More than five months after the new rules on hiring third-country nationals entered into force, companies in international groups are facing major difficulties registering on WorkinRomania.gov.ro, the platform through which employers file the single applications required to obtain work visas. As of the time of writing of PwC Romania’s analysis, none of these companies appeared in the platform’s Registry of employers of foreigners.
These blockages are expected to delay projects and temporarily restrict the activity of companies that need workers from outside the European Union, already affected by the economic contraction of recent years.
Main cause: criminal records of foreign legal representatives
For international groups, the main cause is most likely the difficulty of obtaining the criminal records of the legal representatives of foreign companies that are associates or shareholders of the Romanian employer. Without these documents, companies cannot complete registration and cannot continue the hiring procedure through the platform.
A relaxation of the requirements is under discussion in Parliament. Chamber of Deputies committees are analysing amendments to Government Emergency Ordinance (OUG) No. 32/2026, including simplifying documentary checks for companies whose minority shareholders or associates hold stakes below 10%.
A second blockage: D/AM2 visas for shortage occupations
Separately, in its 15 September communication, the General Inspectorate for Immigration announced the deactivation of the flows for the D/AM2 visa, after the Bucharest Court of Appeal suspended enforcement of the Minister of Labour’s Order No. 1073/2026, which approved the List of shortage occupations. The measure concerns the registration and authorisation of employers, as well as the filing of single applications for this visa category.
The suspension of the D/AM2 visa flows does not extend to the procedures for the D/AM1 visa, intended for highly qualified workers and other special categories. These remain available, but their use is conditional on employer registration. International groups additionally have the option of posting employees from other group companies, where the legal conditions are met.
Intra-group posting (D/DT visa)
Multinational companies can use the temporary posting to Romania of employees from other group companies as an alternative to local hiring. The procedure is in fact recommended where the conditions for the long-stay posting visa (D/DT) are met, because it shortens the visa process. Under the latest amendments to OUG No. 194/2002, the D/DT visa application is filed directly with Romania’s diplomatic missions or consular offices, without a single application pre-registered on WorkinRomania. Visa issuance remains conditional on the checks required by law.
What the new rules mean for employers
OUG No. 32/2026, in force since 27 April 2026, reorganised the process of hiring third-country workers. The WorkinRomania platform brings together the registration or authorisation of employers and placement agencies, the uploading of firm job offers and the filing of the single applications required to obtain work visas. The list of required documents is broadly similar to the one previously used to obtain the work permit approval.
For the D/AM1 visa, the employer must register on the platform and may file the single application directly, without a placement agency. For the D/AM2 visa there are two options: the employer registers and works with an authorised placement agency, or obtains authorisation itself and manages recruitment directly.
Employer registration and authorisation
Initial registration is carried out by the company’s legal representative, registered in that capacity with the Trade Registry. The representative may then designate empowered persons to handle applications on the company’s behalf. Validation of the registration depends on meeting, cumulatively, a set of mandatory conditions relating to the duration of effective activity in Romania, compliance with tax obligations and a history of compliance with labour legislation.
Foreign legal representatives who are not domiciled or resident in Romania must present a criminal record or an equivalent document. The same requirement applies to the legal representatives of foreign companies holding participations in the Romanian employer.
Authorisation for the direct recruitment of D/AM2 workers involves additional conditions. These include the effective and uninterrupted conduct of economic activity for at least 24 months in a field compatible with the occupation concerned, an average of at least 50 employees in the year before the application, and a financial guarantee equivalent to EUR 1,000 for each foreign worker.
What companies can do in the meantime
The first step is to establish the category into which the worker falls and the applicable procedure. For workers eligible for D/AM1, the process continues after employer registration. For employees of other group companies, posting under the D/DT visa is worth analysing. For posts requiring D/AM2, companies can prepare their documentation until the flows resume.
Source: PwC Romania analysis, 12 October 2026.