How does Long-Term Residence (EU Long-Term Resident) work in Romania, and who qualifies?

Romania's long-term residence permit is the EU long-term resident status for non-EU nationals who have lived legally and continuously in the country for five years. It grants near-equal rights with Romanian citizens, making it the main settled-status route.

The central requirement is those five years of continuous legal residence, with limits on time spent abroad. Importantly, periods spent on a study permit or as an asylum seeker do not count towards the five years, and seasonal periods are likewise excluded. You generally also need stable and regular resources sufficient to support yourself, social health insurance, no removal order against you, and a Romanian criminal record certificate and civil-status documents. The application is made to IGI, which decides within about six months (extendable).

Because certain periods do not count and continuity matters, keeping your residence and records in order across the qualifying years is key. ACME can help you check whether your years qualify and prepare the application, and we suggest confirming the current rules on igi.mai.gov.ro before applying.