Contraventions and Sanctions for Employing Foreign Nationals in Romania: What Every Employer Must Know in 2026

Romania's regulatory framework governing foreign nationals on the labour market has become significantly more demanding. The 2026 legislative update introduces a layered sanctions architecture that applies to every actor in the international recruitment chain — from the employer who signs the contract to the placement agency that sources the worker. The financial exposure is real, the administrative consequences are severe, and most of the obligations are new enough that many employers have not yet adapted their internal processes.

This article breaks down the framework in full: who is affected, what the obligations are, what the fines are, and what the non-financial consequences look like.

The Four Actors in the Sanctions Framework

The Romanian legislature has identified four distinct categories of actors subject to contraventional liability in the context of foreign worker employment:

The registered employer (angajatorul înregistrat) — any employer who hires a foreign national under a standard employment relationship, with registration obligations on the WorkInRomania.gov.ro platform.

The authorised employer (angajatorul autorizat) — a more strictly regulated category, operating under a formal ANOFM authorisation, with expanded obligations and a financial guarantee requirement.

The placement agency (agenția de plasare) — the most heavily regulated actor in the chain, responsible for recruitment, pre-arrival logistics, ongoing monitoring, and worker protection obligations.

The foreign national employee (strǎinul încadrat în muncă) — subject primarily to administrative consequences rather than direct fines under the revised framework.

Understanding which category applies to your organisation determines your exact obligations and your exposure. Many multinationals operating in Romania fall into more than one category simultaneously.

Section I: Sanctions Applicable to Employers

The Registered Employer

The registered employer faces two tiers of contraventional fines, both calculated per worker — a multiplier that can turn a single procedural lapse into a six-figure liability across a workforce of 20 or 30 foreign employees.

Fines of 1,500–3,000 lei per worker apply for failure to notify the placement agency and the General Inspectorate for Immigration (IGI) within 5 days of an unjustified absence exceeding 3 consecutive days, and failure to notify the same authorities within 5 days of termination of the individual employment contract (CIM).

Fines of 5,000–10,000 lei per worker apply for a broader and more operationally demanding set of obligations: failure to pay salary via bank transfer; failure to conclude the CIM in both Romanian and a language understood by the worker; failure to include mandatory elements from the firm offer in the CIM; failure to provide occupational health and safety (SSM) training in a language the worker understands; failure to provide protective equipment; failure to ensure Romanian language courses for a minimum of 6 months, at a minimum of 6 hours per week — a new and frequently overlooked obligation; failure to guarantee access to complaint procedures; failure to notify IGI in situations of danger or exploitation; failure to make documents available for inspection; and failure to retain documents for a minimum of 5 years.

A separate fine of 15,000–20,000 lei applies specifically for failure to register on the WorkInRomania.gov.ro platform. This is a standalone sanction, independent of any per-worker multiplier.

The Authorised Employer

The authorised employer operates under a stricter regime. In addition to sharing many of the registered employer's obligations, the authorised employer faces additional pre-arrival, logistics, and post-employment duties.

Fines of 1,500–3,000 lei per worker apply for failure to fulfil document obligations before the worker's arrival, failure to inform relevant authorities 10 days before arrival, failure to organise transport from the point of entry to the workplace, failure to inform IGI of a worker's absence, failure to report human trafficking cases, and failure to notify ANOFM of an unjustified absence exceeding 3 days.

Fines of 5,000–10,000 lei per worker apply for failure to report violations of residence and employment conditions; failure to identify a new employer upon termination of the CIM; failure to cover the costs of the worker's return to their country of origin; failure to cover costs of removal or expulsion; failure to provide access to control authorities; and using foreign workers for the benefit of other employers — a prohibited practice that carries both a fine and significant administrative consequences.

Fines of 15,000–20,000 lei apply for employing foreign nationals beyond the scope of the authorisation, without a firm offer, above the guarantee limit, or outside the designated shortage occupations.

Financial Guarantee: 1,000 EUR per Worker

The authorised employer is required to lodge a financial guarantee of 1,000 EUR per worker (converted to RON at the BNR rate on the date of deposit), either as cash held at the State Treasury or as a bank guarantee letter. This guarantee must be in place before the authorisation is issued, must be maintained throughout the period of employment, and must be replenished within 30 days of any execution.

The guarantee covers return costs for workers in illegal residence, accommodation and welfare costs in vulnerability situations, and unpaid contraventional fines. If the guarantee does not cover the full amount owed, ANAF recovers the difference through forced execution.

ANOFM can trigger full execution of the guarantee if the authorisation is cancelled. A lump sum of 2,000 EUR per removed person is also recoverable from the guarantee.

Section II: Sanctions Applicable to Placement Agencies

Placement agencies are described in the legislation as the most strictly regulated actors in international recruitment, and the fine schedule reflects this. The range extends from 1,500 lei to 40,000 lei per worker — a significant step up from employer-level sanctions.

Fines of 1,500–3,000 lei per worker mirror the authorised employer's pre-arrival obligations: document failures, failure to inform authorities 10 days in advance, failure to organise transport, failure to notify IGI or ANOFM of absences.

Fines of 5,000–10,000 lei per worker apply for a range of conduct-based obligations: charging commissions to foreign workers — expressly prohibited; requesting deposits or guarantees from foreign workers; failing to include mandatory elements in the placement contract and the CIM; refusing access to inspection authorities; failure to report human trafficking to authorities; failure to notify ANOFM or IGI of violations of residence conditions; failing to identify at least 2 job offers upon termination of the CIM; and failing to cover return costs.

Fines of 15,000–40,000 lei apply in the most serious cases: 15,000–20,000 lei for failure to replenish the financial guarantee within 60 days; 20,000–30,000 lei for operating as a placement agency without authorisation, recruiting through non-compliant foreign entities, or contracting with unregistered employers; and 25,000–40,000 lei for charging placement service fees from a party other than the employer, or conducting unauthorised placement activities.

Any activity carried out during a period of suspension is sanctioned at 15,000–20,000 lei for each worker placed during that period.

Section III: The Foreign National Worker

Under the revised legislative framework, the foreign national employee no longer faces a direct contraventional fine. However, the consequences remain serious: loss of the right of residence and an obligation to leave Romania.

The worker's obligations include respecting the CIM, internal regulations, SSM norms, the placement contract, presenting at the workplace, and departing Romania upon expiry of the right of stay.

A 6-month prohibition on changing employers applies from the date of commencement of activity, as recorded in REGES-ONLINE. Change is permitted before 6 months if the employer seriously breaches contractual terms. After 6 months and up to 2 years, change of employer must go exclusively through the placement agency.

Section IV: Competent Authorities and the Three Levels of the Sanctions Regime

Four authorities share enforcement competence under this framework: Inspecția Muncii (Labour Inspectorate) for employment contracts, wages, SSM, and placement activity; Inspectoratul General pentru Imigrări (IGI) for residence, documentation, and conditions of entry and work; ANOFM for authorisation, the WorkInRomania platform, guarantees, suspension, and withdrawal; and ANSPDCP for data protection violations.

The sanctions regime operates at three distinct levels. Level 3 — contraventional fines — ranges from 1,500 lei to 40,000 lei, predominantly calculated per worker. Level 2 — administrative sanctions — covers suspension, withdrawal, cancellation, striking off, and loss of authorisation rights, ranging from 6 months to indefinite depending on the violation. Level 1 — extended financial consequences — includes execution of guarantees, recovery of lump sums, return and removal costs, and ANAF forced execution.

The most severe administrative sanctions — indefinite loss of authorisation — apply in cases of worker exploitation and in cases where company representatives or administrators are implicated in activities constituting a threat to national security.

Five Key Takeaways for Employers and Agencies

**1. Fines are calculated per worker.** A workforce of 30 foreign employees where Romanian language courses were not arranged represents a potential liability of 150,000–300,000 lei from that single omission alone.

**2. Placement agencies bear the heaviest burden.** The legislature has positioned agencies as the critical control point for abuse, illegal commissions, exploitation, and uncontrolled migration.

**3. Authorised employers absorb responsibilities normally handled by agencies.** If your organisation is both employer and recruitment channel, your combined liability profile is substantially elevated.

**4. The centre of gravity is the employer and the intermediary, not the worker.** The revised framework shifts accountability upstream, towards the organisations that create and manage the employment relationship.

**5. Contraventions versus criminal offences.** The acts covered here constitute contraventions only where they do not meet the conditions for a criminal offence under the Penal Code. In cases of exploitation, trafficking, or systematic abuse, criminal liability applies instead.

How Nestlers Group Can Help

Nestlers Group is a specialised immigration and global mobility compliance firm operating in Romania and across international markets. Our team works directly with employers — both registered and authorised — and with international placement structures to ensure end-to-end compliance with the obligations described in this article.

We advise on platform registration, offer structure, CIM drafting, SSM arrangements, language course provision, notification protocols, and guarantee structuring. We also represent clients in inspector interactions and help them build internal systems that prevent contraventional exposure before it becomes a sanction.