Living in Romania

This guide sets out essential information for British citizens about moving to or living in Romania. Read about how our embassy in Bucharest can help.

This information is provided as a guide only. You should obtainget definitive information from the Romanian authorities. The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) is not liable for any inaccuracies in this information.

Read general guidance on moving or retiring abroad.

To stay up to date:

• sign up for email alerts
• follow the British Embassy Bucharest on Facebook and Twitter
• attend one of our citizens’ outreach meetings to keep up to date on working and living in Romania

If you were living in Romania before 1 January 2021

Some parts of this guide only apply if you werehave been living in Romania since before 1 January 2021. You Theseshould areread indicatedthese within sub-headings.addition to the rest of the guidance in each section.

You should also read our Living in Europe page for detailed guidance about citizens’ rights under the Withdrawal Agreement.

Coronavirus

YouFollow should follow the advice of the Romanian government and your local authority. You canshould also read ourthe Romania travel advice.

For information on getting a COVID-19 vaccine as a UK national in Romania see our read coronavirus travel advice.

Visas and residency

You must tell the UK government offices that deal with your benefits, pension and tax if you are moving or retiring abroad.

Check the entry requirements for Romania.

Residency

If

Visas and residency if you were residentliving in Romania before 1 January 2021,2021

If you needapplied to apply for ayour new residency‘permis cardde (‘permisședere’ deresidence ședere’)card toby secure31 December 2021, your rights underare protected by the Withdrawal Agreement.Agreement Thispending includesa studentsdecision andon familyyour membersapplication. of UK nationals.

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Read the Romanian government’sgovernment guidance on the residency registration process for non-EU‘permanent familyresidence membersin Romania’.

Apply

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Romanian authorities issue family reunion visas free of charge.

Passports and travel

Passports

Coronavirus travel restrictions may affect travel to and from Romania.

You can apply for or renew your British passport from Romania.

Check the Romania travel advice for passport validity requirements.

Always carry your passport when travelling to other EU /or European Free Trade AreaAssociation (EFTA) countries. If you have citizenship of an EU /or EFTA country, in addition to your British citizenship, you should enter and leave Romania using your EU /or EFTA passport.

Romania is not part of the Schengen area. If you stay in Romania with a Romanian residence permit or long stay visa, this time does not count towards your 90-day visa-free limit in Romania or for the Schengen area.area.

If you visit countries in the Schengen area, make sure you do not exceed the visa-free 90 days in any 180-day period. You are responsible for counting how long you stay under the Schengen visa waiver, and you must comply with its conditions.

Different rules apply to EU countries that are not part of the Schengen area.

Check each Romania’scountry’s travel advice page for information on entry requirements.

If you were living in Romania before 1 January 2021

When you travel, carry your residencepermis documentde (‘permisședere deresidence ședere’)card or frontier worker permit issued under the Withdrawal Agreement, in addition to your valid passport.

You must proactively show your residence document,card, or other evidence of residence status, if you are asked to show your passport at border control. If you have applied for, but not yet received, your residence document,card, carryshow your certificate of application.

If you cannot prove that you are a resident in Romania, you may be asked additional questions at the border to enter the EU. Your passport may be stamped on entry and exit. This will not affect your rights in the country or countries where you live or work. If a passport is incorrectly stamped, the stamp is considered null and void when you can show evidence of lawful residence.

If you have rights under the Withdrawal Agreement, you can enter and exit Romania with a valid passport. You do not need any extraadditional monthsvalidity on yourthe passport tobeyond enterthe ordates exiton EUwhich countries.you are travelling.

Healthcare

You must register for healthcare as a resident in Romania.

Read our guidance on healthcare in Romania and make sure you are correctly registered for your circumstances.

IfTravel youinsurance areis leavingnot theintended UKto withcover medicinehealthcare thatcosts containsif a controlled drug, check with the embassy about the rules for the country you’re going to before you travellive and the NaTHNaC guidance on travelling with medicinesoverseas.

You should also read our guidance on:

• finding English speaking doctors in Romania
• healthcare when travelling inwith Europemedicines
• foreign travel insurance advice
• bringing medicine containing a controlled drug into the UK

Working in Romania

If you are planning to move to Romania and work, you may need a visa.

Read the Romanian government’s guidance on working in Romania as a foreign national and how to get a visa. You can apply online for a visa.

YouTo apply for a job you may need to apply for a:provide:

• Romanian criminal records certificate (Cazier Judiciar)
• UK police certificate

Read:

• working or providing services in Romania
• working in an EU country
• EU guidance on working in an EU country

If you were living in Romania before 1 January 2021

You have the right to work under the Withdrawal Agreement if you appliedhave for a permis de ședere residence documentdocument, (‘permisor dehave ședere’).applied for one.

If you live in Romania and were regularly commuting to work in another EU or EFTA country,country before 1 January 2021, read our guidance for frontier workers. 

Professional qualifications

You may need to get your professional qualification recognised if you want to work in a profession that is regulated in Romania.

Read guidance on:

• recognition of professional qualifications
• how to get your qualification recognised in Romania

If you were living in Romania before 1 January 2021

If the relevant regulator in Romania officially recognised your professional qualification before 1 January 2021, or you started the recognition process by this date, make sure you understand the terms of your recognition decision. SeekYou should get advice from the relevant regulator if needed.

Studying in Romania

If you are planning to study in Romania, you must meet all visa requirements before you travel.

Contact the relevant higher education provider in Romania to check what fees you have to pay.

Read guidance on:

• continuing your studies in the EU
• studying in the European Union
• healthcare for students in Romania

If you were living in Romania before 1 January 2021

The studying in the European Union guidance includes specific information forif thoseyou who were already living in Romania before 1 January 2021.

Money, tax and bankingTax

The UK has a double taxation agreement with Romania toso ensurethat you do not pay tax on the same income in both countries. Ask the relevant tax authority your questions about double taxation relief.

You should get professional advice on paying tax in Romania. Find an English-speaking lawyer in Romania.

Read guidance about:

• tax if you leave the UK to live abroad
• tax on your UK income if you live abroad
• tax if you get a pension and live abroad
• paying income tax in Romania
• EU guidancefactsheet on taxbuying andgoods customs, including online shopping from the UK websites
• EU

National guidanceInsurance onand customssocial includingsecurity preferentialcontributions

National originInsurance-type contributions

EU(NIC) guidanceare oncalled excise‘social duties

Nationalsecurity Insurance

contributions’ (SSC) in Romania. Find out if you need to pay National Insurance in the UK or social security contributions in Romania.

UK banking

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PensionsBenefits

UK Benefits

Read our guidance on entitlement to UK benefits and pensions while you are living in Romania.

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Romanian withbenefits

You may be eligible to claim some Romanian social security benefits. You should:

• read guidance on social security benefits in Romania
• speak to a social worker at your benefits,local pensiontown hall (Primărie)

Pensions

Read guidance on entitlement to UK benefits and tax.pensions while you are living in Romania.

Read our State Pension guidance if you have lived in Australia, Canada or New Zealand and you are claiming or waiting to claim your UK State Pension.

If you retire in Romania, you can claim:

• your UK State Pension or new UK State Pension. Contact the International Pension Centre tofor claimfurther information
• your Romanian pension if you’ve worked in Romania (in Romanian)
• pensions if you’ve worked in other EU countries

Read the Money and Pension Service guidance on pension and retirement changes for more information on cross-border pensions.

Life certificates for UK State Pensions

If you get a ‘life certificate’ from the UK Pension Service, you need to respond as soon as possiblepossible. -Your your payments may be suspended if you don’t.do not.

BenefitsMoney and banking

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Driving andin how to claim them.

Romania

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RomanianExchanging benefitsyour UK, Gibraltar, Jersey or Guernsey licence

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• drivingof licenceMan. exchangeYou andwill renewalsneed to get the certificate translated into Romanian. See our list of translators in Romania.

• whatRead the Romanian government’s list of documents you need in order to driveexchange abroadyour licence (in Romanian).

• Disabled drivers

  drivingIf rulesyou inhave Romaniaa UK Blue Badge

Driving and live in Romania, you must return it to the original UK withissuing aauthority. Romanian licence

You can useapply yourfor a new Romanian licencedisabled inparking card. This can be done through the UKsocial forassistance shortdepartments visits,(DGASPC) or exchangetown ithalls.

Read forthe aEU UKguidance licenceon withoutthe takingEU aparking test.card for people with disabilities.

Bringing a UK-registered vehicle to Romania

Read our guidance on taking a vehicle out of the UK.

Driving outside Romania with a Romanian licence

You mustcan readuse your Romanian licence when visiting the EU´sUK. guidanceKeep onup-to-date carwith registrationthe rulesUK andHighway taxesCode](https://www.gov.uk/browse/driving/highway-code-road-safety).

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To drive in another country, in addition to your Romanian licence you willmay need certificatesto ofapply exemption.for an IDP(in Romanian).

Read the EU guidance on:

• EU driving licences and insurance
• driving licence exchange and recognition in the EU

Voting

You cannot vote in local municipal, national or European Parliament elections in Romania.

You may be able to vote in some UK elections. You can:

• check if you are able to vote
• register as an overseas voter

Births, deaths, marriage and civil partnerships

If your child is born in Romania, you willcan register the birth with the UK authorities in addition to registering locally. If your child has British nationality, you do not need to register athe birth abroadwith the UK authorities to apply for a British passport.

If someone dies in Romania, read our guidance on:

• what to do after someone dies abroad
• bereavement in Romania
• finding English-speaking funeral directors in Romania

Find out how you can get married or get a civil partnership abroad.

Find out about notarial and documentary services for UK nationals in Romania.

Pets

If you have a pet passport issued by Romania or another EU member state, you can use it to travel with your pet to Great Britain and elsewhere in the EU. Ensure that your pet’s rabies vaccinations are up-to-date before you travel. Vets in Great Britain cannot enter rabies vaccination details in non-UK issued pet passports.

A GB-issued EU pet passport is not valid for travel to the EU or Northern Ireland. YouSpeak should speak to your vet before you travel to get the necessary pet travel documents and ensure you’reyou compliantcomply with the EU Pet Travel Regulations.

Read guidance on:

• bringing your pet to GB

• travelling withto yourNorthern petIreland inwith theyour EUpet

• travelling to Northern Ireland with your pet

• travelling with your pet in the EU

CheckBefore you travel, check the rules offor the country you’re travelling to for any additional restrictions or requirements before you travel.requirements.

Emergencies

YouDial can dial the European emergency number 112 in Romania. It is the only emergency number in Romania.

Dial the EU 116 000 hotline to report a missing child in the EU country where you live or in another EU country.

If you need guidance on child abduction, read the guidance on international parental child abduction; the EU guidance on child abduction and EU guidance on child abduction to another EU country.

If you have been the victim of a rape or sexual assault in Romania, read the guidance on what to do and where to get support in cases of rape and sexual assault.

If you’re the victim of a crime, have been arrested, or are affected by a crisiscrisis, abroad, contact the British Embassy Bucharest.

Returning to the UK

Check the COVID-19 travel guidance for entering the UK.

Tell the Romanian and UK authorities if you are returning to the UK permanently.

To move your pension to the UK, contact the International Pension Centre.

Read the guidance on returning to the UK permanently which includes information on, amongst other things, bringing family members, tax and access to services.

If you return to the UK permanently and meet the ordinarily resident test, you’ll be able to access NHS care without charge.

Useful information

Support for British nationals abroad: a guide sets out how to stay safe abroad, and explains how the FCDO can support you if you get into difficulty.