Working in Romania
The latest from the Romanian labour market
Sorin Iordan, 19.02.2026, 20:26
The Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has launched the annual scholarship program offered by the Bucharest Government to foreign citizens from non-EU countries for the 2026-2027 academic year. The program, run through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and funded from the budget of the Ministry of Education and Research, aims to develop and deepen long-term bilateral relations with the students’ countries of origin, as well as to promote Romanian higher education institutions more effectively at the international level. Applications are submitted via the StudyInRomania online platform, managed by the Executive Unit for Financing Higher Education, Research, Development, and Innovation. Individual applications can be uploaded to the platform between February 16 and March 31, and the selection results will be announced around July 15. More information about the program, eligibility requirements, levels of study covered, and required documents is available on the StudyInRomania platform at scholarships.studyinromania.gov.ro and on the MFA website, in the section Scholarships offered to foreign citizens by the Romanian state through the MFA.
Public institutions in Romania have posted over 1,500 jobs since the beginning of the year, an increase of almost 60% compared to the same period in 2025, according to data from the online recruitment platform eJobs. The capital city of Bucharest is the city with the most positions available in public institutions, namely 255. According to the cited source, Bucharest is the only city where the number of jobs is in the triple digits. The ranking also includes cities such as Timişoara (in the west), with 63 positions, Ploieşti (in the south), with 59 positions, Braşov (in the center), with 54 positions, and Cluj-Napoca (in the northwest) and Constanţa (in the southeast), both with 52 positions. The fewest are in Drobeta Turnu Severin (in the southwest) – 9 positions, Călăraşi (in the south) – 10 positions, Focşani (in the east) – 10 positions, and Brăila (in the southeast) – 11 positions. For most of these jobs, candidates with an average level of education are sought to work full-time at the headquarters. However, there are also 270 project-based positions for which candidates are needed to fill the positions temporarily. In terms of the specific positions being recruited for, most are for school bus drivers, ambulance drivers, sanitation vehicle drivers, service managers in various public institutions, caregivers, skilled workers, medical staff, or clerks. According to statistics from the end of November 2025, there are almost 1 million people employed in the entire public system in Romania.
Over 10,000 foreigners had their stay in Iaşi legally managed during 2025, according to the Immigration Service of the county in northeastern Romania. Of these, nearly 8,200 come from third countries such as Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Tunisia, Morocco, Israel, India, Vietnam, and the Republic of Moldova. In addition, around 2,000 are citizens of the European Union, mostly from France, Italy, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Spain. The main reasons why foreign citizens chose Iaşi County were the opportunity to study at accredited universities in the city and access to the labor market. Other reasons included religious, professional, or volunteer activities. IGI Iaşi also reports that, over the past year, it issued approximately 3,800 residence permits, 43 of which were for long-term stays. As for foreigners’ access to the Romanian labor market, 3,000 applications for work permits were registered. Also, in 2025, immigration police issued 43 decisions for voluntary return, and in 10 cases, the measure of return under escort was applied. Twenty-four foreign nationals were banned from entering the territory of the Member States of the European Union, the European Economic Area, and the Swiss Confederation for periods ranging from 6 months to 5 years. (MI)
