How can Romanian doctors return to the country?
More and more Romanian doctors who have gone abroad want to return home
Corina Cristea, 09.12.2025, 13:50
The exodus of Romanian doctors, which has been particularly pronounced over the last two decades, with certain peak periods, was mainly due to economic and professional conditions in the country, manifested in low salaries, poorly equipped hospitals, bureaucracy, and a lack of clear career prospects. It is estimated that in the 4-5 years immediately following the country’s accession to the European Union in 2007, when freedom of movement within Europe facilitated departures, over 10,000 doctors from Romania chose to practice abroad. This was followed by an intensification of the phenomenon between 2010 and 2016, when over 14,500 doctors applied for the professional certificates required to work outside the country, with the historical peak being registered in 2011.
For Romania, this situation has resulted in staff shortages, undersized wards, overworked doctors, and a lack of access to specialists in some areas, especially rural ones. Patients have ended up traveling tens or hundreds of kilometers for simple consultations or operations that should be accessible locally. Last but not least, there is also the issue of costs, with the state investing considerable sums in training doctors, while the benefits are reaped by other countries. For several years now, however, more and more Romanian doctors who have gone abroad want to return to their country, motivated by higher salaries, the modernization of some hospitals, and the creation of high-performance medical centers.
However, the return of specialists is hampered by bureaucratic procedures that have lasted up to a year in some cases. For this reason, the Ministry of Health is currently working on an order to simplify the procedures required for doctors who have worked abroad to return to the country and to reduce the time needed to recognize their certificates and professional skills.
Health Minister Alexandru Rogobete: “I find it unacceptable that in 2025 it will take a year for a group of bureaucrats from the Ministry of Health or the University or even the healthcare facility to approve or confirm the experience of a doctor who has worked for 15 years in a hospital in Paris and has performed thrombectomies and the most complex procedures. So, the project we are talking about reduces bureaucracy and facilitates the transfer of medical personnel from abroad to Romania in less than 30 days.”
De-bureaucratization is beneficial to patients, and the project will be made transparent in terms of decision-making in the near future, Minister Alexandru Rogobete said. (MI)
