The D/AM2 visa explained

The D/AM2 visa is the long-stay visa for employment used for the vast majority of workers brought to Romania from Nepal, Sri Lanka, India, the Philippines, Vietnam or other countries in Asia, Africa and other regions: permanent, seasonal and cross-border workers. It was introduced by OUG 32/2026 (Emergency Ordinance no. 32/2026 on the access of foreign nationals to the labour market) in art. 27^2 of OUG 194/2002 (the law on the status of foreign nationals). The basic rule: only for occupations on the Lista ocupațiilor deficitare (List of shortage occupations), within the annual quota, through a cerere unică (single application) filed by an authorised placement agency or an authorised employer.

The three categories of D/AM2 workers

• Permanent worker – a foreign national employed under an open-ended or fixed-term individual employment contract (art. 2 letter cc) OUG 194/2002). This is the typical case for construction, manufacturing, hospitality and logistics.
• Seasonal worker – keeps their main residence in the country of origin and works temporarily in Romania under a fixed-term contract, in an activity that depends on the seasons (letter ee)). Maximum 180 days in any 365-day period.
• Cross-border worker – a citizen of a neighbouring state who lives in the border area and works in a border locality in Romania (letter ff)).

Who files the single application

The single application (the electronic form in WorkinRomania.gov.ro) for D/AM2 is completed by the foreign-worker placement agency authorised by ANOFM (National Employment Agency), on the basis of the contract de plasare (placement contract; a tripartite agency–employer–foreign national contract, in Romanian and in the worker's language), the service contract (agency–employer contract, which includes the ofertă fermă (firm job offer)) and the individual employment contract registered in REGES-ONLINE (the electronic employee register) – art. 27^2 para. (1). By way of exception, the angajator autorizat (authorised employer) files the application on its own, based only on the CIM (para. (2)).

Conditions the file must meet

1. The occupation appears, with the exact name and COR code (Romanian Classification of Occupations), on the List of shortage occupations (art. 27^2 para. (3) letter b)). The platform automatically rejects firm job offers with other occupations (art. 12 HG 602/2026).
2. The foreign national meets the training and experience requirements set by law for that job, where applicable (para. (3) letter a)).
3. Full-time CIM with a salary at least equal to the guaranteed gross minimum wage (para. (5)).
4. The employer is registered in the platform and has declared the job vacancy to ANOFM.
5. The quota of newly admitted workers has not been exhausted (art. 44 para. (6)).

Documents concerning the foreign national (art. 27^2 para. (1) and (4))

• Travel medical insurance (meeting the requirements of art. 27^2, point (1), letter a) of OUG 194/2002, republished), with minimum coverage of 30,000 EUR.
• Criminal record certificate from the country of origin or residence, translated into Romanian, English or French and legalised.
• Proof of means of subsistence at the level of the national gross minimum wage for 90 days.
• The employer's organisation chart, showing filled and vacant positions.
• The foreign national's CV; documents recognising studies (Ministry of Education and Research) and the authorisation document – only where applicable.
• The passport, presented in original at the consulate.

Special rules for seasonal workers

For seasonal workers, art. 27^2 para. (6)–(10) requires a fixed-term contract, a salary at least at the minimum-wage level and accommodation provided by the employer, free of charge or for a fee. Proof is given through a notarised declaration by the employer on accommodation, plus proof of ownership or right of use of the premises or a lease with rent that is not excessive and is not automatically deducted from the salary. The list of seasonal sectors was to be approved by Government Decision; as of 4 September 2026 we found no such decision published, so the situation must be checked on the filing date.

Deadlines and validity

IGI (General Inspectorate for Immigration) confirms that the conditions are met within 30 days of filing the single application at most (art. 44 para. (10)); the consulate decides on the application within 30 days of the foreign national's personal appearance at most (para. (14)). The visa is valid for 90 days (for seasonal workers: the contract duration plus 5 days, maximum 90). After entering Romania, the foreign national applies to IGI for the single permit at least 30 days before the visa expires. The permit is valid for the duration of the contract, but no more than 2 years; for seasonal workers, no more than 180 days in 365.