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| Field | 🇷🇴RomaniaFamily Reunification — Romania 2026 |
|---|---|
| Country | Romania (RO) |
| Route | Family Reunification — Romania 2026 |
| Route family | Other |
| Route type | family visa |
| Summary | Current 2026 Romanian official rules for family reunification, including entry, residence, work and settlement distinctions. |
| Last verified | 2026-09-22 |
| Official/supporting source count | 8 |
| Route guide | Open full guide → |
| Program availability | ActiveSource 1Source 2Source 3Source 4Source 5Source 6Source 7Source 8 |
| Best-fit work models | Family / partnerSource 1Source 2Source 3Source 4Source 5Source 6Source 7Source 8 |
| Income requirement | For non-EU sponsor reunification, the sponsor must show means of support beyond their own needs at the level of the current net minimum wage for each family member; this is not a fixed personal-income figure and must be checked against current Romanian rules.As of 2026-10-09Source 1 |
| Savings requirement | IGI requires evidence of means of support but states no separate fixed savings balance for family reunification. The same sponsor means test applies; suitable accommodation and health insurance are also required, subject to legal exceptions.As of 2026-10-09Source 1Source 2 |
| Investment requirement | Not applicableAs of 2026-10-09Source 1 |
| Government fees | MAE lists a €300 long-stay visa fee for eVisa applications submitted for validation from 27 April 2026 (€120 for earlier submissions), with category exemptions. IGI lists RON 265 for residence-card issuance; the government service catalogue lists RON 611 for extension of residence rights. Confirm exemptions and applicable fees with the relevant mission/IGI before payment.As of 2026-10-09Source 1Source 2Source 3 |
| Processing time | IGI states up to three months for the sponsor's family-reunification opinion. After approval, the family member must apply for the long-stay visa within the opinion's 60-day communication validity. Residence-permit processing varies by sponsor basis: IGI lists 30 days plus up to 15 for checks for family of a non-EU sponsor, and up to 90 days for a first permit as family of a Romanian citizen.As of 2026-10-09Source 1Source 2 |
| Validity | The temporary family residence right is generally extended for the period of the sponsor's right to stay. IGI allows extensions up to five years for family of a Romanian citizen or long-term resident; the visa-opinion communication is valid 60 days for applying for the visa.As of 2026-10-09Source 1Source 2 |
| Renewal | Apply to IGI to extend the residence right before expiry; IGI instructs applicants to submit at least 30 days before the visa/right of stay expires. Extensions are generally aligned to the sponsor's status. In specified cases, including sponsor death, separation or adulthood, an independent residence right may be available subject to statutory conditions.As of 2026-10-09Source 1 |
| Family inclusion | Eligible family generally includes a spouse, unmarried minor children (including adopted children), certain dependent first-degree ascendants without adequate support in their country, and adult unmarried children unable to support themselves for medical reasons. Sponsor eligibility and some rules differ for Romanian citizens, EU/EEA-related cases and protected persons.As of 2026-10-09Source 1Source 2 |
| Spouse work rights | A family member of a Romanian citizen may work without a separate work permit. A spouse joining a non-EU sponsor generally needs a work permit unless another statutory exemption applies; the employer submits the application.As of 2026-10-09Source 1 |
| Local-work rules | Work rights depend on the sponsor and permit category: family members of Romanian citizens are exempt from a separate work permit; family members of non-EU sponsors generally need an employer-obtained work permit unless another exemption applies.As of 2026-10-09Source 1 |
| Application location | The sponsor first requests IGI's favorable opinion at the territorial IGI unit in the sponsor's county of residence. The family member then applies for a long-stay visa at the Romanian mission/consulate serving their country of residence within 60 days of the opinion communication. After entry, apply to IGI for a residence permit, in person or through its portal, at least 30 days before the visa's stay expires.As of 2026-10-09Source 1Source 2 |
| Permanent-residence pathway | Qualifying family-reunification residence can count toward long-term residence. The ordinary route generally requires five years of continuous lawful residence, subject to absence limits, exclusions and other conditions; study time counts at half. Long-term residence is a separate status and application, not an automatic conversion of the family permit.As of 2026-10-09Source 1 |
| Citizenship pathway | There is no automatic citizenship from family reunification. Ordinary naturalisation generally requires eight years' lawful residence, or five years if married to and cohabiting with a Romanian citizen, plus age, language, conduct, means and other statutory conditions.As of 2026-10-09Source 1 |
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