If you are hiring a worker from outside the European Union for the first time, the procedure may seem complicated. In reality, it follows a clear order, and each step depends on the one before it. Below you will find the stages, who is responsible for each one and where delays usually happen.
One thing to know from the start: the rules can change, and the exact documents depend on the situation of the company and the candidate. Use this guide as a general map and check the details at the time of filing, directly with the General Inspectorate for Immigration (IGI) or with your recruitment partner.
In short: who does what
- The employer obtains the work permit (aviz de muncă), signs the individual employment contract and pays at least the legal minimum wage.
- The worker applies for the long-stay visa for employment and, after arrival, for the single residence and work permit (permis unic).
- The recruitment agency finds and selects the candidates, prepares the paperwork together with the employer and coordinates the steps through arrival and onboarding.
Stage 1: Selection
Everything starts with a clear job description: tasks, schedule, salary, work location, housing conditions. Based on it, selection takes place in the country of origin: interviews, experience checks and practical tests where the role requires them.
With us, you can take part in the interviews. Once you choose the candidates, their personal documents and, where relevant, proof of qualifications are collected, as they are needed for the next stage.
Where delays happen: a vague job description leads to unsuitable candidates and to restarting the selection.
Stage 2: The work permit
The work permit is the document through which the Romanian state allows your company to hire a specific foreign national for a specific position. It is requested by the employer from the General Inspectorate for Immigration (IGI).
Broadly speaking, the file includes documents about the company, the position offered and the candidate. The exact list and fees should be checked at the time of filing, because they may be updated.
Where delays happen: incomplete documents, inconsistencies between the company's data and the data in the file, missing translations.
Stage 3: The long-stay visa for employment
Once the work permit is granted, the worker applies for the long-stay visa for employment at the Romanian embassy or consulate responsible for their country. The work permit is one of the core documents of the application.
Where delays happen: the availability of consulate appointments differs from one country to another. This is one of the reasons the total timeline varies so much between countries.
Stage 4: Arrival, the contract and the single permit
After receiving the visa, the worker can enter Romania. A few important steps follow:
- The individual employment contract (CIM). It is signed by the employer, with at least the legal minimum wage and the same rights as any employee.
- Registering the contract in the general employee register, as for any employee.
- The single residence and work permit. The worker applies for it at IGI after arrival. It gives them the right to live and work in Romania for that employer.
Where delays happen: postponing the single permit application. Check the legal deadlines in advance, so you do not risk the worker being left without a valid right of residence.
Stage 5: Onboarding
The legal procedure ends with the single permit, but recruitment does not. The first weeks on the job decide whether the worker stays. Prepare the housing, safety training in a language they understand and a buddy colleague to help them at the start.
How long it takes in total
From the start of selection to the worker's arrival, the estimated timelines by country are:
- Cuba: 3-5 months;
- India, Bangladesh, Egypt, Nigeria, Ghana: 4-8 months;
- Nepal: 7-8 months;
- Sri Lanka: 9-10 months;
- Pakistan: 10-12 months.
For a known staffing need, such as a season in agriculture or a new construction project, count backward from the date you need the people and add a safety margin.
Your obligations after hiring
- The worker has the same rights as any employee: a salary at least at the legal minimum, working time and rest, paid leave, safe working conditions.
- The worker works in the position and for the employer for which the work permit and the single permit were issued. Discuss any change with a specialist beforehand.
- The single permit has a validity period and must be renewed on time if you want to continue working together.
Recruitment or leasing
If you do not want to be the direct employer and manage these steps, there is the staff leasing option through SSM Global Workforce, a licensed temporary work agency within SSM Holding. In this case, they are the employer and handle contracts, payroll, housing and transport.
Want to see what the timeline would look like for your position? Request a quote and we will send you a stage-by-stage estimate, from selection to the first day of work.
Already employing foreign workers and only need the residence permit or its renewal? We handle that separately too - see our work residence permit service. And if you post them to another EU country, you will need the A1 certificate.
