Permanent Worker and Highly Skilled Worker: Understanding the Difference in Romania

Romania's immigration framework recognizes several categories of foreign workers, each defined by its own criteria around employment contracts, salaries, documentation, and residence rights. Two of the most common categories are permanent workers and highly skilled workers, and understanding the distinction between them matters for employers and employees alike.

Permanent worker

Permanent workers in Romania are defined by several key criteria:

• Employment contract: permanent employees are hired through full-time contracts, either for a specific duration or an unlimited period
• Minimum salary: the worker's salary must be at least equivalent to the minimum gross basic salary guaranteed for payment in Romania
• Employer obligations: employers must obtain a certificate from the National Agency for Employment (AJOFM) confirming the availability of a job vacancy, and must demonstrate efforts to hire from priority categories, including Romanian citizens, citizens of other EU member states, Swiss citizens, or foreigners with long-term residence in Romania, typically by publishing a job announcement through Romanian mass information channels
• Right to temporary residence: permanent employees can obtain temporary residence matching the length of their employment agreement, up to a maximum of one year, documented through a residence permit (RC)

Highly skilled worker

Highly skilled workers are subject to a different, generally more demanding, set of criteria:

• Employment contract: full-time agreements requiring a minimum commitment of one year, or of indefinite duration
• Minimum salary: at least two times the medium gross basic salary, a notably higher threshold than for permanent workers
• Educational qualifications: a Certificate of recognition of studies issued by the National Center for the Recognition and Equivalence of Diplomas, with the individual's professional expertise aligned to the job vacancy's field
• Right to temporary residence: granted for a period equal to the validity of the employment agreement plus three months, up to a maximum of two years, documented through the EU Blue Card, designed to attract highly skilled non-EU workers to the European labor market

Similarities between the two categories

• Both require full-time employment agreements
• Both are eligible for temporary residence permits tied to work
• Both can have employment contracts for an indefinite period

Key differences

• Salary requirements: highly skilled workers must earn at least double the minimum gross basic salary, while permanent workers face a lower threshold
• Employer obligations: permanent-worker hires require an AJOFM certificate and evidence of priority-category recruitment efforts, while highly skilled worker hires require a certificate of recognition of studies matching the role
• Contract duration: permanent workers can have contracts shorter than one year, while highly skilled workers require a minimum one-year or indefinite contract
• Residence permit type: permanent workers receive a standard residence permit (RC), while highly skilled workers receive the EU Blue Card, which offers advantages such as easier access to other EU member states for work purposes

Why this distinction matters

Understanding the difference between these two worker categories is essential for employers structuring compliant hiring processes in Romania, and for employees navigating their own legal status and rights. Salary level, contract duration, and the underlying qualifications of the role generally determine which category applies.

Sources: Romanian Immigration Office, Government Ordinance no. 25/2014