WorkinRomania blocked: case 5633/2/2026 status
Update 21.10.2026: The next hearings (03.11.2026 and 02.12.2026) and all PIFM cases are explained in PIFM court cases and the WorkinRomania unblocking.
Status at 18.10.2026: The suspension of Order MMFTSS no. 1073/2026 (the Shortage Occupations List) is in force, under Decision no. 1454 of 10.09.2026 of the Bucharest Court of Appeal (Curtea de Apel București), case 5633/2/2026. The court portal shows no appeal against the suspension. The action to annul the order (case 5258/2/2026) is at first instance, with no hearing date set. On WorkinRomania.gov.ro, employer registration, employer authorisation and the submission of single applications for D/AM2 visas remain disabled.
In short
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What was suspended? | Order MMFTSS no. 1073/2026, which approves the Shortage Occupations List (Lista ocupațiilor deficitare, 289 occupations) |
| Who requested the suspension? | The Foreign Labour Importers’ Employers’ Association (Patronatul Importatorilor de Forță de Muncă, PIFM) |
| Which court? | Bucharest Court of Appeal, 8th Section for administrative and tax litigation |
| Suspension case | 5633/2/2026, Decision no. 1454 of 10.09.2026 |
| Is there an appeal? | As of 18.10.2026, the court portal shows no appeal |
| How long does the suspension last? | Until the first-instance ruling in case 5258/2/2026 |
| When will WorkinRomania reopen for D/AM2 applications? | No date has been announced. The suspension lasts until the ruling in case 5258/2/2026, which has no hearing date as of 18.10.2026 |
| Does the main case have a hearing date? | As of 18.10.2026, no hearing date is set |
| What is blocked on the platform? | Employer registration, employer authorisation, D/AM2 single application |
| Does the D/AM1 route work? | Yes, for employers who are already registered |
Is there an appeal in case 5633/2/2026?
The suspension decision can be challenged by appeal within 5 days of being communicated, and the appeal is filed with the Bucharest Court of Appeal. On 18.10.2026, the “Căi de atac” (Appeals) section of case 5633/2/2026 contains no entry, and the last change to the case on the portal dates from 14.09.2026.
The Ministry of Labour (Ministerul Muncii) announced publicly on 15.09.2026 that it would appeal once the decision was communicated. The 5-day period runs from communication, not from the date of the ruling, so the absence of an appeal on the portal does not mean the right to appeal has expired.
How long the suspension lasts
The court suspended the order until the first-instance court rules on the merits. The merits are decided in case 5258/2/2026 (9th Section for administrative and tax litigation, registered on 13.08.2026), in which PIFM asks for the order to be annulled. On the portal, the challenged act appears with registration number 649/06.08.2026; in the suspension case, the same number was corrected by the resolution of 02.09.2026 to Order 1073/2026.
On 18.10.2026, case 5258/2/2026 has no hearing date set. For employers, the practical conclusion is simple: there is no date for unblocking through the courts, and hiring on the D/AM2 route should be planned as for a long blockage.
All PIFM – Ministry of Labour cases
Besides the suspension case, PIFM has five other cases against the Ministry of Labour at the Bucharest Court of Appeal, all at first instance:
| Case | Subject | Status at 18.10.2026 |
|---|---|---|
| 5258/2/2026 | Annulment of the order on the Shortage Occupations List | First instance, no hearing date |
| 5633/2/2026 | Suspension of Order 1073/2026 | Granted (Decision 1454/10.09.2026), no appeal registered |
| 5041/2/2026 | Annulment of Order MMFTSS no. 655/2026 | First instance, hearing on 03.11.2026 |
| 5061/2/2026 | Suspension of Order MMFTSS no. 655/2026 | Rejected (Decision 1400/13.08.2026) |
| 5886/2/2026 | Presidential ordinance (urgent procedure; defendants: Ministry of Labour and IGI) | Rejected (Decision 1494/17.09.2026), appeal filed by PIFM on 26.09.2026 |
| 6215/2/2026 | Refusal to resolve a request (defendants: Ministry of Labour and IGI) | First instance, no hearing date |
Order MMFTSS no. 655/2026 is a separate act from the Shortage Occupations List. The request to suspend it was rejected, so that order remains in effect.
What is blocked on WorkinRomania
| Flow | Status |
|---|---|
| Employer registration (R.A.S.) | 🔴 Disabled since 15.09.2026 |
| Employer authorisation | 🔴 Disabled since 15.09.2026 |
| D/AM2 single application (permanent, seasonal, cross-border workers) | 🔴 Disabled since 15.09.2026 |
| D/AM1 single application | 🟢 Available from the account of an employer who is already registered |
| Placement agency authorisation | 🟢 Not among the disabled flows |
| Residence permit applications at IGI | 🟢 Still filed on the IGI platform, not on WorkinRomania |
Why this list matters
Under art. 1 alin. (2) and art. 23 alin. (2) of OUG nr. 32/2026, procedures for permanent, seasonal and cross-border workers (D/AM2 visa) and placement through an agency are allowed only for occupations on the Shortage Occupations List. With the order suspended, the authorities stopped the flows that depend on checking the list.
The D/AM1 route (citizens of the Republic of Moldova, Ukraine and Serbia, and highly qualified workers) does not depend on the list. For D/AM1, the employer only needs registration in R.A.S., not authorisation.
What you can do now, depending on your situation
Registered employer, worker from Moldova, Ukraine, Serbia or highly qualified
The D/AM1 route works. You file the single application from your WorkinRomania account, without an agency and without checking the Shortage Occupations List.
New employer, not yet registered
Registration is blocked, so you cannot file any single application, not even for D/AM1. Use this time to prepare the registration file: matching the company administrator with ONRC through the CNP, the company documents and proof of activity, so you can file as soon as the flow is reactivated.
Your D/AM2 worker is already in Romania and is changing employer
The single application to extend the right of stay when changing employer (OUG nr. 194/2002, art. 56 alin. 9) cannot be filed right now. The General Inspectorate for Immigration (IGI) has announced that these applications will be assessed individually once submission resumes, taking into account the employer’s objective impossibility to register or get authorised. Keep the evidence: the end date of the previous contract, the dates of your attempts on the platform and screenshots of the messages shown.
Company in an international group
Secondment remains an alternative. The visa application for secondment (D/DT) is filed directly with the Romanian diplomatic mission or consulate, without a single application registered in advance on WorkinRomania.
Placement agency
Agency authorisation is not among the disabled flows. Placement on the D/AM2 route, however, depends on the Shortage Occupations List, so it remains blocked while the order is suspended.
How to follow the cases yourself
Go to portal.just.ro, choose “Curtea de Apel București” (Bucharest Court of Appeal), then “Dosare” (Cases), and search by number:
- 5633/2/2026: the “Căi de atac” (Appeals) section shows whether an appeal has been filed against the suspension;
- 5258/2/2026: the “Ședințe” (Hearings) section shows when the merits will be heard, which is the date from which the suspension may end.
Information resource, updated on 18.10.2026 based on public data from portal.just.ro and announcements on WorkinRomania.gov.ro. For decisions about specific cases, consult a specialist.