RomaniaAsylum / refugee protection

Asylum in Romania

The international protection procedure for foreigners and stateless persons persecuted on grounds of race, religion, nationality, membership of a social group or political opinion. Romania has two types of status: full refugee status, which is open-ended, and subsidiary protection, which must be renewed periodically.

Visa term

Refugee status is open-ended; subsidiary protection requires renewal

Threshold

None

Processing time

Within a few months (the EU standard is up to 6 months)

Residence

Residence in Romania, in centres or independently

Source: igi.mai.gov.ro — asylum procedures

Who asylum in Romania is for

The status applies to foreigners who have left their home country because of persecution or serious harm. An application may be filed at any point during a stay in Romania.

Persecution on the 5 grounds

Race, nationality, ethnicity
Religion or belief
Political opinion
Membership of a social group
Sexual orientation or gender identity

Serious harm without personal persecution

Armed conflict and civil war
Systematic violence and rights violations
Catastrophic deterioration of living conditions
Persecution of the family because of its link with you
Torture, executions or a threat to life

When the programme will not work

You are leaving your country for work or study, with no risk of persecution

A work visa, a student visa or long-term residence

You are fleeing everyday conflicts, local crime or poverty

Money is not among the grounds; personal conflicts are rarely accepted — you must prove persecution by the state

You are a national of a country Romania regards as safe

The application will be examined under the accelerated procedure; refugee status is usually not granted

You already hold protection status in another EU country

The Dublin procedure (transfer to the first country of entry into the EU) or relocation may apply

Documents to gather

The initial set of documents for filing the application; further documents are requested during the interview.

Passport or other identity document (if available)
Written or oral asylum application
Information about the route by which you arrived in Romania
Details of family members in the country of origin and in other countries
Information on any previous attempts to obtain asylum in other countries
Evidence of persecution: newspaper articles, medical certificates of torture, letters from organisations, photographs of injuries, court decisions
Criminal-record certificate (obtained from, or requested from, your home country)
Health insurance policy or medical report

How the process runs

The full Romanian procedure comprises administrative examination and a possible appeal to the courts. Timelines depend on the procedure applied.

1
Filing the asylum application
1 day
File a written or oral application with the General Inspectorate for Immigration (IGI-DAI), with the police, at the border or in a detention facility. You will be asked for your passport and basic personal details. Your fingerprints and photograph are taken immediately.
2
Registration in the system
3-6 working days
The IGI-DAI registers your application within 3 working days (if filed directly at its office) or up to 6 days (if filed through other authorities). You receive a temporary asylum-seeker identity document with a personal code.
3
Preliminary interview
a week after registration
An IGI official holds an interview to gather information: your route from your home country, family members, previous attempts to obtain asylum. A free interpreter is provided. You may ask for help from a lawyer or a UNHCR representative.
4
Main interview (for most applicants)
2-3 weeks after the preliminary interview
An IGI-DAI officer conducts a detailed interview about the reasons you left your country, the people who persecuted you and the evidence of persecution. The interview is compulsory, except where the officer decides to grant status on the documents alone or where there is clear doubt about the applicant's capacity.
5
Gathering additional evidence
up to 6 months (usually 1-3 months)
The IGI may request additional documents, certificates from your home country, medical reports or witness letters. This period may be extended by a maximum of 6 months beyond the initial 30 days.
6
Decision on the application
30 days (regular procedure) or 3 days (accelerated)
The IGI-DAI issues a decision: approval (refugee status or subsidiary protection) or refusal. The decision is sent by letter to the address you have given. If refused, you are informed of the reason.
7
Issue of documents (if approved)
2 weeks after the decision
If approved, you receive an identity document as a refugee or a beneficiary of subsidiary protection, giving the right to stay in Romania, to work and to receive social services. The document is valid for 5 years and is renewable.
8
Appeal (if refused)
10 days to file, 2 months for examination
If refused, you have the right to challenge the decision before the Regional Court within 10 days. If the appeal is filed in time, the decision is not automatically enforced before the hearing. Court examination takes 2 months on average.

Timelines and rights

Work

After about 3 months as an applicant; refugees have almost the same rights as citizens, without quotas

Who you can bring with you

Family members may be included in your application or obtain their own status later through the reunification procedure.

Spouse and children under 18

They may be included in your application as dependants or file a separate application. If approved, they receive the same status as you (refugee or subsidiary protection).

Parents, adult children or siblings

They are not covered by the standard reunification procedure. They may file their own asylum application or apply for reunification if they are lawfully present in another EU country (the Dublin procedure).

Children born in Romania

They do not automatically acquire Romanian citizenship unless one parent is a Romanian citizen. The child receives protection status together with the parent.

Unaccompanied minors under guardianship

Once they have obtained refugee status or subsidiary protection, they may bring their parents through the family reunification procedure if the parents are in third countries or another EU state.

Renewal and the grace period

Refugee status in Romania is open-ended and does not need to be renewed, provided you have not left the country for long periods and conditions in your home country have not improved significantly. Subsidiary protection requires periodic renewal: the identity document is valid for 5 years and may then be renewed for a further 5-year term provided the grounds for protection still apply. Once you hold status, you may apply for permanent residence (a long-term residence permit) after 5 years of continuous residence.

How it differs from the routes next to it

The comparison is built from the official terms of the routes themselves — the source links sit on their own pages.

	Asylum	Digital nomad	Business residence permit
Visa term	Refugee status is open-ended; subsidiary protection requires renewal	D-visa for up to 90 days; the first residence permit for 6 months, then 1 year at a time	Usually 1 year, renewable while the company is trading
Grounds	Persecution	Remote income	Investment / jobs
Money	None	Income of at least three times the Romanian average gross wage over 6 months (about EUR 3,700-4,200 a month)	Minimum capital/investment, funds for living costs; for investors, hundreds of thousands of euros
Work	After about 3 months as an applicant; refugees have almost the same rights as citizens, without quotas	Only for a foreign employer or one's own business abroad	Yes, managing your own company; employment requires a different basis
Residence	Residence in Romania, in centres or independently	Actual residence for most of the year (183+ days)	Actual residence, with an address in the country

What comes next: permanent residence and citizenship

Route to permanent residence

After about 5 years of stay (concessions are possible for protection holders)

Route to citizenship

The years count, and the period is sometimes shortened

Frequently asked questions about Asylum

How long does the asylum procedure in Romania take?

Administrative examination takes about 30 days under the regular procedure (extendable to 6 months if further evidence is required). The accelerated procedure is examined within 3 days, and in practice took 6 days on average in 2025. If you challenge a refusal in court, the court proceedings take a further 2 months, and a further appeal to the County Tribunal is then possible.

When will I be able to work after filing an asylum application?

You may start working 3 months after filing the asylum application. Once you have refugee status or subsidiary protection, you may work without restriction (almost as citizens do), although some professions may require additional qualifications or recognition of your diploma.

What is the difference between refugee status and subsidiary protection?

Refugee status is granted to people persecuted specifically on one of the five grounds (race, religion, political opinion, social group or nationality). The status is open-ended. Subsidiary protection is granted to people facing serious harm (conflict, violence, executions) who are not necessarily persecuted personally. Subsidiary protection requires renewal every 5 years. Both statuses give the right to work, healthcare, education and residence in Romania.

After how many years can I obtain permanent residence and Romanian citizenship?

Once you have refugee status or subsidiary protection, you may apply for permanent residence after 5 years of continuous residence (reduced to 4 years if you take an active part in the economic, social or cultural life of Romania or are married to a Romanian citizen). Permanent residence is granted for an indefinite period. Romanian citizenship may be obtained after 8 years of lawful residence, but for refugees this may be reduced to 4 years. You must also have a satisfactory command of Romanian, permanent accommodation and income no lower than the national average.

What happens if I return to my home country?

If you return voluntarily to your country of origin, your protection status in Romania will be revoked and state assistance will cease. You will lose the right to reside and work in Romania. If you have returned and face persecution again, you will have to file a new asylum application.

Other ways to move to Romania

Every route in one list — migration programmes: Romania.

The terms and the amounts are checked against official sources — the link sits under each section.Last checked on: 8 August 2026.