How often IGI comes to inspect: the pace of inspections of foreign nationals in 2026 and what they check at the employer

Every Monday, the General Inspectorate for Immigration (IGI) publishes its weekly report: how many residence permits it issued, how many inspection actions it carried out and how many foreign nationals it found in illegal situations. Taken one at a time, these announcements look routine. Put together, they show very clearly how often inspections happen, who comes along and what they are looking for.

This week, 12–16 October 2026, immigration police officers and the territorial labour inspectorates are running a national campaign focused on employers of foreign nationals and on foreign workers. It is the right moment to look at the figures and at your own file.

The pace: between 100 and 160 actions per week

IGI's 2026 reports show a steady pace:

At the end of May and the beginning of June, in a single week, IGI reported 160 actions, inspections and checks.

What this means on the ground:

• between 100 and 160 actions per week nationwide, that is, on average, two to four per week in each county;
• roughly one foreign national in an illegal situation for every two actions;
• between 25 and 50 administrative sanctions per week.

For perspective: in the same week at the end of September, IGI issued 3,945 residence permits. The vast majority of foreign nationals in Romania are in order. Inspections look for the exceptions, and the exceptions are found consistently.

5,442 foreign nationals in illegal situations in 8 months: how to read the figure

In the first eight months of 2026, IGI reported 4,246 actions, inspections and checks and 5,442 foreign nationals found in illegal situations. The figure looks large, but there is an explanation.

3,666 of them are foreign nationals who came forward to IGI on their own under the amnesty in art. 52 OUG 32/2026 (Government Emergency Ordinance), during the period in which the law allowed them to regularise their situation. They appear in the statistics as "detected", even though they came voluntarily.

The difference is clear if you split the year in two:

The result: around 1,800 foreign nationals in illegal situations were actually found through inspections in eight months, and the pace after the amnesty is approximately 50 per week.

Most of them come from Nepal (1,731), Sri Lanka (1,107) and India (368). In the same period, IGI issued 1,135 return decisions with a voluntary departure deadline of 15 or 30 days, removed 352 people under escort and placed 182 in public custody centres.

Who comes to inspect

IGI rarely comes alone. Between 1 January and 26 April, of the 452 missions, 376 were carried out in cooperation: 213 with the Romanian Police, 54 with the Border Police, 49 with the Gendarmerie and 59 with the territorial labour inspectorates.

The presence of ITM changes the nature of the inspection. The immigration officer checks the right of residence, while the labour inspector checks the contract, working hours, salary and occupational safety. The two institutions share data on the places where foreign nationals work, so a company that employs foreign nationals is, by definition, on the inspection map.

An example from the Labour Inspection campaign of 28 July – 1 August 2025, dedicated to employers of foreign nationals:

• 658 inspections on employment relations;
• 116 fines, totalling 1,631,800 lei;
• 40 foreign nationals found in undeclared work;
• 22 foreign nationals working without an employment permit.

What they check at the employer and what each breach costs

In addition, the inspection also looks at:

• whether each worker has a valid right of residence and works for the employer and in the position for which it was granted;
• whether the rent withheld for accommodation provided by the employer does not exceed 25% of the net salary (art. 7 alin. (2) OUG 32/2026);
• whether occupational safety training was given in a language the worker understands;
• whether there is a record of hours worked each day.

A single worker accepted for work without a written contract costs 40,000 lei. This is the typical case of a worker whose contract has ended and whom the employer "keeps on a little longer until the paperwork is sorted out".

When a worker leaves

IGI learns that the contract has ended from your notification, sent within 5 working days, and from REGES-ONLINE. That is why the inspection checks the employer's notification: it is mandatory and the fine for missing it is 15,000–30,000 lei.

If the worker moves to another employer, they cannot start work there until the single application filed by the new employer in WorkinRomania is approved.

The inspection file: what to keep at hand

An inspection takes less time when the documents are ready. For each foreign worker:

1. a copy of the valid residence permit or visa;
2. the individual employment contract and proof of registration in REGES-ONLINE;
3. bank statements showing salary payments;
4. the contract with the Romanian language course provider, the timetable and attendance sheets;
5. the occupational safety training record;
6. the record of hours worked;
7. proof of the notifications sent to IGI and to the placement agency;
8. the accommodation contract and the rent calculation, if you provide accommodation.

In short

• IGI carries out between 100 and 160 inspection actions per week and finds around 50 foreign nationals in illegal situations.
• Most inspections are carried out together with the Police, the Gendarmerie or ITM; with ITM, the inspection also covers the contract, salary and occupational safety.
• The most expensive breach for an employer is work without a written contract: 40,000 lei per person.
• A complete inspection file for each worker turns the inspection into a formality.

The figures come from announcements by the General Inspectorate for Immigration and the Labour Inspection, as of 14 October 2026. Informational material. Does not constitute legal advice.