Temporary protection: Romania
🛰️ Varta monitors 6 official sources for this country — checked daily.
Legal basis: EU Temporary Protection Directive 2001/55/EC + Emergency Ordinance • status valid until 04/03/2027 • already extended until 04/03/2028
Steps
- 1
Cross the border
Visa-free entry.
📍 Border crossing💳 Free - 2
Apply for protection at IGI
Apply for protecție temporară at the General Inspectorate for Immigration of your county. You receive a permis de ședere — residence, work, healthcare, education rights.
📍 IGI by county⏰ As soon as possible💳 Free - 3
Healthcare, school, aid
Register with a family doctor and check access with a provider working with CNAS. Contact DAS/DGASPC about child allowance or disability-related support; the accommodation programme for new arrivals goes through the Primăria.
📍 CNAS / DGASPC💳 Free
Documents
Foreign passport
requiredChild’s birth certificate
requiredProof of residence before 24.02.2022
if availablePhoto
requiredUkrainian Embassies and Consulates
Map
Document samples and how to fill them
Surname and first name in LATIN letters as in the passport.
Format DD.MM.YYYY.
Foreign passport number.
Address in Romania.
❌ Name in Cyrillic ❌ Missing signature
As in the passport.
Personal code (if issued); otherwise — document number.
Income; if none — "fără venit".
❌ Hidden income ❌ Missing signature
Benefits
Labour market access
Protection holders.
How to apply: Automatic; ANOFM for work
Child allowance and disability-related support
Eligibility is assessed separately for each benefit, including the applicant’s and child’s status or a disability assessment.
How to apply: Local DAS/DGASPC; documents and procedure: https://help.unhcr.org/romania/information-for-people-from-ukraine/accessing-social-benefits/
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Where to apply
General Inspectorate for Immigration (IGI)
What happens after protection ends
After protection: permis de ședere on other grounds (work, study, family), permanent residence after 5 years.
What happens when protection ends
These are options for the future — you will need to choose ONE, and not now.
These routes are available outside temporary protection — work, study, family, business, etc.
The description below is a general scheme, similar across countries. Check exact requirements, fees and timelines via the official link in each card — they differ by country and change over time.
💼 Work-based residence — Romania
Those with a valid employment contract in this country.
Passport; employment contract; proof of residence. Authority: General Inspectorate for Immigration (IGI).
- Foreign passport
- Employment contract
- Proof of residence
- Health insurance (optional)
General Inspectorate for Immigration (IGI)
The employer or the applicant files; the immigration authority decides.
Before the current status or permit expires.
- Collect the card/decision
- Register address and social number
Renewable together with the contract.
Usually switchable from temporary protection without leaving.
🎓 Study — Romania
Enrolment at an accredited institution.
Acceptance letter; proof of funds; housing; insurance.
- Foreign passport
- Acceptance letter
- Proof of funds
- Health insurance (optional)
General Inspectorate for Immigration (IGI)
Apply via the institution or the immigration authority.
Before the semester starts.
- Register at the institution and locally
Yearly with continued studies.
Usually switchable from temporary protection without leaving.
👨👩👧👦 Family reunification — Romania
Spouse, children or relatives of a resident or citizen.
Marriage/birth certificates; housing; sponsor income.
- Foreign passport
- Marriage/birth certificate
- Sponsor income proof
- Proof of residence
General Inspectorate for Immigration (IGI)
The sponsor or family files; documents need apostille and translation.
Before the current status expires.
- Collect the family member card
Renewable; a path to permanent residence.
Usually switchable from temporary protection without leaving.
🏢 Self-employment/business — Romania
Company or self-employment registration; business plan or contracts.
Registration documents; tax number; funds; housing.
- Foreign passport
- Company/self-employment registration
- Business plan or contracts (optional)
- Proof of residence
General Inspectorate for Immigration (IGI)
Register the business, then apply for residence as an entrepreneur.
Before the current status expires.
- Tax registration and bank account
Tied to the company activity.
Usually switchable from temporary protection without leaving.
🏠 Permanent residence — Romania
Usually after 5 years of continuous legal residence.
Stable income; housing; integration/language per national rules.
- Foreign passport
- Income proof
- Proof of residence
- Language/integration certificate (optional)
General Inspectorate for Immigration (IGI)
Apply once the required residence period is met.
After the required residence period is met.
- Obtain permanent resident status
Permanent status; card replaced periodically.
Temporary protection time often counts towards the period (per national rules).
Opportunities: housing, jobs, grants
6 verified programmes: housing support, job portals, business grants, free courses — with direct official links and verification dates. Available with Varta.
Forms & samples (PDF)
FAQ
Do I need to do anything to keep my protection after the current period?
No action needed: in Romania the temporary-protection residence permit is valid for the whole period the EU Decision applies and is extended automatically, with no application, no appointment and no card replacement. However, as of September 2026 the Romanian Immigration Inspectorate (IGI) has not yet published a notice covering the extension to 04.03.2028 — its pages still say 04.03.2027 — so re-check igi.mai.gov.ro closer to February 2027. Where: Inspectoratul General pentru Imigrări (IGI, General Inspectorate for Immigration), igi.mai.gov.ro — but nothing is filed there for the extension itself: no portal, no form, no personal appearance. Territorial immigration offices (servicii/birouri pentru imigrări, centre regionale de proceduri și cazare) are only needed for a first registration, a lost/damaged card, or changed personal data. Important: Two honest gaps. (1) Romania has NOT yet published anything about the 2027→2028 extension: the IGI notice and FAQ (last updated Aug 2025) and the UNHCR Romania page both still stop at 04.03.2027, and one IGI page is even more stale, still saying permits are valid "până la data de 4 martie 2026". The "no action" answer rests on the general Romanian rule — the permit follows the period of application of the EU Decision and extends automatically — which has held at every previous extension, not on a 2026-dated confirmation. Re-check igi.mai.gov.ro/ucraina/ in Jan–Feb 2027. Source: https://igi.mai.gov.ro/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/In-atentia-beneficiarilor-protectiei-temporare-in-Romania.docx (checked 03.09.2026).
Where do I apply for protection?
At the IGI office of your county. In Bucharest — the central IGI office.
Can I work?
Yes, protecție temporară grants work rights without extra permits.
Is there humanitarian housing?
Under OUG 96/2024, eligible new arrivals with temporary protection may receive accommodation support for up to three consecutive months from entry: RON 750 per month for a single person or RON 2,000 for a family. Contact the local Primăria social assistance department; eligibility and payment status require an individual check, and payments may be delayed. https://help.unhcr.org/romania/information-for-people-from-ukraine/housing-and-accommodation/
This information is for reference only and is not legal advice.