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Studying in Romania

English- and French-taught degrees, a Ministry acceptance letter at the centre of the process, a EUR 300 long-stay visa fee, up to 6 hours/day of student work and a nine-month post-study extension.

16 of 16 sections confirmed against their official source. Last confirmed 2026-08-08.

Overview

Romania offers substantial English- and French-taught provision, particularly in medicine, engineering and technical fields, with major international-student centres in Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca, Timișoara and Iași. Romania has been a full Schengen member since 1 January 2025, but the study route remains its own national immigration process: university admission, Ministry acceptance where required, the D/SD long-stay visa and the IGI study-residence procedure. Build the plan around official document lists rather than assumptions imported from short-stay Schengen travel.

Source: https://studyinromania.gov.ro/

Study System

Romanian higher education follows the Bologna structure and offers programmes in Romanian, English, French and other languages. For many non-EU applicants, the university sends the file for a Ministry of Education Letter of Acceptance, which is then a core document for the D/SD study visa. The Ministry/administrative processing stage can take weeks, but that is not the same thing as a universal rule requiring every student to file the visa within 60 days of the letter. Follow the university's admissions calendar and the current eVisa/consular instructions. Romanian-taught programmes may require demonstrated Romanian or a preparatory language year, depending on the programme.

Source: https://studyinromania.gov.ro/

Visa & Immigration

Non-EU students who require a Romanian long-stay study visa apply for type D/SD through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs eVisa system and the competent diplomatic mission. For long-stay applications submitted for validation from 27 April 2026, the visa-processing fee is EUR 300. The official guidance recommends lodging long-stay applications well before travel; use eVisa's current nationality/NeedVisa tool rather than assuming that a short-stay visa exemption also removes the study-visa requirement. The study file normally includes the Ministry acceptance, evidence of tuition payment where required, accommodation, criminal-record documentation, medical insurance of at least EUR 30,000 and means of support linked to the national minimum gross salary for the relevant period. As of August 2026, the national minimum gross wage is RON 4,325 per month.

Source: https://eviza.mae.ro/VisaFees

Residence Permit

After entry, apply to the General Inspectorate for Immigration (IGI) for extension of the temporary right of stay for studies, normally at least 30 days before the visa-based stay expires. For full-time students, IGI states that the study residence right can be extended for a period equal to the total duration of the studies plus three months, rather than being automatically limited to one-year renewals. The residence file includes enrolment, legal accommodation, medical documentation and proof of means amounting to at least the national minimum gross salary for at least six months. IGI's stated decision period is generally 30 days, with a possible extension of up to 15 days where further checks are needed.

Source: https://igi.mai.gov.ro/informare-privind-prelungirea-dreptului-de-sedere-temporara-pentru-studii/

Healthcare

The D/SD visa file requires medical insurance valid for the visa period with coverage of at least EUR 30,000. After arrival, the residence-permit process also requires health-related documentation; IGI guidance includes social health-insurance evidence for students over 26 in relevant extension cases. EU/EEA students should check EHIC coordination. University clinics can handle routine care, but do not assume that enrolment alone automatically gives every international student full CNAS coverage.

Source: https://igi.mai.gov.ro/en/how-can-i-obtain-a-long-stay-visa-for-studies/

Insurance

For the study visa, medical insurance must meet the official minimum of EUR 30,000 and be valid for the required Romanian stay. At the residence stage, follow IGI's current proof-of-health-coverage requirements for your age and status. Buy based on the official checklist, not on a university marketing page alone, and keep the policy certificate and payment evidence available for the immigration file.

Source: https://igi.mai.gov.ro/en/how-can-i-obtain-a-long-stay-visa-for-studies/

Housing

University dormitories are the bargain (often EUR 50 to 150 a month) and the acceptance letter usually carries a housing offer; private rooms run EUR 200 to 400 in Bucharest and Cluj, less elsewhere. Cluj rents have climbed with its tech boom and now surprise people expecting provincial prices.

Rental contracts registered with ANAF protect you and produce the address evidence the permit wants.

Source: https://studyinromania.gov.ro/

Bank Accounts

Romanian banks commonly ask international students for passport/identity documents, residence evidence and local contact/address information, with exact requirements varying by institution. A Romanian account is useful for rent, utilities and payroll. The personal numeric code (CNP), where assigned through your residence documentation, simplifies many administrative systems. Digital banking is widespread, but immigration evidence should still be produced in the format requested by the authority rather than assuming an app screenshot is sufficient.

Source: https://studyinromania.gov.ro/

Taxes

Student part-time earnings run through payroll withholding; the flat income-tax rate keeps arithmetic simple, and modest hours produce modest liabilities. Employers handle registration.

Freelance IT work, common in Cluj, has its own regimes; take advice before invoicing rather than after.

Source: https://www.anaf.ro/

Transportation

Romanian students can access statutory concessions on eligible domestic public transport during the academic year, with the current national student framework providing at least a 50% reduction on qualifying domestic transport other than air travel. City passes can have additional local rules and document requirements. Check CFR Călători and the local transport operator with your current student ID rather than relying on a single nationwide percentage for every service.

Source: https://studyinromania.gov.ro/

Phone & Internet

Romania's internet is a national brag with substance: among the fastest and cheapest fixed connections in Europe, with mobile bundles at RON 30 to 60 covering a student month. ID registration applies.

Digi and the majors compete hard; student flats are wired by default.

Source: https://www.ancom.ro/en

Student Life

Each university city has its own texture: Bucharest's scale, Cluj's festival-and-startup energy (Untold and Electric Castle bookend the summer), Iași's classic student quarter, Timișoara's multicultural ease. Student leagues run faculty life and the dormitory social layer is real.

Costs keep the whole calendar accessible: a student night out prices like a coffee further west.

Source: https://studyinromania.gov.ro/

Language

English and French programmes carry internationals; Romanian-taught study wants B2 or the preparatory year, and the language's Latin bones make it the easiest eastern-EU acquisition for Romance speakers. The street warms audibly to attempts.

Administration runs in Romanian; university international offices translate the worst of it.

Source: https://studyinromania.gov.ro/

Part-time Jobs

Foreigners holding temporary residence for studies may work in Romania without an employment authorisation when employed under a part-time individual employment contract with working time of no more than six hours per day. This is the current IGI rule; older guides that still say four hours/day are stale. Employers handle the employment formalities, while your residence and study status must remain valid. Future wages cannot replace the funds you must prove for the visa or residence file before those earnings exist.

Source: https://igi.mai.gov.ro/obtinerea-permisului-de-sedere-in-scop-de-studii-pentru-cetatenii-din-afara-uniunii-europene-sau-a-spatiului-economic-european/

Post-study Work

After graduation, the temporary study residence right can be extended for nine months to search for employment, complete employment formalities or open a business, with proof of completed studies. A separate six-month extension can apply for finalising the academic situation/authentication of study documents in the circumstances described by IGI. For long-term residence planning, time spent under a study residence right counts at half weight, and long-term residence is not granted while the applicant is still residing solely under the study category. Move onto the appropriate work/business residence basis once the post-study transition is complete.

Source: https://igi.mai.gov.ro/obtinerea-permisului-de-sedere-in-scop-de-studii-pentru-cetatenii-din-afara-uniunii-europene-sau-a-spatiului-economic-european/

Emergency Numbers

For an emergency in Romania, call 112. It is the national and EU-wide emergency number for police, fire and ambulance services and is free to call. Do not rely on generic online claims that every caller can use SMS-to-112 in the same way as a voice call; accessibility channels can have separate registration or eligibility rules. For ordinary medical or administrative needs, use the university's international office and local health services rather than the emergency line.

Source: https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/112

Focused Romania guides

Official resources

Universities in Romania