How long does Romanian family reunification take to approve, and what is the next step?

After the sponsor lodges the application in Romania, the General Inspectorate for Immigration normally issues its decision within three months.

Once approval is granted, the family member abroad has a defined window, within 60 days of the approval notice, to obtain the long-stay reunification visa from a Romanian diplomatic mission. Missing that window means the approval can lapse.

Because the process runs in two stages, approval in Romania then the visa abroad, coordinating the timing between the sponsor and the relative is important to avoid delays or having to restart.