Romania Digital Nomad Visa: Requirements, Income and How to Apply

At a glance

Minimum income	Three times Romania’s average gross salary, about €5,450 a month
First permit	A 90-day visa, then a 6-month residence permit
Renewable?	Yes, while you keep meeting the income requirement
Leads to permanent residency?	Possibly, after 5 years of lawful stay
Special tax regime	No Romanian income tax on remote salary if you stay under 183 days a year
Freelancers and business owners?	Business owners only if their foreign company is at least 3 years old

Who can apply

Romania created its digital nomad visa in January 2022, through Law 22/2022, which added digital nomads to its main law on foreigners (Government Emergency Ordinance 194/2002). It’s a long-stay visa for other purposes, which you then turn into a residence permit marked “nomad digital”.

It’s for citizens of countries outside the EU, the EEA and Switzerland. The law defines a digital nomad as someone who either:

• Is employed under an employment contract with a company registered outside Romania, and provides services using information and communication technology, or
• Owns a company registered outside Romania and runs it remotely using information and communication technology.

There’s no category for freelancers. If you work for clients on your own account, you can only apply through a company you own. And the law sets a condition most countries don’t: you must have owned the company for at least three years by the time you apply for the visa. A newly formed company won’t qualify.

For business owners with an established company, the route is clear. How you pay yourself still has tax consequences in more than one country, so get professional advice on structuring and tax before you rely on it.

Your company also has to be in good standing. Every applicant must provide a certificate from the tax authority where they or their company are tax resident, confirming that taxes and contributions are paid up and there’s no record of tax evasion or fraud.

Minimum income requirement

You need income from your remote work of at least three times Romania’s average gross monthly salary, for each of the six months before you apply, and for the whole period of the visa.

The average salary is published by Romania’s National Institute of Statistics and changes every month. The July 2026 figure was 9,709 lei, which puts the threshold at about 29,127 lei a month. At early October 2026 exchange rates, that’s roughly €5,450. The euro figure moves with both the salary data and the exchange rate, so recheck it close to your application date.

That makes Romania’s one of the highest thresholds in Europe, despite its low cost of living. You’ll need to show the same level each time you extend your permit.

Not earning €5,450 a month yet? That’s where most people reading this page are. The Portable Income Launchpad is a six-week program for experienced professionals turning their expertise into remote income that meets a visa threshold like this one.

Bringing your family

The digital nomad visa doesn’t include family members. According to Darie Manea Law, a Romanian immigration firm, family members need to come through Romania’s separate family reunification rules, which have their own conditions. Check these with a lawyer or the consulate before you plan a family move.

How long it lasts and renewal

The long-stay visa is valid for 90 days. If you want to stay longer, you apply to the General Inspectorate for Immigration (IGI) for a residence permit before the visa expires.

By law, the first extension of your right to stay is granted for six months. You can extend again after that if you still meet the income requirement for the period you’re asking for, and you’ll need an income certificate from the competent tax authority. There’s no fixed maximum in the law.

Romania became a full member of the Schengen area in January 2025, so while your visa or permit is valid, you can travel in the rest of Schengen for up to 90 days in any 180.

Tax: special regimes and when you become tax resident

According to Darie Manea Law, digital nomads whose presence in Romania doesn’t exceed 183 days in any 12 consecutive months don’t pay Romanian income tax or social contributions on the salary from their remote work, under Law 69/2023. The exemption doesn’t cover other income earned in Romania, such as rental income or capital gains.

If you stay longer than that, you can become tax resident and different rules apply. The fact that extensions need an income certificate from a tax authority is a reminder that Romania expects you to be tax compliant somewhere. Get advice from a Romanian tax adviser and one in your home country before you move. This is general information, not tax advice.

Does it lead to permanent residency or citizenship?

Possibly. According to Darie Manea Law, foreigners can apply for permanent residence after at least five years of lawful stay in Romania, along with conditions such as income, health insurance, accommodation and some knowledge of Romanian.

Whether five years of renewed digital nomad permits counts in your case is a question for an immigration lawyer, so check before you rely on it.

How to apply

From your home country

1. Gather your documents. By law these include:
   • your employment contract with the foreign company, or proof that you’ve owned your foreign company for at least three years
   • a document from the company giving its details, field of activity, your role and its legal representatives
   • a letter of intent explaining why you’re coming to Romania and what you’ll do there
   • a tax compliance certificate from your tax authority
   • proof of income for the past six months
   • a travel booking
   • health insurance valid in Romania with at least €30,000 of cover
   • proof of accommodation
   • a criminal record certificate from your country of origin, and from your country of residence if different
2. Prepare translations and apostilles. Documents need an authenticated Romanian translation, and official documents need an apostille or supra-legalisation, depending on the issuing country.
3. Apply for the long-stay visa at the Romanian embassy or consulate. The authorities can ask for extra documents.
4. Travel to Romania on your 90-day visa.
5. Apply to IGI for a residence permit before the visa expires, showing that you still meet the income requirement. The permit is marked “nomad digital”.

Fees for the visa and the permit are set by the consulate and IGI. Check the current amounts when you apply.

From inside Romania

You can’t start this route from inside Romania. You need the long-stay visa from a consulate first. Once you’re in Romania on that visa, your residence permit application goes to IGI.

Restrictions and common reasons for refusal

The defining restrictions are the high income threshold, the three-year rule for company owners and the lack of a freelancer category.

Applications commonly run into trouble because of:

• Income below three times the average gross salary in any of the last six months
• A company that’s less than three years old
• Freelancing without a company, which doesn’t qualify
• A missing or out-of-date tax compliance certificate
• Missing apostilles, or translations that aren’t authenticated
• Health insurance below €30,000 of cover
• Letting the 90-day visa run out before applying for the residence permit

Is this visa right for you?

Romania’s visa suits well-paid employees of foreign companies, and owners of established foreign companies, who want a low-cost base in an EU and Schengen country. If you can keep your stays within 183 days a year, the tax position can be attractive, and renewed permits may eventually lead to permanent residence.

It’s a poor fit for freelancers, new business owners and anyone earning less than about €5,450 a month. If that’s you, Bulgaria and Croatia have lower thresholds, and Spain and Portugal have clearer paths to permanent residency.

FAQ

How much income do I need for Romania’s digital nomad visa? Three times Romania’s average gross monthly salary for each of the last six months. On July 2026 data, that’s about 29,127 lei, roughly €5,450 a month.

Can freelancers apply? Not as freelancers. You need to be employed by a foreign company, or own a foreign company you’ve had for at least three years.

How long can I stay? The visa lasts 90 days. The residence permit is first granted for six months, then extended while you keep meeting the conditions.

Do digital nomads pay tax in Romania? According to Romanian immigration lawyers, not on remote salary income if you spend no more than 183 days in Romania in any 12 months. Longer stays can make you tax resident.

Can I bring my family? Not on the digital nomad visa itself. Family members need to apply through Romania’s family reunification rules.

Does it lead to permanent residence? Possibly, after at least five years of lawful stay, according to Romanian immigration lawyers.

If you don’t qualify: alternatives and similar visas

If you’re a freelancer, your company is new or the threshold is out of reach, compare your options on our digital nomad visas page, or start with:

• Bulgaria’s digital nomad visa, with a far lower threshold and a freelancer category
• Croatia’s digital nomad visa, which accepts owners of companies of any age and doesn’t tax your remote income
• Spain’s digital nomad visa, with a freelancer route and a path to permanent residency

Sources

• Romanian Parliament: Law amending GEO 194/2002 to introduce the digital nomad visa (official, in Romanian, PDF)
• KPMG: Romania, digital nomad visa introduced (professional services firm)
• Darie Manea Law: Romania digital nomad visa (Romanian immigration law firm)

Educational information, not legal, immigration or tax advice. Rules change, so check the official sources before you apply.