12-month period (Law 69/2023), then 10% flat PIT once you become Romanian tax resident past 183 days — among the lowest income-tax rates in the EU. Romania joined Schengen fully January 2025 (land borders), so the visa now grants frictionless 90/180 access across the bloc.
TL;DR
- 🇷🇴 Income floor: 3× Romania’s average gross monthly earnings, for each of the last six months (OUG 194/2002, art. 49(2^1)(g)). The law does not say which official figure applies and the figure changes over time, so confirm the current amount with the consulate or IGI before you apply
- 📋 Eligibility: non-EU/EEA/Swiss only — employee of foreign company OR administer a foreign company registered for ≥ 3 years (≥ 3 years of ownership at the permit stage)
- ⏱ Processing time: statutory decision window of up to 60 days for the visa (OUG 194/2002, art. 31(2))
- 🏠 Visa and permit: the D/AS long-stay visa is issued for 90 days (OUG 194/2002, art. 24(1)). Within that time you apply to IGI for a temporary residence permit. The first permit runs 6 months (art. 69(7)), and later extensions run up to one year each (art. 50(2)), as long as you still meet the conditions
- 🧾 183-day carve-out: foreign salary is not taxable in Romania, and is outside CAS/CASS, while you are present for 183 days or fewer in any 12 consecutive months (Fiscal Code arts. 228(1)(d), 136(b), 153(1)(b), added by Law 69/2023). You must not otherwise be a Romanian tax resident
- 🧾 Post-183-day: 10% flat PIT. Social and health contributions (CAS 25%, CASS 10%) can also apply, depending on EU social-security coordination rules and any social-security agreement with your home country
- 🇪🇺 Schengen since Jan 2025: full integration — D/AS days don’t count against 90/180 short-stay, but free movement across Schengen is also capped at 90/180
- 🏠 Cost-of-living: 1-bed city-centre rent is about €600/mo in Bucharest and Cluj-Napoca and under €500 in Timișoara and Iași (Numbeo, November 2026)
Romania introduced a digital-nomad framework in early 2022 (Law 22/2022) and added an income-tax carve-out a year later (Law 69/2023). In 2026 it sits in an interesting spot: full Schengen membership since January 2025, a 10% flat income tax, and a 183-day carve-out on foreign-source salary for people who keep their time in Romania short.
The income threshold is high (3× Romania’s average gross monthly earnings, see Income Requirements below), and Romanian administrative procedure runs in Romanian with limited English support. But Cluj, Bucharest, and Timișoara have real dev scenes, rent is materially below western EU, and the regime is tax-friendly to a degree that’s hard to find inside Schengen.
This guide walks through what remote developers need to plan around in 2026.
What Is the Romania Digital Nomad Visa?
The legal name is viză de lungă ședere pentru alte scopuri (D/AS) — nomazi digitali — long-stay visa for “other purposes,” digital-nomad subcategory. It was introduced by Law 22/2022, which amended the Aliens Act (OUG 194/2002, consolidated text) to add the digital-nomad definition and framework.
Per the statute, a digital nomad is a foreigner who:
- Holds an employment contract with a company registered outside Romania, OR
- Administers a company registered outside Romania that has been registered for ≥3 years (visa stage); at the permit stage the rule asks for ≥3 years of ownership
- Performs the work remotely via information and communication technology
The visa is available to third-country nationals (non-EU/EEA/Swiss) only. EU citizens use freedom-of-movement registration. The Romanian Immigration Office (IGI) is the canonical reference.
Income Requirements
The statute pegs the income floor to Romania’s average gross monthly earnings (câştigul salarial mediu brut lunar). INS (the National Institute of Statistics) publishes average gross earnings every month.
- Statutory multiplier: at least 3× average gross monthly earnings, for each of the six months before you apply and for the whole visa period (OUG 194/2002, art. 49(2^1)(g))
- The law does not say which official figure applies. It does not tell us which figure the consulate or IGI uses. Two official 2026 figures exist:
- INS monthly series, January 2026: 9,220 RON (press release of 13 March 2026), so 3 × 9,220 = 27,660 RON. The same INS series has since been between 9,483 and 9,740 RON (April-August 2026)
- Law 44/2026, art. 19 (Monitorul Oficial no. 243 of 27 March 2026): 9,192 RON, so 3 × 9,192 = 27,576 RON
- The figure changes. INS publishes a new one every month, and each year’s social insurance budget law sets its own. Treat the numbers above as a snapshot, not as the threshold
- Illustrative euro value only: amounts of this size are roughly €5,000+ a month at the ECB reference rate of 6 November 2026 (1 EUR = 5.3403 RON; see the ECB RON chart). The exchange rate moves, so check the current rate
- Confirm before you apply: ask the Romanian consulate handling your application, or IGI, which amount applies now
You must demonstrate the threshold both for the six months before application and for the full visa period. Acceptable evidence:
- Six months of bank statements
- Tax-compliance certificate from your country’s tax authority (clean record, no fraud)
- Employment contract OR proof of foreign-company ownership or administration (3-year test, see above)
Romania’s bar reflects the 3× average-earnings formula rather than a fixed target, which means it rises with Romanian wage growth.
Application Process
Step 1: Apply at a Romanian consulate abroad
Applications go to the Romanian diplomatic mission or consulate in your country of residence. The visa is type D/AS (long-stay, other purposes). See mae.ro long-stay visa overview.
Step 2: Assemble the documents
Required file per OUG 194/2002 Art. 49 + IGI guidance:
- Valid passport (OUG 194/2002, art. 6(1)(a)); check with your consulate how long it must remain valid
- Employment contract OR proof of foreign-company ownership or administration (3-year test, see above), with sworn Romanian translation
- Company letter (identification, business domain, your role, legal representatives)
- Letter of intent
- Proof of income — last 6 months bank statements + tax-compliance certificate from issuing-country tax authority
- Proof of accommodation in Romania
- Criminal-record certificate from your country of origin and, where it applies, from the country where you legally reside and earn the income, apostilled or legalised and translated into Romanian (OUG 194/2002, art. 49(2^1)(i))
- Travel medical insurance valid for the full visa period (minimum cover under Healthcare below)
Step 3: Pay fees and wait
- Consular visa fee: €120 (standard long-stay D fee; verify your specific mission’s tariff)
- Statutory decision window: up to 60 days for D visas (OUG 194/2002, art. 31(2))
Real-world variance exists; some missions move faster than others. Plan for up to 60 days.
Step 4: Convert to a residence permit after arrival
The D/AS long-stay visa is issued for 90 days (OUG 194/2002, art. 24(1)). You must file for a temporary residence permit at your local IGI office at least 30 days before your authorised stay ends (art. 51(1)). The first permit is granted for 6 months (art. 69(7)). Later extensions can run up to one year each (art. 50(2)). Each one needs income of at least three times the average gross monthly earnings (art. 69(3)) and an income certificate from the tax authority (art. 69(7)).
Step 5: Get your NIF or CNP
Non-residents need a NIF (Numar de Identificare Fiscala) from ANAF for any tax filing or property contract. Once you have the residence permit, you’re issued a CNP (personal numeric code), which subsumes the NIF for residents.
Tax Implications
This is the part that makes Romania interesting in the medium term.
The 183-day carve-out (Law 69/2023)
Law 69/2023 (Monitorul Oficial no. 265 of 30 March 2023) amended the Fiscal Code (Law 227/2015). It changed art. 136(b) (pension contribution, CAS) and art. 153(1)(b) (health contribution, CASS), and added art. 228(1)(d) (income tax for non-residents). In short:
Digital nomads are expressly exempt from Romanian income tax AND from CAS/CASS social/health contributions on foreign-source salary income, provided they hold digital-nomad status under the Aliens Act AND are present in Romania ≤ 183 days in any rolling 12-month period ending in the calendar year concerned.
Translation: if you stay within 183 days, your foreign salary is outside Romanian tax under this carve-out. Two limits to know: it covers only salary or salary-type income (not, for example, dividends from your own company), and staying within 183 days alone does not guarantee non-resident status, because domicile or your centre of vital interests can also make you a Romanian resident (Fiscal Code art. 7 pct. 28). The CAS exclusion also depends on EU social-security coordination rules and on any social-security agreements Romania has signed.
After 183 days — full Romanian fiscal residency
If you pass 183 days in any 12 consecutive months, you become a Romanian tax resident (Fiscal Code art. 7 pct. 28 lit. c)). You are then taxed on worldwide income from your first day of arrival, not from day 184 (art. 59(2^1); see also the 2021 ANAF guide on fiscal residency). A double-tax treaty between Romania and another country where you are also resident can affect the outcome.
The 2026 rates (Codul Fiscal, unchanged for salaries):
- 10% flat income tax on salary income (Fiscal Code art. 64(1))
- CAS 25% + CASS 10% social and health contributions on employment income, where they apply. Whether they do depends on EU social-security coordination rules and on any social-security agreement with your home country (Fiscal Code arts. 136, 153)
- Dividends and crypto gains: 16% from 2026 (Fiscal Code arts. 97(7), 116(2^1)). Gains on securities sold through Romanian intermediaries are taxed at 3% if held at least 365 days, or 6% if held for less (art. 97(8^1))
The 10% flat rate is among the lowest in the EU. The catch is the social contributions stack — where CAS and CASS apply, total effective cost on a Romanian-resident salary lands around 41–43% before any deductions.
What the 183-day limit means
The carve-out depends on the days you are physically present in Romania, and every one of them counts. Holding the visa or permit does not pause the count, and once you pass 183 days in any 12 consecutive months the rules above apply.
Healthcare
Mandatory travel medical insurance with minimum €30,000 coverage must be valid for the full visa period (OUG 194/2002, art. 49(2^1)(f)). Budget €30–€80/month for an international plan.
Once you become a Romanian tax resident (>183 days), CASS contributions (10%) can become due, which gives you access to the public CNAS health system. Private insurance is still recommended for waiting-time avoidance; Romania’s public system is functional but waits at popular Bucharest/Cluj clinics can stretch.
Cost of Living in Romania
Romania is genuinely cheap by EU standards. Numbers below are 1-bed apartment rent in city centre, from Numbeo (retrieved November 2026):
| City | 1-bed centre (approx) |
|---|---|
| Bucharest | €614/month |
| Cluj-Napoca | €598/month |
| Timișoara | €486/month |
| Iași | €476/month |
Bucharest and Cluj are the priciest; Timișoara and Iași are roughly 20% cheaper. Coworking runs €100–€180/month at established spaces; day passes typically €8–€12.
Groceries, transit, and dining run 40–50% below Berlin or Amsterdam. Fast fibre is widely available (Romania ranks consistently high on EU broadband-speed indexes); €15–€25/month for symmetric gigabit at home is normal.
Practical Realities
Schengen since January 2025
Romania joined Schengen for air and sea borders on 31 March 2024 and for land borders on 1 January 2025 (European Commission statement). Days spent in Romania on the D/AS permit do not count against the 90/180 Schengen short-stay allowance — but free movement across Schengen on this permit is also capped at 90/180.
The 183-day trap
The Schengen 90/180 short-stay count is separate, as D/AS days do not count against it (see above). To stay within the 183-day limit, track carefully — calendar days, not business days. A long weekend trip out doesn’t reset the rolling counter.
Residence-permit timing
Meet the 30-day filing deadline from Step 4 (OUG 194/2002, art. 51(1)). IGI decisions and the renewal applications run on Romanian timelines — don’t leave it to the last week. The initial residence-permit fee is ~€120, plus 265 RON for the permit card (additional to the consular visa fee).
Romanian-language admin
ANAF, IGI, and the Land Registry portals operate primarily in Romanian. English partial coverage exists but isn’t reliable. Sworn Romanian translation is required for foreign civil documents (criminal record, marriage certificate). Budget €20–€40 per document.
Strong tech infrastructure, weaker EN-only services
Romania has one of the EU’s strongest fibre/5G rollouts and a deep developer talent pool, but consumer services (banking apps, utility portals, government interactions) lean Romanian-only. Cluj and Bucharest have more English support than smaller cities.
Dev-Friendly Cities
Cluj-Napoca is Romania’s tech capital. IT employs the largest share of the local workforce, salaries are the highest outside Bucharest, and the ecosystem is dense — Cluj Hub, ClujCowork, active JS/Python/Go meetups, the Cluj IT cluster. Lifestyle is studenty (Babeș-Bolyai University) but more cosmopolitan than the population (~325k) suggests. Coldest winters of the three cities.
Bucharest has the largest absolute scene, the most international firms (Oracle, Microsoft, EY, McKinsey Digital), the fastest fibre and the most direct international flights. Impact Hub Bucharest, Commons, and Nod Makerspace anchor coworking. Trade-off: traffic and a less coherent city-centre feel than Cluj. Rents are highest of the three but still cheap by EU standards.
Timișoara carries 2023 European Capital of Culture infrastructure, a strong dev community (Continental, Visma, NTT DATA), and lower rents than Cluj. Coworking: Ambasada, Cowork Timișoara. Mild winters, Habsburg-era architecture, growing nomad scene. The arbitrage pick of the three.
Romania vs Bulgaria vs Hungary: How Does It Stack Up?
| Romania D/AS | Bulgaria | Hungary White Card | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Min income / month | 3× Romania’s average gross monthly earnings (changes over time; confirm the current amount with the consulate or IGI) | 50 Bulgarian monthly minimum wages a year, gross (Foreigners Act art. 24s(1)) | €3,000 net (Gov. Decree 35/2024, § 52(4)) |
| Initial visa term | 90-day visa, then a 6-month permit | 1-year residence permit (art. 24s(2)) | Up to 1 year |
| Renewal path | Extensions of up to 1 year each (OUG 194/2002 arts. 50(2), 69(7)) | One extension of 1 year (art. 24s(2)) | One extension of up to 1 year (Act XC of 2023, § 62(4)) |
| Tax on foreign salary | Not taxable while present ≤183 days in any 12 months and not otherwise resident. Above 183 days: worldwide income taxable from your first day of arrival; 10% on salary (Fiscal Code arts. 59(2^1), 64(1)) | Not compared in this guide | Not compared in this guide |
| Schengen | Yes (Jan 2025) | Yes (Jan 2025) | Yes |
| Tech-scene depth | Strong (Cluj, Bucharest) | Moderate (Sofia) | Strong (Budapest) |
Romania stands out for the 183-day carve-out + the Cluj/Bucharest tech-scene depth. Bulgaria is a serious budget play. Hungary wins on Budapest’s overall liveability.
Should You Apply?
Apply if you’re a non-EU remote employee clearing the income floor comfortably (confirm the current amount first), want a low-cost Schengen base for 6–18 months, and either plan to stay within the 183-day limit or are comfortable with the 41–43% post-residency total tax burden (where CAS and CASS apply) in exchange for Cluj/Bucharest tech-scene access.
Skip it if your income is below that floor, you need a residency-path commitment from day one (Spain or Portugal have clearer paths), or Romanian-language administrative friction will be a blocker.
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Sources
- OUG 194/2002 (Aliens Act), consolidated text valid to 30 April 2026, hosted by IGI — visa term, permit terms, income rule, application timing: igi.mai.gov.ro
- IGI information page, long-stay visa for other purposes (digital nomads): igi.mai.gov.ro
- Law 69/2023 (Monitorul Oficial no. 265 of 30 March 2023), issuer text: legislatie.just.ro
- Fiscal Code, Law 227/2015, consolidated (arts. 7 pct. 28, 59(2^1), 64, 97, 116, 136, 153, 228): legislatie.just.ro
- ANAF guide on establishing fiscal residence (2021): static.anaf.ro
- Law 44/2026 on the 2026 state social insurance budget (Monitorul Oficial no. 243 of 27 March 2026), art. 19 (9,192 RON): legislatie.just.ro
- INS (National Institute of Statistics), average gross monthly earnings, monthly series 1991-2026 (January 2026: 9,220 RON): insse.ro
- IGI, fees for the residence permit (120 EUR consular fee + 265 RON permit card): igi.mai.gov.ro
- EURAXESS Romania, long-stay visa (consular fee of 120 EUR): euraxess.gov.ro
- Numbeo (crowd-sourced cost-of-living data), 1-bed city-centre rent, retrieved November 2026: numbeo.com
- ECB euro reference rates, EUR/RON: ecb.europa.eu
- European Commission, Bulgaria and Romania join the Schengen area: home-affairs.ec.europa.eu
- Hungary, Government Decree 35/2024, § 52(4): njt.jog.gov.hu
- Hungary, Act XC of 2023, § 62(4): njt.jog.gov.hu
- Bulgaria, Foreigners in the Republic of Bulgaria Act, consolidated through State Gazette no. 52/2025 (art. 24s): mfa.bg