D/AM1 and D/AM2, which one applies to your company?
Since 2026, the long-stay visa for employment comes in two types. For workers brought from Nepal, Sri Lanka, India, the Philippines, Vietnam and many other countries in Asia, Africa and other regions, the visa used is, as a rule, What does it mean?D/AM2, the long-stay visa for employment, for permanent, seasonal and cross-border workers, the type of visa used for workers from Nepal, Sri Lanka, India, the Philippines, Vietnam and other countries in Asia, Africa and other regions; the cerere unică (single application) is submitted by the authorised placement agency. Read the guide →. The full comparison is below.
Highly skilled workers and special categories
The single application (cererea unică) is filed directly by the registered employer. It does not require an occupation from the shortage list and does not depend on the quota, but for highly skilled workers it requires a salary at least at the level of the average gross earnings and proof that the position could not be filled by a Romanian/EU citizen (the ANOFM certificate).
Permanent, seasonal and cross-border workers
The single application is filed by the licensed placement agency (or the authorised employer, for large companies). Only for occupations on the What does it mean?Lista ocupațiilor deficitare (List of shortage occupations), the official list of trades (with COR code) for which workers from outside the EU can be brought in on a D/AM2 visa; approved by order of the Minister of Labour (289 occupations in Order 1,073/2026). Read the guide →, within the What does it mean?contingent (quota), the maximum number of foreign workers newly admitted to the labour market in a year, established by Government Decision (90,000 for 2026). Read the guide →. No labour market test.
Step-by-step comparison
| Criterion | D/AM1 | D/AM2 |
|---|---|---|
| Who it is for | Highly skilled workers; projects requested by ministries; teachers, researchers, artists; professional athletes; citizens of the Republic of Moldova, Ukraine and Serbia with a full-time contract | Permanent, seasonal and cross-border workers, workers from Nepal, Sri Lanka, India, the Philippines, Vietnam and other countries in Asia, Africa and other regions fall here |
| Who files the single application | The employer (registered on the platform), directly | The licensed placement agency (the rule) or the authorised employer (the exception: ≥ 50 employees, ≥ 24 months, guarantee of 1,000 EUR/foreign worker) |
| Must the occupation be on the List of shortage occupations? | No | Yes, mandatory (with the exact COR code) |
| Does it depend on the annual quota? | No (art. 44 para. (6) GEO 194/2002 refers to D/AM2) | Yes, 90,000 places in 2026 (GD 1.169/2025) |
| Minimum salary required | Highly skilled: at least the average gross earnings (9,192 lei in 2026); other categories: the minimum wage | At least the national minimum gross wage (4,325 lei from 1.07.2026) |
| Labour market test (ANOFM certificate) | Yes, for highly skilled workers (certificate of available workforce, max. 90 days) | No, the vacancy declared to ANOFM (National Employment Agency), picked up automatically by the platform, is sufficient |
| Contracts required before the application | Individual employment contract registered in REGES-ONLINE | Service contract + bilingual tripartite placement contract + individual employment contract in REGES-ONLINE |
| The worker's documents | Medical insurance ≥ 30,000 EUR, translated and legalised criminal record, passport; means of subsistence (not for highly skilled); CV, recognition of studies | Travel medical insurance (meeting the requirements of art. 27^2, point (1), letter a) of OUG 194/2002, republished) ≥ 30,000 EUR, translated and legalised criminal record, means of subsistence (minimum wage × 90 days), passport, CV/diplomas; seasonal workers: the employer's accommodation declaration |
| Legal deadlines | IGI/MEC: 30 days from the single application; consulate: 30 days from attendance | IGI: 30 days from the single application; consulate: 30 days from attendance |
| Visa validity | 90 days | 90 days (seasonal workers: contract duration + 5 days, max. 90) |
| What comes next | Single permit at IGI (max. 3 years for highly skilled workers) | Single permit at IGI (max. 2 years; seasonal workers max. 180 days/365) |
What comes after the visa: the single permit
The visa is valid for 90 days. At least 30 days before it expires, the worker files with What does it mean?IGI, IGI (General Inspectorate for Immigration), the authority within the Ministry of Internal Affairs that manages immigration: it checks foreign nationals and employers, issues residence permits and carries out inspections. the application for the What does it mean?permis unic (single permit), the residence permit issued by IGI (General Inspectorate for Immigration) after the worker's arrival, which attests both the right of residence and the right to work in Romania. Read the guide →, which certifies the right of residence and the right to work. IGI replies within 30 days (extendable by 15–30 days). The permit is valid for the duration of the contract, a maximum of 2 years, and can be extended. Details in the guide on the single permit and in the document centre.
Work authorisation (aviz) applications filed before 27 April 2026 are settled under the old law, and visas based on old authorisations may be requested within 180 days of obtaining the authorisation. Authorisation applications for changing employer could be registered with IGI until 7 August 2026. If you have a file started under the old regime, we check together which procedure it falls under.
Frequently asked questions about visas
“D” is the long-stay visa (over 90 days), as opposed to the “C” short-stay visa. “AM” comes from “angajare în muncă” (employment). GEO 32/2026 (OUG 32/2026) split it in two: D/AM1 and D/AM2, depending on the category of worker and on who files the single application.
As a rule D/AM2, as permanent workers (or seasonal workers, for activities that depend on the seasons), for an occupation on the List of shortage occupations. The single application is filed by the licensed placement agency, that is, us, on the basis of the placement contract, the service contract and the employment contract.
No. Title I of GO 25/2014 (the work/secondment authorisation) was repealed by art. 55 GEO 32/2026. The authorisation was replaced by the single application filed on the WorkinRomania.gov.ro platform. Authorisation applications filed before 27 April 2026 are completed under the old law.
The long-stay visa for secondment, for workers seconded from a company in the EU/EEA/Switzerland or intra-corporate transfers (ICT). It does not apply to the recruitment of new workers from Asia.
The Romanian embassy or consulate in the worker's country of origin or residence (MAE, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs), through the eViza portal, after IGI has confirmed on the platform that the conditions are met. The D/AM2 visa is issued only if the annual quota has not been exhausted.
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. 194/2002 privind regimul străinilor în România (forma consolidată) · OUG nr. 32/2026 privind accesul străinilor pe piața muncii din România, precum și pentru modificarea și completarea unor acte normative · Tipuri de vize de lungă ședere (D/AM1, D/AM2), portalul eViza · Documente justificative pentru viza de lungă ședere, portalul eViza · HG nr. 1.169/2025, contingentul de lucrători străini nou-admiși pentru 2026 (90.000)