Government Emergency Ordinance no. 32/2026 has been published in the Official Gazette, establishing a comprehensive regulatory framework that governs foreign nationals’ access of to the labour market, covering the entire process from recruitment in the country of origin, the authorisation of employers and employment agencies, to actual employment and the regulation of the right of residence. The regulation introduces a new electronic platform—“WorkinRomania.gov.ro”—through which employers are registered, employment agencies are authorised, single applications for long-stay visas are submitted, and the entire process is monitored.
The new rules stipulate that employers wishing to hire third-country nationals must register on the platform, meet a series of cumulative conditions (including having no outstanding debts to the state budget and no penalties for undeclared work), and, in certain cases, provide a guarantee of EUR 1,000 per foreign national. Additionally, the individual employment contract of a foreign employee must be drawn up in both Romanian and the language of their country of origin or in an internationally recognized language, under penalty of a fine of RON 6,000 per contract.
The GEO establishes, for the first time, a comprehensive authorisation regime for foreign employment agencies, subject to strict conditions, including the provision of a guarantee of EUR 75,000 for up to 250 foreign nationals placed by the agency, and expressly prohibits the collection of commissions or fees from foreign workers. Failure to comply with these obligations results in significant administrative penalties (fines ranging from RON 5,000 to RON 40,000 per worker, depending on the severity), suspension or revocation of the authorisation, as well as additional sanctions, including the loss of the right to receive European funds for a period of up to 5 years.
The GEO also amends the Labor Code by introducing two new grounds for automatic termination of the individual employment contract, namely (i) rejection of the sole application and (ii) illegal residence, and makes substantial amendments to Government Emergency Ordinance no. 194/2002 on the status of foreigners, including the introduction of the vacation and work visa (D/VM) and the long-stay visa type D/AM2 for workers placed through authorised agencies.