Romania Work Visa Rules 2026: D/AM1 vs D/AM2 Visa Explained for Indian Workers
Romania’s work visa rules changed completely in 2026.
If you are an Indian or Asian worker planning to come to Romania, or an employer who has been hiring through the old work permit system, the process you knew before August 2026 is no longer the same. A major new law called OUG 32/2026 has replaced everything.
This is not a small update. This is the biggest change to Romania’s foreign worker immigration system in over a decade.
The good news is that Romania still wants workers. The 2026 quota of 90,000 non-EU workers is confirmed. Construction, manufacturing, logistics, and hospitality are still in high demand. The Romania work visa rules 2026 changes are mostly about how the process works, not whether the opportunity exists.
This guide explains every major change in plain language. What the new visas are, how the new portal works, what bilingual contracts mean for you, and what the quota means for your chances of getting placed in 2026.
What Changed and Why: OUG 32/2026 in Simple Terms
OUG 32/2026 is an Emergency Ordinance published in Romania’s Official Gazette on 27 April 2026. You can find GEO 32/2026 on the Official Gazette if you want to read the full legal text.
Before this law, the Romania work permit system used a process governed by Government Ordinance 25/2014. That system required separate employment permits issued by the Romanian immigration authority before a worker could apply for a visa. The whole process was paper-based and slow.
Under the new Romania work visa rules 2026, the old employment permit is gone entirely. It has been replaced by two new long-stay visa categories: D/AM1 and D/AM2. All applications now go through a single digital platform called WorkinRomania.gov.ro. The process is faster in design, but the eligibility rules are also stricter.
The new system became fully operational from 8 August 2026. Applications submitted before that date are still being processed under the old rules. New applications from August 2026 onwards follow the new Romania work visa rules 2026.
What is the New WorkinRomania.gov.ro Portal?
The WorkinRomania.gov.ro platform is a government digital portal developed by Romania’s Ministry of Internal Affairs. It is the central system for everything related to hiring non-EU workers in Romania from August 2026 onwards.
Under the new Romania work visa rules 2026, every employer in Romania who wants to hire a worker from India, Nepal, Bangladesh, or any other non-EU country must first register on WorkinRomania.gov.ro. Recruitment agencies like ours that place workers must also be authorised through the platform.
Here is what the WorkinRomania.gov.ro platform does:
Employers register and get authorised to hire foreign workers. Recruitment agencies apply for authorisation to act as intermediaries. All visa applications for D/AM1 and D/AM2 are submitted through the platform. Employers and workers can track the status of their visa application directly on the portal. The shortage occupations list, which determines which jobs qualify for D/AM2, is published and updated on the platform.
For Indian workers, the most important change is the status tracking feature. Under the old system, workers had no way to check where their application stood without calling their agency or employer. Under the new Romania work visa rules 2026, workers can track their visa application status directly on the WorkinRomania.gov.ro portal. This is a major improvement in transparency.
Difference Between D/AM1 and D/AM2 Visas
This is the most important thing to understand about the new Romania work visa rules 2026.
The old system had one type of employment visa. The new system has two completely different categories, and which one applies to you depends on your skill level and your job type.
D/AM1 Visa: For Highly Skilled Workers
The D/AM1 visa is for highly qualified workers and certain special categories.
Who qualifies for D/AM1: Highly skilled professionals such as engineers, IT specialists, and senior technical experts. Workers in roles that meet the EU Blue Card minimum salary threshold. Professional athletes. Citizens of Moldova, Ukraine, and Serbia in specific arrangements. Workers on major infrastructure project contracts.
Key advantages of D/AM1: No annual quota applies. The D/AM1 visa is not subject to the 90,000 worker limit. No shortage occupations list requirement. D/AM1 workers can be hired in any role that qualifies, not just roles on an approved list. Faster registration process for employers. Employers hiring D/AM1 workers only need to register on WorkinRomania.gov.ro rather than go through full authorisation.
For most Indian blue-collar workers in construction, manufacturing, and hospitality, the D/AM1 is not the relevant visa. It is designed for senior technical profiles.
D/AM2 Visa: For General Labour Workers
The D/AM2 visa covers the majority of Indian and Asian workers coming to Romania in 2026. This is the category for permanent workers, seasonal workers, and cross-border workers in general labour roles.
Who qualifies for D/AM2: Construction workers including masons, carpenters, electricians, and welders. Factory and manufacturing workers. Hospitality and HoReCa staff. Logistics and warehouse workers. Cleaners and facility management workers. Drivers.
Key conditions for D/AM2: The job role must appear on Romania’s official Shortage Occupations List. This list is maintained and updated by ANOFM, the National Agency for Employment. The position must fall within the annual 90,000 worker quota. Workers must come through either a licensed placement agency or a fully authorised employer. Workers are tied to their initial employer for a minimum of 6 months before any employer change is permitted. The visa fee under the new Romania work visa rules 2026 is 300 Euros, paid as part of the single application process.
For Indian workers coming through Romania Manpower, we operate as an authorised placement agency under the new OUG 32/2026 framework. This means your D/AM2 application goes through us as the intermediary, which is the standard route for most Indian workers coming to Romania.
Mandatory Bilingual Employment Contracts
One of the most worker-friendly changes in the new Romania work visa rules 2026 is the mandatory bilingual employment contract.
Under OUG 32/2026, every employment contract signed with a non-EU worker must be prepared in two languages. Romanian is one language. The second language must be either the worker’s native language or an internationally recognised language that the worker understands.
In practice, this means Indian workers coming to Romania will receive their employment contract in Romanian and in English. Workers from Nepal will receive Romanian and Nepali or Romanian and English depending on their preference.
This is a significant change from the old system where contracts were often only in Romanian, which most Indian workers could not read or understand. Workers were essentially signing documents they had no way to verify.
Under the new Romania work visa rules 2026, you have the legal right to receive a contract in a language you understand before you sign anything. This is now the law, not just good practice.
Employers who issue contracts only in Romanian face an administrative fine of RON 6,000 per worker under OUG 32/2026. This creates a financial incentive for employers to comply.
What this means for Indian workers practically: You will be able to read and understand your contract before signing. You can verify your salary, working hours, contract duration, and accommodation details in a language you understand. If anything in the contract does not match what you were told during your interview, you can identify it before you are already in Romania.
If you want to understand what a proper employment contract should contain, our guide on how to spot a fake agent covers the red flags that appear in dishonest or misleading contracts.
Romania Non-EU Quota 2026: What 90,000 Means for Indian Workers
Romania’s 2026 non-EU worker quota is set at 90,000 positions. This was confirmed by Government Decision No. 1,169 published on 30 December 2025. It is a reduction from the 100,000 quota in 2025.
The quota applies specifically to D/AM2 visa holders, meaning general labour workers. D/AM1 visa holders are outside the quota entirely.
What this quota means in practical terms: There are 90,000 slots available for non-EU workers coming to Romania in 2026 through the D/AM2 route. Once those 90,000 slots are filled, no more D/AM2 visas can be issued for that calendar year. The sectors with highest demand under the quota are construction, manufacturing, HoReCa, and logistics.
The quota runs out during the year. It does not wait until December. In previous years, quota slots in high-demand sectors have filled within the first half of the year for some categories. Starting the process early is important.
For Indian workers, the practical implication is clear. The sooner you apply, the better your chance of getting a slot within the 2026 quota. Late applications may face delays into 2027 if the quota fills. A good licensed recruitment agency with existing employer relationships and platform authorisation is significantly better positioned to secure a quota slot than an individual worker or an unregistered agent.
What OUG 32/2026 Means for Indian Workers Specifically
Under the new Romania work visa rules 2026, Indian workers going to Romania through a licensed agency face a process that is similar in timeline to the old system but different in structure.
The application now goes through the WorkinRomania.gov.ro platform instead of paper-based IGI submissions. The visa type is now D/AM2 instead of the old work permit plus visa combination. Bilingual contracts are now guaranteed by law. Salary must be paid by bank transfer only. Cash payment of wages is no longer permitted under OUG 32/2026.
For workers, the bank payment rule is actually a protection. It creates a verifiable record of every salary payment, which means disputes about unpaid wages are much easier to resolve.
The timeline from job offer to arrival in Romania remains approximately three to six months under the new Romania work visa rules 2026, similar to the previous system. The Romania work permit process may look different on paper but the practical end-to-end duration for most placements has not changed significantly.
What This Means if You Are Already Planning to Come to Romania
If you are currently in the application process for a Romania job through a licensed agency, ask your agency which visa category your application falls under and whether your application is being processed under the old rules or the new OUG 32/2026 rules. Most applications submitted before 8 August 2026 are processed under the old system. Applications after that date follow the new system.
If you have not started the process yet, the new Romania work visa rules 2026 apply to you from the beginning. Your job must be on the shortage occupations list. Your contract will be bilingual. Your application goes through WorkinRomania.gov.ro. Your employer or agency must be registered and authorised on the platform.
None of this makes the process impossible. It makes it more structured. For workers going through a properly authorised licensed agency, most of this complexity is handled on the employer and agency side, not by the worker directly.
How Romania Manpower is Positioned Under OUG 32/2026
Romania Manpower operates as an authorised recruitment agency under the new framework. We are MEA licensed in India, and we are aligned with the OUG 32/2026 requirements for placement agencies operating in Romania.
This means workers who come through us are placed into jobs that qualify under the D/AM2 shortage occupations list. Their contracts are bilingual. Their applications go through the proper platform. Their salary is paid by bank transfer to their own account.
We have been placing workers from India and Nepal into legal Romanian jobs since 2015. The new Romania work visa rules 2026 are a change in process, not a change in our fundamental approach. Legal, transparent, employer-paid recruitment is what we have always done.
If you want to verify our MEA license on eMigrate before trusting us with anything, you can do that before you even send us your first message. That is how it should work.
Check Available Roles and Apply
The 2026 quota is 90,000 slots. They will not last the full year in all sectors. Construction, manufacturing, and hospitality roles are filling fastest.
If you are a welder, electrician, mason, carpenter, factory worker, driver, warehouse worker, or hospitality staff member with at least one year of experience, there are open roles in Romania right now under the new visa system.
Browse open roles on our Careers page to see current vacancies with salary details, contract type, and package information. If you see something that fits your trade, apply for free. Our team will handle the authorisation, platform submission, bilingual contract, and everything else on the agency side.
The Romania work visa rules 2026 are new. But the opportunity is the same. Legal work in Europe with a verified employer, a transparent salary, and a team that speaks your language.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is OUG 32/2026 in simple terms?
OUG 32/2026 is Romania’s new law for hiring non-EU workers, published on 27 April 2026. It replaced the old work permit system with two new visa types (D/AM1 and D/AM2), a new digital platform (WorkinRomania.gov.ro), mandatory bilingual contracts, and new employer registration requirements. The new Romania work visa rules 2026 fully came into effect from 8 August 2026.
What is the difference between D/AM1 and D/AM2 visa?
The D/AM1 visa is for highly skilled workers, specialists, and certain special categories. It has no quota and no shortage occupations requirement. The D/AM2 visa is for general labour workers including construction, manufacturing, hospitality, and logistics. It is subject to the annual 90,000 quota and requires the job role to appear on Romania’s shortage occupations list.
Which visa do Indian construction workers need for Romania in 2026?
Most Indian construction, manufacturing, and hospitality workers need the D/AM2 visa under the new Romania work visa rules 2026. This requires the job to be on the shortage occupations list and falls within the 90,000 annual quota. The application goes through a licensed placement agency or a fully authorised employer.
What is the WorkinRomania.gov.ro portal?
WorkinRomania.gov.ro is Romania’s new digital platform for all non-EU worker visa applications and employer registrations. Under the new Romania work visa rules 2026, all employers and recruitment agencies must register on this platform. Workers can also track their visa application status directly on the portal.
What does bilingual employment contract mean for Indian workers?
Under OUG 32/2026, every employment contract with a non-EU worker must be prepared in Romanian and in a language the worker understands, such as English, Hindi, or Nepali. This is mandatory by law from 8 August 2026. Employers who issue Romanian-only contracts face a fine of RON 6,000 per worker.
How many non-EU workers can come to Romania in 2026?
Romania’s 2026 non-EU worker quota is 90,000, confirmed by Government Decision No. 1,169/2025. This applies to D/AM2 visa holders only. The quota is for the full calendar year and can fill up before December in high-demand sectors. Early applications have a better chance of securing a quota slot.
