Long-Term Residence in Romania in 2026

Romania's long-term-residence status is the main settlement route for qualifying third-country nationals.

General five-year framework

The ordinary route generally requires 5 years of continuous qualifying residence before application.

IGI states that continuity is normally preserved where absences are less than 6 consecutive months and do not exceed 10 months in total during the relevant period, subject to the detailed statutory exceptions.

Study time and excluded statuses

A major detail for graduates: time held under a study residence right is counted at half when calculating long-term residence.

IGI's 2026 clarification also stresses that, at the time of application, the person needs a valid residence status other than the study status itself. Current law excludes several other temporary categories at the application point, including seasonal-worker and au-pair residence and certain short/diplomatic stays.

Permit validity

The long-term residence permit is valid for 10 years for a family member of a Romanian citizen and 5 years for people residing for the other purposes covered by the law.

Investor exception and Blue Card aggregation

Romanian law contains an exception for a person who proves investment of at least EUR 1,000,000 or creation of more than 100 full-time jobs, allowing exemption from the ordinary length-of-stay and maintenance requirements. This is not an automatic “golden visa”; the other statutory conditions still matter.

Special aggregation rules also apply to qualifying EU Blue Card holders with residence in multiple EU/EEA/Swiss states and the required recent Romanian Blue Card period.

Official starting points: IGI — Long-term residence in Romania, IGI — July 2026 study-time clarification, Romanian foreigner regime legislation.

Related: Romania immigration hub, methodology, and the legal disclaimer.

Official and supporting sources

Related routes in Romania