Residence permit (TRC) in Romania: how much it costs, where to pay and what you risk if you are late

The residence permit — or TRC (temporary residence card), as many foreign workers call it — is the card issued by the General Inspectorate for Immigration (IGI) proving that you have the right to stay in Romania. It is also your identity document here: it carries your CNP (personal numeric code), your address and the purpose of your stay. Without it, once the 90 days covered by your visa are over, you are effectively a foreigner with no status.

This article answers four questions we get on WhatsApp all the time: how much it costs, where you pay, what happens if you are late, and, for context, what your colleagues pay in other European countries.

How much the residence permit costs in 2026

The permit fee is a single amount, whether it is a first issue, a renewal or a long-term permit. The visa is paid separately, once:

The 265 lei amount has applied since 1 August 2025. If you have a receipt for a fee paid before that date, at the old amount, it remains valid — IGI confirmed this in its August 2025 notice.

There is no separate "urgency" fee and no "appointment" fee. Anyone asking you for money to "reserve a spot at the counter" does not work for IGI.

Who pays: you, the employer or the agency?

The law does not oblige the employer to cover the fee. The standard placement contract approved by Order 655/2026 of the Ministry of Labour (art. 3) lists the fees charged by the Romanian authorities — visa, residence permit, other administrative fees — and in paragraph (2) leaves a checkbox: the worker / the employer / the agency, as agreed between the parties.

In other words, check what your placement contract says. If the box is ticked for "employer" or "agency", the 265 lei should not come out of your pocket. If it is ticked for "worker", you pay.

One thing is forbidden without exception: the agency may not charge you a commission for the placement service (same order, art. 4 letter d). The permit fee goes to the state; the placement commission, if anyone pays it, is paid by the employer.

Where and how to pay

IGI has moved its collections to CEC Bank. Payment is not made at the IGI counter and not at the Treasury.

Individuals (the worker):

• at the cashier of any CEC Bank branch, or
• at a SelfPay payment kiosk (found in supermarkets, petrol stations, malls),
• into account RO05 CECE B300 33RO N224 4514.

Companies (the employer, if it pays):

• bank transfer into account RO35 CECE B000 30RO N127 8595.

When paying, say it is the "residence permit fee" and ask for your name, exactly as in your passport, to appear on the receipt. The original receipt goes into your file. A fee paid in someone else's name (the employer's, a colleague's) is not accepted for your file.

The deadline: 30 days before expiry

The basic rule is in art. 51 para. (1) of GEO 194/2002: the renewal application must be filed at least 30 days before your current right of stay expires — whether that comes from the visa or from the previous permit.

In practice, if your permit expires on 15 December, the last day to file without problems is 15 November. Our advice is to start 60 days ahead: the employer's certificate, the rental contract registered with ANAF and the health insurance each take time.

Who files, under GEO 32/2026:

• renewal with the same employer — the classic procedure, directly at the territorial IGI office in the county where you live (art. 49 para. (6) GEO 32/2026);
• change of employer or switching from another purpose of stay (studies, seasonal work, family reunification) — the employer or the agency fills in the single application on the WorkinRomania.gov.ro platform on your behalf (art. 56 para. (9)–(10) GEO 194/2002, as amended by GEO 32/2026).

IGI has 30 days to decide, extendable by 15 days for additional checks and, in exceptional cases linked to the complexity of work-related applications, by up to 30 days, with written notice to you (art. 51 para. (5)). During that time, with proof of filing, your stay is legal even if the old permit has expired in the meantime.

What you risk if you do not file on time

This is the part many people only learn at the counter. There are four levels of consequences, in order of severity.

1. Fine for late filing. Missing the 30-day deadline is an offence (art. 134 point 7 GEO 194/2002), punished with a fine of 100 to 500 lei (art. 135 letter a). If you file after the deadline but before your right of stay expires, this is usually the only consequence. The file is accepted.

2. Fine for illegal stay. If the permit has expired and you have filed nothing, you are obliged to leave Romania (art. 11). Failing to do so is the offence in art. 134 point 2, and the fine grows with the delay (art. 135 letter e):

3. Return decision and entry ban. Once your stay becomes illegal, IGI may issue a return decision together with an entry ban for Romania (art. 105–106^1 GEO 194/2002). For someone who entered legally and held a permit, the ban starts at 6 months for short overstays, rises to 1 year for an illegal stay of between 3 months and one year, 2 years for 1–2 years, 3 years for 2–3 years and 5 years beyond 3 years. The ban is entered in the border systems and, in practice, also blocks a new work visa for another Schengen country. The limits are halved if you leave voluntarily and cover your own departure costs (art. 106^1 para. (2)).

4. You lose your seniority for long-term residence. The long-term permit (the 5-year one that no longer depends on a specific employer) requires 5 years of continuous and legal stay before the application (art. 71 para. (1) letter a). An interruption caused by illegal stay breaks the continuity and the counter starts from zero.

On top of all this come the practical effects: without a valid permit the employer cannot legally keep you in work, you cannot open or use a bank account, you have no active health insurance, and any police check ends with a report.

Permit expired and nothing filed? You have until 31 December 2026

This is the most important information in this article for anyone already late. Art. 52 para. (1) of GEO 32/2026 opens an exceptional window: foreigners who stayed in Romania after the right of stay granted by their work visa or single permit expired, and against whom no return decision has been issued, can apply for an extension of their right of stay for work purposes until 31 December 2026, without leaving the country for a new visa.

The key condition is to have an employer who files the application and no existing return decision in your name. If this is your situation, do not wait: after 31 December 2026, the only route left is departure, the ban and starting over.

What a residence permit costs in other European countries

For context, here is what a non-EU worker pays for the equivalent document in three countries where many of our readers have relatives or colleagues. Euro equivalents are approximate.

A few observations that matter more than the numbers:

• Romania is 2–3 times cheaper than any of the three, and the fee is flat regardless of permit type.
• In Poland, from 5 March 2026, the stamp duty is no longer refunded if the application is refused or the procedure is discontinued. You pay 440 zł and lose it if the file fails.
• In Italy, the contribution (the 70.46 or 80.46 €) is not refunded on refusal, and the renewal application must be filed 60 days before expiry — double the Romanian deadline.
• In Germany, Turkish citizens pay reduced fees (22.80–28.80 €) under the 1963 EU–Turkey Association Agreement — an exception with no equivalent in the other countries.

In short, for the worker

• On first arrival, 120 € for the visa (at ANAF, usually paid by the employer or agency) + 265 lei for the permit (at CEC Bank, after you arrive). At renewals, only 265 lei.
• The permit fee is paid at CEC Bank or SelfPay, into account RO05 CECE B300 33RO N224 4514, in your name.
• Deadline: file at least 30 days before expiry; prepare the documents 60 days ahead.
• Check your placement contract to see who pays the fee — it may be the employer or the agency.
• Being late costs between 100 and 1,200 lei in fines and, for long overstays, 6 months to 5 years of entry ban.
• If your permit has already expired and there is no return decision, you have until 31 December 2026 to regularise through an employer.

If you are not sure which situation you are in, ask WantJOB: 0750 238 304 (call or WhatsApp). Tell us your permit's expiry date and the date you entered Romania, and we will tell you what needs to be filed.