Romania is a growing destination for international students, thanks to affordable tuition, EU-recognized degrees, and options like the Romanian Government Scholarships (MFA Scholarships). Before you can enroll, though, most non-EU students need to understand the Romania study visa process — the long-stay visa required for foreign nationals planning to stay in Romania for more than 90 days.
This guide walks through who needs the visa, what documents to prepare, how much it costs, how long each stage takes, and what happens after you land — the residence permit, part-time work rules, and what to do once you graduate.
Who Needs a Long-Stay Study Visa (Symbol D/SD)
If you hold a passport from outside the EU, EEA, or Switzerland and plan to study in Romania for longer than 90 days, you need the long-stay visa for studies — commonly referred to by its symbol, D/SD. According to the European Commission's official immigration portal, this visa applies whether you're enrolling in a full undergraduate or graduate program, starting a PhD or postdoctoral placement, attending a preparatory year to learn Romanian, or joining a recognized student exchange program.
Once Romania joined the Schengen area (March 2024), the underlying visa categories and required documents stayed the same — Schengen membership affects short-stay travel more than the long-stay study visa track, but exact procedural details can vary slightly by consulate, so always check the requirements listed for your specific country at evisa.mae.ro/Decisions before applying, as Romania's Ministry of Foreign Affairs periodically updates country-specific instructions.
Work Rights While Studying
One practical benefit worth knowing upfront: student visa holders can work part-time — up to four hours a day — without needing a separate work authorization, per both the IGI (General Inspectorate for Immigration) and the EU's official student-in-Romania guidance. This can help offset living costs, though most students shouldn't count on it to cover tuition.
Required Documents for the Long-Stay Visa
Requirements differ slightly depending on your category (degree student, exchange student, trainee, or scholarship holder), but for the most common case — a non-EU student enrolling in a full-time bachelor's, master's, or PhD program — you'll typically need to gather:
- Letter of acceptance issued by the Romanian Ministry of Education (following your acceptance by the university), confirming you'll attend full-time studies at an accredited public or private institution.
- Proof of tuition payment for at least one academic year — unless you hold a Romanian government scholarship, in which case this requirement is waived.
- Proof of financial means to support yourself, generally pegged to Romania's minimum gross national salary for the full period covered by the visa. In practice, universities such as Universitatea Politehnica Timișoara (UPT) tell applicants to expect this to fall somewhere in the USD 5,000–6,000 range as a bank-statement figure, though the exact number is tied to Romania's guaranteed minimum wage and changes periodically — confirm the current figure with your consulate.
- Criminal record certificate (police clearance) or an equivalent document from your home country.
- Travel medical insurance valid across the Schengen area for your entire intended stay, with minimum coverage of EUR 30,000, covering repatriation, emergency treatment, hospitalization, and death.
- Proof of accommodation in Romania — many universities, including UPT, arrange or confirm this directly for incoming international students.
- Proof of language proficiency in the language of instruction (English test scores such as IELTS/TOEFL, or Romanian, depending on your program) — waived if you're enrolling in Romania's preparatory year for foreign students.
- Parental/guardian consent if you are a minor.
- A completed long-stay visa application form, a valid passport (valid at least 3 months beyond your visa's validity and issued within the last 10 years), and two recent passport-style photographs.
If you're joining a student exchange program rather than a standalone degree, the documentation shifts slightly: instead of proof of tuition payment, you'll need evidence of participation in an accredited exchange program, confirmation from the sending organization that it will cover your maintenance and any potential removal costs, and proof of accommodation arranged by that organization (per the IGI's official studies page). Trainees on unpaid vocational placements face a separate, shorter document list centered on a training agreement and proof of a relevant qualification.
Visa Fee
Sources differ on the exact fee, which is a good reminder to confirm directly before you pay: Universitatea Politehnica Timișoara's official visa guidance and an immigration law firm's guide both cite around EUR 120, while the IGI's own studies page lists EUR 300. Either way, Romanian government scholarship holders are exempt from the fee entirely, and students of Romanian ethnic origin are exempt from proving means of support. Confirm the exact amount for your case with the Romanian embassy or consulate where you'll apply, since fees are set and occasionally revised at the national level.
Visa Categories at a Glance
Romania's long-stay study visa isn't one-size-fits-all — the documentation and exemptions shift depending on which category you fall into. Here's how the main paths compare:
| Category | Tuition proof required? | Means-of-support proof? | Key extra requirement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Degree student (bachelor's, master's, PhD) | Yes, unless on a Romanian state scholarship | Yes, unless on a scholarship | Letter of acceptance from the Ministry of Education |
| Student/pupil exchange program | No | No (sending organization covers costs) | Proof of participation in a recognized exchange program + accommodation arranged by the sending organization |
| Romanian-origin scholarship holder (pre-university) | No | No | Proof of Romanian ethnic origin/ancestry |
| Trainee (unpaid vocational program) | N/A | Yes | Signed training agreement + proof of a relevant qualification from the last two years |
The degree-student path is by far the most common for international applicants, and it's the one this guide focuses on in detail above — but if you're coming through a university partnership or exchange scheme, expect a shorter, cheaper document list.
Step-by-Step Application Process
- Secure your letter of acceptance. This comes from the Romanian Ministry of Education after the university confirms your admission — you cannot apply for the visa without it.
- Pay your first-year tuition (unless scholarship-exempt). UPT, for example, gives admitted students 60 days from receiving the acceptance letter to pay, and separately, 60 days from that same date to submit the visa application — so the two clocks run in parallel, not sequentially.
- Find your nearest Romanian diplomatic mission. Not every country has a Romanian embassy or consulate; the Romanian missions directory lists where to apply, and in some cases you may need to travel to a neighboring country's mission.
- Check country-specific instructions at evisa.mae.ro/Decisions, since exact submission steps (fully online vs. an in-person appointment with originals) vary by country.
- Book your appointment and submit in person. Applications generally cannot be submitted by post or courier. Assemble your documents into a complete file — missing paperwork is one of the most common causes of delay.
- Wait for processing. Internally, a long-stay visa is only approved after the National Visa Center receives a favorable opinion from the General Inspectorate for Immigration, which is meant to happen within 30 days of your request (extendable by 15 more days if additional checks are needed).
- Receive your decision. The long-stay visa itself is typically issued for a validity of 90 days with one or more entries — it's a travel document that gets you into Romania, not your full-duration residence status.
Timeline tip: Given the 30–45 day (or longer) processing window plus appointment availability, applying well in advance of your intended travel date is essential — several university guidance pages recommend applying as soon as your 60-day window opens, rather than waiting.
After You Arrive: The Residence Permit
The long-stay visa only gets you into the country and covers your first 90 days. To stay for the full length of your studies, you must apply for a temporary residence permit ("permis de ședere") from the territorial office of the General Inspectorate for Immigration in the Romanian county where you'll live. Per IGI and the U.S. Embassy in Romania's guidance, you should submit this application at least 30 days before your visa-based stay expires.
Documents for the residence permit largely mirror the visa application — a completed request form, your passport, your acceptance/enrollment certificate from the university, proof of financial means (this time calculated for at least a 6-month period), proof of your accommodation, and a medical certificate — plus payment of the applicable fee.
Once granted, the residence permit is valid for the full length of your program of study (renewable annually in practice) and can be extended by up to 6 months after graduation to finish administrative or academic formalities, or by up to 9 months if you're using that time to search for a job, start employment procedures, or open a business, provided you can show proof that you've completed your studies. If you haven't finished your studies within your original permit period, IGI can grant a further extension of up to one year to complete them.
Students on a Romanian government scholarship get residence permits issued fee-free, and don't need to prove either means of support or tuition payment.
Studying in Romania Under EU Mobility
If you already hold a valid long-stay visa or residence permit for studies issued by another EU member state, you may be able to study part of your program in Romania — for up to 360 days — without a separate Romanian visa, provided your institution is participating in a recognized mobility scheme (such as an Erasmus-style inter-institutional agreement) and the sending institution notifies Romania's immigration authorities in advance. This is a narrower pathway aimed at students already enrolled elsewhere in the EU, not first-time applicants.
Planning Your Studies in Romania
Before you apply for a visa, you'll need an admission offer in hand. If you're still comparing options, browse universities and programs to shortlist a course, and check the Romanian Government MFA Scholarship Programme or short-term options like the Bucharest Summer University Summer School if you want to test out studying in Romania before committing to a full degree.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long before travel should I apply for the Romania study visa? Most guidance recommends applying as soon as you receive your acceptance letter and can assemble your documents, ideally well over a month before your intended travel date — internal government processing alone can take 30–45 days, on top of appointment wait times at your local consulate.
Can I switch universities or programs once I have a study visa? Generally yes, in compliance with national law, but your new program's duration cannot exceed the length already authorized by your existing visa or residence permit. If the new program is longer, you'll need to apply for a new long-stay visa.
Do I need to know Romanian to study in Romania? Not necessarily. Many programs are taught in English, in which case you'll typically need to submit English test scores (such as IELTS or TOEFL). If you plan to study in Romanian and haven't studied in the language before, you may need to complete a preparatory year, though this is waived if you can show at least four consecutive years of prior study in Romanian.
Can I work while studying in Romania? Yes — international students on a study visa or residence permit can work part-time, up to four hours a day, without needing a separate work permit.
What happens to my visa fee if my application is refused? This varies by university and by the specific circumstances of the refusal. Some universities that manage tuition payment on your behalf, such as UPT, will refund the tuition fee already paid (minus a bank/administrative deduction) if your visa is denied — but you must inform the university's international office promptly (UPT specifies within 15 calendar days) after receiving the refusal.
Requirements and fees can change, so always confirm current details directly with the Romanian embassy or consulate in your country before applying. If you're still weighing destinations, TheUniFinder's scholarship finder can help you compare funded options across countries.
Sources
- IGI — General Inspectorate for Immigration: Studies
- European Commission — Migration and Home Affairs: Student in Romania
- Universitatea Politehnica Timișoara — Visa for Studies (2025–2026)
- Immigration Romania Lawyer — Romanian Visa for Studies
- U.S. Embassy Romania — Getting a Romanian Residence Permit