For many companies in Romania, the problem is no longer how to find the best candidate, but whether they can find one at all. Job ads stay open for months, and the existing team covers the missing hours. In this context, hiring workers from outside the European Union has become a common solution in construction, manufacturing, hospitality (HoReCa), logistics and agriculture.
Here is what you actually gain and what you need to keep in mind before you start.
1. You fill the positions that would otherwise stay empty
The most important advantage is simple: you have people. When the local market no longer has candidates for a certain type of work, extending your search to other countries gives you access to a much larger talent pool. Through international recruitment you can find both unskilled staff for volume work and experienced tradespeople, such as welders, bricklayers or cooks.
A filled position means orders delivered, full shifts and a team that no longer works overtime to cover the gaps.
2. Stability and long-term planning
Workers coming from outside the EU usually plan to stay for a long period. They have invested time in paperwork, moved far from home and are looking for a stable job, not a temporary fix. For you, this means fewer unexpected departures and the ability to plan production or projects over the medium term.
Stability does not happen on its own. It depends on how accurately the job is presented at the interview, on the housing conditions and on how people are welcomed into the team.
3. Candidates selected for your position
In a well-run international recruitment process, candidates do not reach you at random. They go through an interview, an experience check and, where relevant, a practical test. You can take part in the interviews and make decisions based on concrete information.
4. Experience from other work environments
Many candidates have already worked in other countries, on large construction sites, in export-oriented factories or in hotels with international guests. They bring work habits, standards and solutions your team can adopt. A mixed team pushes you to make your processes clearer and better documented, and that helps your Romanian employees too.
5. You can grow without depending only on the local market
If you want to open a new line, a new site or take on a larger project, a lack of staff no longer has to be what holds you back. With a realistic timeline, you can build the team in parallel with the investment.
What you need to take into account
Hiring foreign workers works well when you treat it as a project, not as an emergency fix. A few things to know from the start:
- It is not a way to pay less. Workers have an individual employment contract, with at least the legal minimum wage and the same conditions as Romanian employees in the same position.
- It takes time. Depending on the country, the process takes between 4-6 months (Cuba) and 6-9 months for the other countries. For the other countries, the estimated timeline is 6-9 months.
- It involves recruitment and paperwork costs. With us, recruitment starts from €500 / person, paperwork is priced separately, and prices do not include VAT.
- It requires preparation. Housing, transport, translated instructions, a buddy colleague in the first weeks.
- It has clear legal steps. The employer obtains the work permit (aviz de muncă) from the General Inspectorate for Immigration (IGI), the worker obtains the long-stay visa for employment, and after arrival the single residence and work permit (permis unic) is issued.
Check whether you are ready
Before you start, answer a few questions honestly:
- Do you know exactly how many people you need and for which positions?
- Can you wait for the process to run its course, or do you need a solution in the meantime?
- Do you have a housing and transport solution for your new colleagues?
- Do you have someone in the company who can coordinate them in the first weeks?
- Does your current team know what is coming and why?
If you answered yes to most of them, you can start. If not, you can also ask us for advice on the preparation steps.
If you do not want to be the direct employer
Some companies need people but do not want to take on the administration of contracts, payroll, housing and transport. For them, there is the staff leasing option through SSM Global Workforce, a licensed temporary work agency within SSM Holding. The workers are their employees, while you get the people on site and can adjust the headcount based on volume.
How to get started
The first step is to clarify how many people you need, for which positions and by when. Based on this information, we can recommend the right country, for example India for high volume in manufacturing or logistics, or Cuba if your deadline is short.
Tell us what you need and request a quote. We will get back to you with a cost estimate and a realistic timeline.
