Romania's New Foreign Worker Framework 2026: What HR and Global Mobility Professionals Need to Know About GEO 32/2026

Romania has overhauled its foreign worker hiring framework. On 27 April 2026, the Government adopted Emergency Ordinance No. 32/2026 (GEO 32/2026) — the most significant change to the country's labour migration rules in over a decade. For HR leaders, global mobility managers, and compliance teams, the message is clear: the way Romanian companies hire, register, and manage non-EU workers has fundamentally changed, and the operational implications are immediate.

Why GEO 32/2026 Matters

GEO 32/2026 fully repeals Government Ordinance No. 25/2014, the legal foundation that, for more than a decade, governed work authorisations and secondment permits for non-EU nationals in Romania. The old employment permit and secondment permit regime is gone.

In its place, Romania has introduced a new architecture built around three pillars: a centralised digital platform — WorkinRomania.gov.ro — that becomes the single entry point for every registration, authorisation, and visa application; two new long-stay visa categories tailored to different worker profiles; and mandatory financial guarantees for the placement agencies that bring foreign workers into the Romanian market.

For HR and mobility teams, this is not a cosmetic update. The documents, timelines, internal approvals, and vendor relationships that supported the previous framework need to be reviewed and, in most cases, rebuilt.

The 2026 Quota: 90,000 Non-EU Workers

The Romanian Government has set the 2026 quota for newly admitted foreign workers at 90,000 — down from 100,000 in 2025 under Government Decision No. 1,169/2025. The reduced ceiling lands in a market that exhausted its 2025 allocation earlier than expected, which means HR teams planning hires for the second half of 2026 should treat quota availability as a real planning constraint, not a formality.

Practically, this argues for front-loading 2026 applications wherever the business case is firm. Roles that depend on non-EU talent — particularly in construction, manufacturing, hospitality, transport, and shared services — should be queued early, with documentation gathered before the platform window opens.

Two New Visas: D/AM1 and D/AM2

GEO 32/2026 replaces the old work-authorisation-plus-long-stay-visa sequence with two new long-stay visa categories, both applied for through WorkinRomania.gov.ro in a single, integrated process.

D/AM1 is the route for highly skilled workers. It targets roles requiring specialised qualifications, advanced expertise, or specific professional credentials, and is the channel most relevant to IT, engineering, professional services, and management hires.

D/AM2 covers permanent, seasonal, and cross-border workers — typically in shortage occupations across construction, manufacturing, agriculture, hospitality, and similar sectors. It is the route most placement agencies will use when bringing non-EU workers into Romania on behalf of client employers.

Both visas are issued on the basis of a registration or authorisation file submitted through WorkinRomania.gov.ro. The previous step of obtaining an employment or secondment permit from the General Inspectorate for Immigration before applying for the visa no longer exists as a standalone phase.

The WorkinRomania.gov.ro Platform

Every registration, authorisation, and visa application under the new framework runs through WorkinRomania.gov.ro. The platform is operated jointly by the National Agency for Employment (ANOFM) and the General Inspectorate for Immigration (IGI), and it is designed to be the single digital interface between employers, placement agencies, and the Romanian authorities.

The platform is in a transitional testing phase until 7 August 2026. During this window, employers and agencies should expect iterative changes to forms, document requirements, and validation rules. Building internal processes around the platform — user accounts, document templates, internal approval workflows — should begin now, not after the transition window closes.

Registration vs Authorisation

GEO 32/2026 distinguishes between two operational statuses on the platform.

Registration is the lighter regime. It applies to companies hiring D/AM1 (highly skilled) workers directly, and to placement agencies bringing in D/AM2 workers on behalf of employers. Registration is a prerequisite for filing visa applications and confirms that the entity is recognised as a legitimate participant in the system.

Full authorisation is the heavier regime, required for companies that want to hire D/AM2 workers directly — that is, without going through an authorised placement agency. To obtain authorisation, a company must demonstrate at least 24 months of operational activity, a workforce of 50 or more employees, and a financial guarantee of EUR 1,000 per foreign worker it intends to employ.

For most mid-sized employers, the practical choice is between authorising the company itself (a meaningful investment in compliance infrastructure) or working with an authorised placement agency that absorbs the authorisation burden on behalf of its clients.

Financial Guarantees for Agencies

Placement agencies operating under the new framework must post a financial guarantee that scales with the size of their foreign workforce. The baseline is EUR 75,000, which covers up to 250 placed workers. For every additional 250 workers, the agency must add EUR 50,000 to the guarantee.

If the guarantee is drawn down — for example, to cover unpaid wages, repatriation costs, or sanctions — the agency must replenish it within 30 days. Failure to do so triggers suspension of the agency's authorisation, which in turn freezes the ability to place new workers.

For HR teams that work with external recruitment partners, this changes the vendor due-diligence conversation. Confirming that a partner agency holds a valid ANOFM authorisation and a properly maintained financial guarantee is now part of standard procurement, not an optional check.

Bilingual Contracts and Labour Code Changes

GEO 32/2026 also amends the Romanian Labour Code in ways that affect every employer of non-EU workers, not just those hiring through the new platform.

Employment contracts for foreign workers must now be drafted in both Romanian and a language the worker understands. The bilingual requirement is a contract validity issue, not a translation courtesy.

Employers must also provide Romanian language training of at least six hours per week for the first six months of employment. This is a positive integration measure, but it carries cost and scheduling implications that should be built into onboarding plans and budgets.

Operationally, employers must notify the General Inspectorate for Immigration within five days of any unjustified absence by a foreign worker. Missed notifications carry administrative fines of up to RON 40,000, and repeat breaches can affect the employer's standing on the platform.

What Companies Should Do Now

The transition window is short, and the most exposed companies are those that wait for the rules to stabilise before acting. Four steps are worth taking immediately.

First, register on WorkinRomania.gov.ro. Establishing accounts, designating authorised users, and uploading baseline company documentation should happen during the testing window, not after.

Second, audit your agency relationships. Any placement partner that introduces non-EU workers to your business should hold a current ANOFM authorisation and a valid financial guarantee. Request documentary evidence and store it with your vendor records.

Third, update contract templates. Bilingual employment contracts, integration clauses covering language training, and notification protocols for unjustified absences should be incorporated into your standard templates now.

Fourth, front-load 2026 applications. With the quota reduced to 90,000 and the platform in transition, applications filed early in the cycle will face fewer bottlenecks than those queued in the second half of the year.

How Nestlers Group Helps

Nestlers Group supports HR and global mobility teams across the full GEO 32/2026 compliance scope. Our Employer of Record services in Romania allow companies to hire and onboard talent without setting up a local legal entity, while our Work Permit and Visa Support team manages D/AM1 and D/AM2 applications end-to-end through the WorkinRomania.gov.ro platform. Our Payroll and HR Compliance services keep employment contracts, language-training obligations, and notification workflows aligned with the new Labour Code requirements. And our Global Mobility practice integrates the full immigration, payroll, and relocation lifecycle into a single managed engagement.

If your organisation is preparing for the new framework, talk to our team. We will map the right route, document checklist, and timeline for your hires — typically within 24 hours.