Recruiting internationally takes more than finding the right person. The legal route matters from day one.

Recruiting Non-EU Personnel in Romania in 2026: Legal Update for Employers

For many Romanian businesses, hiring from outside the EU is no longer a niche option. It is part of ordinary recruitment planning. But the legal route changed in April 2026. A process that was once described mainly through work permits now runs through a new digital framework, new visa categories, and more detailed employer responsibilities. The wider Romanian labour law for foreigners still applies alongside these immigration steps.

This guide explains what employers, founders, and foreign investors should know before recruiting non-EU personnel in Romania in 2026. It focuses on the practical decisions that cause delays: which visa route fits the role, when an agency is involved, which documents need to match, and what must happen after the worker arrives.

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Non-EU recruitment sits between immigration, employment, payroll, health and safety, and document management. The right answer depends on the role, the worker’s country of residence, the employment model, and the employer’s authorisation status. Atrium can help you map a Romania work visa support route before commitments are made.

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What Changed for Recruiting Non-EU Personnel in Romania in 2026?

Emergency Ordinance No. 32/2026, published on 27 April 2026, created the new framework for third-country nationals entering Romania’s labour market. Its aim is not simply digitalisation. It also regulates employer registration, placement agencies, worker protection, and the electronic admission process.

The practical starting point is now WorkinRomania.gov.ro. The employer, authorised employer, or placement agency uses the platform to manage the single application that supports the work visa and later residence process. The worker does not submit this single application alone.

The quota comes from Government Decision No. 1169/2025. It is an annual market-access limit, not an individual approval. A company can still face refusal or delay if the role, documents, employer status, or worker information do not meet the legal conditions.

The new process is digital, but the supporting employment and immigration documents still need close attention.

Which 2026 Work Visa Route Applies: D/AM1 or D/AM2?

The first decision is classification. The official Work in Romania guidance separates the new work-visa system into D/AM1 and D/AM2. The route affects who files the application, what evidence is needed, and whether a placement agency must be involved.

Issue	D/AM1	D/AM2
Typical use	Highly qualified workers and specified categories, including certain full-time workers from Moldova, Ukraine and Serbia.	Permanent, seasonal and cross-border workers who do not meet D/AM1 criteria.
Who files the single application	The Romanian employer registered on the platform.	Usually an authorised placement agency. An authorised employer may directly file in the permitted exception.
Role check	Qualification, contract and category requirements must align with the application.	The role generally needs to appear on the shortage-occupations list and may have specific qualification rules.
Important planning point	Confirm the high-qualification or specified-category basis before filing.	Confirm the agency or employer authorisation and shortage-occupation fit before recruiting.

For D/AM1, the rules cover highly qualified workers with a full-time contract of at least six months, alongside several defined categories. For D/AM2, the official guidance says that recruitment is generally through an authorised placement agency, unless an authorised employer may file directly. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs visa guidance confirms this split.

How Does the Non-EU Recruitment Process Work in Romania?

The sequence is straightforward in principle. The difficult part is making every document tell the same story. The role, worker qualifications, salary, contract duration, accommodation information where relevant, and employer status must all align. This is why employment contracts in Romania should be reviewed as part of the immigration file, not after it.

2026 recruitment path 1. Check roleRoute andeligibility2. RegisterEmployer oragency status3. SubmitSingle digitalapplication4. D/AM visaWorker appliesat consulate5. ResidenceEntry, contract,permit and work

1. Screen the role and worker. Check the worker category, the correct visa route, qualifications, and any shortage-occupation requirement.
2. Prepare the employer side. Register on the platform and make sure the employer, or the agency and authorised employer, has the needed status.
3. Prepare the employment package. The official guidance lists key information such as the worker’s qualification and experience, job, pay, contract duration, working schedule, accommodation if supplied, and health insurance.
4. Submit the single application. This is filed through the platform before the worker makes the visa application.
5. Complete visa and residence steps. After approval, the worker applies at the Romanian consulate for the D/AM visa. After entry, the worker applies for the residence permit before the visa expires.

The EU Immigration Portal notes that a worker who stays beyond 90 days must obtain a temporary residence permit after arrival. The official platform says the D/AM visa has an initial validity of 90 days, so the residence step should be planned before travel rather than treated as an afterthought.

What Are an Employer’s Main Duties After Hiring a Non-EU Worker?

Hiring is not the finish line. OUG 32/2026 gives employers specific ongoing duties that should be built into HR operations. These go beyond the usual Romanian employment contract and payroll controls.

The official law requires safety and health training in a language the foreign worker understands. It also requires access to necessary protective equipment, confidential complaint and abuse-reporting procedures, and retention of relevant records. Where the statute applies, employers must also support Romanian-language courses and cultural and social integration for at least six months, with at least six hours each week.

Employers must notify the placement agency and the General Inspectorate for Immigration within five working days of certain events, including termination of the employment contract, a qualifying unexplained absence, or a situation involving danger, exploitation, or breach of conditions underpinning work and residence rights. The exact applicability must be checked against the worker’s category and recruitment structure.