What the single application is (and what happened to the work authorisation notice)
The single application in WorkinRomania.gov.ro replaces the work authorisation notice: who files it, what it contains, how it is checked and within what deadlines.
Updated on 4 September 2026 · 6 min read
Until April 2026, hiring a foreign national began with the aviz de angajare (work authorisation notice), a paper document issued by IGI (General Inspectorate for Immigration, the authority that manages immigration) after a physical file, followed separately by the visa application at the consulate. OUG 32/2026 (Emergency Ordinance no. 32/2026 on the access of foreign nationals to the labour market) replaced this mechanism with the cerere unică (single application): a single electronic form, filed in the WorkinRomania.gov.ro platform, which triggers all the checks and leads directly to the issuance of the visa.
Legal definition
Art. 2 letter uu) OUG 194/2002 (the law on the status of foreign nationals) defines the single application as the application completed in the electronic platform by the foreign-worker placement agency, for the employer and on behalf of the foreign national, or by the employer, on behalf of the foreign national, in order to obtain the long-stay visa for employment or the extension of the temporary right of residence in the situations under art. 56 para. (9). So the same single application serves both for the first visa and for some extensions (for example on a change of employer).
Who files it
| Visa type | Who completes the single application | Legal basis |
|---|---|---|
| D/AM1 (highly skilled, special categories) | Exclusively the employer | art. 27^1 para. (1) OUG 194/2002 |
| D/AM2 (permanent, seasonal, cross-border) | The placement agency authorised by ANOFM | art. 27^2 para. (1) OUG 194/2002 |
| D/AM2 – exception | The authorised employer (≥ 50 employees, guarantee of 1,000 EUR per foreign national) | art. 27^2 para. (2); art. 11 OUG 32/2026 |
| Extension without a new visa (e.g. change of employer) | The agency or the employer, as applicable | art. 56 para. (9)–(11) OUG 194/2002 |
What the single application for D/AM2 contains
- The contract de plasare (placement contract; a tripartite civil contract agency–employer–foreign national, in Romanian and in the language of the country of origin, following the framework model in MMFTSS (Ministry of Labour) Order 655/2026).
- The service contract between the agency and the employer, which includes the ofertă fermă (firm job offer).
- The individual employment contract registered in REGES-ONLINE (the electronic employee register), full-time and with a salary at least at the minimum-wage level.
- Travel medical insurance (meeting the requirements of art. 27^2, point (1), letter a) of OUG 194/2002, republished) of 30,000 EUR, the translated and legalised criminal record certificate, proof of means of subsistence for 90 days.
- The employer's organisation chart, the foreign national's CV and, where applicable, study documents and authorisations.
How it is checked and who decides
- The platform automatically checks that the occupation in the firm job offer is on the Lista ocupațiilor deficitare (List of shortage occupations) and that the employer is registered (art. 12 HG 602/2026).
- IGI establishes admissibility: entry conditions, absence of bans, special conditions (art. 44 para. (3) OUG 194/2002). For highly skilled workers, the Ministry of Education confirms the qualification (para. (4)). Deadline: 30 days from filing at most (para. (10)).
- The foreign national appears in person at the Romanian diplomatic mission or consulate in their country, with the passport and original documents, and their biometric data are collected (art. 44 para. (5), art. 29 para. (5^1)).
- MAE (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) decides on the application within 30 days of the appearance at most (para. (14)). A positive decision leads to the issuance of the visa, without a separate approval from the National Visa Centre (art. 30 para. (7)).
Art. 44 para. (12)–(13) OUG 194/2002 provides that rejection of the single application for failure to meet the conditions checked by IGI or the Ministry of Education cannot be appealed. Refusal of the visa by the consulate is appealed under art. 31 para. (5). That is why the file must be complete and correct from the start.
What happened to the work authorisation notice
Art. 55 OUG 32/2026 repealed Title I of OG 25/2014, the act that governed the work authorisation notice, as of 27 April 2026. Transitional regime (art. 49–50): work authorisation applications filed or scheduled before 27 April 2026 are completed under the old law; visas based on old notices can be requested within 180 days of obtaining the notice; work authorisation applications for a change of employer were accepted by IGI up to and including 7 August 2026. The WorkinRomania.gov.ro platform was officially launched on 6–7 August 2026, and the single application procedure applies in full from 8 August 2026.
Official press releases from August 2026 announced the single application flows for visas "in the following stages", and the business press reported bottlenecks and differing interpretations between IGI and MAE for old files. This information is not officially confirmed; check the actual status of the platform on the filing date.
The information reflects the texts in force on 4 September 2026. The platform procedure may be adjusted by subsequent rules or instructions; check the situation on the date the single application is filed. This article is not legal advice.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. The single application aims at obtaining the visa; after the IGI checks, the foreign national appears at the consulate with the originals, and the visa is issued if the application is decided positively. There is no longer a separate notice from IGI.
Only if you are an authorised employer (art. 11 OUG 32/2026). Otherwise, the D/AM2 application is filed by the placement agency with which you have a service contract.
The visa based on the old notice can be requested within 180 days of obtaining the notice (art. 49 para. (3) OUG 32/2026), under the old law. Consular practice must be checked case by case.
The law provides at most 30 days for the IGI checks and at most 30 days for the consulate, from the foreign national's appearance. Actual timelines depend on the authorities and cannot be guaranteed.
Update of 17 September 2026
Following the decision of the Bucharest Court of Appeal admitting the application, filed by the Employers' Association of Labour Importers (Patronatul Importatorilor de Forță de Muncă) in case no. 5633/2/2026, to suspend the enforcement of Order no. 1073/2026 of the Minister of Labour, Family, Youth and Social Solidarity approving the List of shortage occupations provided for in art. 1 para. (2) of Government Emergency Ordinance no. 32/2026 on the access of foreign nationals to the labour market in Romania, and amending and supplementing certain legal acts (Order no. 1073/2026), the WorkinRomania platform flows for employer registration, employer authorisation and filing the single application for D/AM2 long-stay visas are deactivated.
This information explains the law in plain language and is indicative only. Your specific situation must be checked against the legislation in force on the filing date.
Official sources: OUG nr. 32/2026 privind accesul străinilor pe piața muncii din România, precum și pentru modificarea și completarea unor acte normative · OUG nr. 194/2002 privind regimul străinilor în România (forma consolidată) · HG nr. 602/2026 privind platforma electronică WorkinRomania.gov.ro · IGI, România digitalizează angajarea lucrătorilor străini: lansarea platformei WorkinRomania.gov.ro · Platforma WorkinRomania.gov.ro, informații pentru angajatori, vize și ședere, registre · Tipuri de vize de lungă ședere (D/AM1, D/AM2), portalul eViza