Romania in 2026 is one of the easier EU jurisdictions to move to from a logistics standpoint. Cost of living is moderate, expat presence is established in major cities, and the administrative system has improved markedly through the digitalisation initiatives of recent years.
The sequence we use for first-month operations:
CNP (personal identification number)
The CNP - Cod Numeric Personal - is the universal identifier. New residents are assigned a CNP through the residence registration process. Once issued, it's the handle for everything else.
Residence registration
For EU citizens, the residence registration is at the Inspectorate for Immigration. For non-EU residents, the residency permit (permis de ședere) follows the visa-based application. Both require:
- Passport / ID
- Lease or property ownership evidence
- Income / employment evidence
- Health insurance
- Photographs
- Specific dossier for the route
Bank account
Major Romanian banks (BCR / Erste, BRD / Société Générale, Banca Transilvania, Raiffeisen, ING, and others) open accounts for new residents with the standard documentation. Bring CNP, passport / ID, address proof, and source-of-funds documentation for material opening transfers.
Digital-first providers (Wise, Revolut) commonly run alongside the Romanian account.
Health insurance
Health insurance is mandatory. Routes:
- CASS (public): through employment or self-employment registration
- Private: international or local private insurance, for cases where public is not yet active
Tax registration
For those becoming Romanian tax-resident, the ANAF (tax administration) registration follows. PFAs, micro-SRLs, or employed residents have different paths.
Practical city differences
- Bucharest: largest market, most expat services, most international schools
- Cluj-Napoca: established IT hub, growing expat community, university city
- Timișoara: European Capital of Culture; growing tech market
- Brașov / Sibiu: smaller but with active expat communities
- Constanța: coastal alternative
Each city has its own rhythm; visit before committing to a long-term lease.
What we tell movers
- Get the CNP and residence registration sorted early - everything else flows from them.
- Open the bank account in the first weeks; the relationship as a new resident is easier than later.
- For family relocations, school placements are the binding constraint, especially for international schools.
- Use a digital-first provider for FX and cross-border flows.
- Take Romanian language seriously over time; English is widely spoken in Bucharest and Cluj, less so elsewhere.
Romania is genuinely workable for cases that fit it.