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Information for Ukrainian refugees in Romania

Permit valid until 4 March 2028, extended automatically

Information checked in October–November 2026.

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Important to know

Since August 2026 new applicants with Ukrainian military obligations must prove a legal exit (exit stamp) or exemption/compliance (e.g. Reserve+); people protected in Romania on 30.07.2026 are not affected. The IGI has not published separate guidance — ask them before applying. Housing money was paid only to new arrivals (for 3 months) and was extended to 31.12.2025; whether it is still paid in 2026 is unclear. Support for vulnerable people in centres ended on 31.12.2025. Get a rental contract registered with the tax office (ANAF) so your full address is on the permit: without it city halls often refuse child allowance and other benefits. Romania is in Schengen since 2025, but the permit is not a travel document. IGI: information for Ukrainians

Status and documents

How long protection lasts
Temporary protection: a residence permit with a personal number (CNP). It is valid for the whole period of EU protection, now until 4 March 2028, and is extended automatically — no application needed.
Documents
Passport or any official photo ID (ID card, driving licence); birth or marriage certificates for family members; optionally a rental contract registered with the tax office, so that your full address is printed on the permit. New applicants with military obligations (since August 2026): exit stamp or a Reserve+ document.
Where and how to apply
In person at any office of the General Inspectorate for Immigration (IGI) or its regional centres; every family member, including children, must come to be photographed. No asylum claim needed. With a biometric passport you may stay 90 days without registering, but help and benefits require the permit.
Processing time
Usually during one visit: you are photographed and receive the permit with a CNP. AIDA reported no registration delays in 2025.
When protection ends
Ends with EU temporary protection (now 4 Mar 2028) or earlier by a Council decision; exclusion for serious crimes. Registering for protection in another EU country ends your rights in Romania; you can also renounce them at the IGI or a Romanian consulate. Trips to Ukraine do not end it.

Travel, pets and language

How to get there
Road crossings, e.g. Porubne – Siret (the busiest), Diakove – Halmeu, Solotvyno – Sighet; buses. Daily through sleeping cars Kyiv – Bucharest in the 'Prietenia' train (Bucharest – Kyiv €75.90). No flights from Ukraine.
Pets
Standard EU rules (veterinary authority ANSVSA): microchip, rabies vaccination, then a rabies antibody test at least 30 days later and a 3-month wait from the blood sample; EU health certificate from an official vet ≤10 days before arrival.
Languages
Romanian; English helps in big cities, and Ukrainian is spoken in areas of the Ukrainian minority (Maramureș, Suceava). Free Romanian courses: NGOs at the regional integration centres and county employment agencies (AJOFM); the official one-year course for adult foreigners costs 4,810 lei (~€900, since Sep 2025).

Work, healthcare and education

Right to work
Yes, on the same terms as Romanians, no work permit; self-employment is allowed. Without papers on your qualifications you can be hired for 12 months (renewable) on a written statement, except regulated professions (doctors, pharmacists, architects…), which need recognition by CNRED. Employment agencies (ANOFM/AJOFM) help for free.
Jobs in demand
Construction workers (labourers, bricklayers, carpenters, concrete workers, welders), truck and delivery drivers, machine operators and assemblers, shop assistants, waiters and fast-food cooks, cleaners, security guards; in Bucharest also software developers (EURES/ANOFM, 2024 data).
Healthcare
Yes: the basic package of public health insurance (CNAS), as for insured Romanians, without contributions or co-payments; specialists without a referral. First register with a family doctor (finding one can be hard). If you have income, you pay the health contribution like Romanians.
Kindergarten
State kindergartens are free on the same terms as for Romanians (parents usually pay for meals); places are scarce in big cities, especially full-day ones. Meal costs can be reimbursed through EU-funded integration projects.
School
Yes, free. Children enrol as full pupils or as 'audienți' (auditors) while they learn Romanian; they get free textbooks and supplies, boarding and, in theory, scholarships (auditors often don't get them in practice). Enrolment is a condition for the housing lump sum.

Benefits

Housing support
Only for new arrivals (first entry into Romania since 1 Oct 2024): 750 lei (~€140)/month for a single person or 2,000 lei (~€375) for a family, for one 3-month period; from the 2nd month adults must work or be registered with AJOFM and children must be enrolled. Apply at the city hall with the permit and a Romanian bank account. The scheme was extended to 31.12.2025; whether it is still paid in 2026 is unclear (UNHCR says yes, AIDA says no) — ask the city hall.
One-time payment
No general one-off payment.
Monthly allowance for adults
No allowance for the status itself. Low-income households can apply at the city hall for the minimum inclusion income (VMI): up to ~393 lei (~€74) a month for a single person without income (from March 2026), community work may be required. Unemployment benefit only after insured work.
Monthly allowance for children
State child allowance (alocație de stat): 719 lei (~€135) a month up to age 2 (3 with a disability), 292 lei (~€55) from 2 to 18; frozen at these levels in 2026. Apply at the city hall — without a full address on the permit it is often refused. Low-income families: VMI family support of 154–612 lei a month.

Cost of living

Average rent
Asking rent for a 2-room (1-bedroom) flat, spring 2026: Bucharest ~€580/month, Cluj-Napoca ~€550, Iași ~€450 (Storia); utilities extra.
Groceries per person per month
Approx. 600 lei (~€115) per person a month for food: the 'decent living' basket (FES/Syndex, Sep 2026) puts food for 2 adults and 2 children at 2,429 lei a month.
Kindergarten fees
Private full-day kindergarten in Bucharest: approx. €470–940 a month, typically ~€600 (Numbeo, Nov 2026, user data).
Private school fees
Public school free. International schools in Bucharest approx. €11,000–25,000 a year, typically ~€17,000 (Numbeo, Nov 2026, user data).
Health insurance cost
Usually not needed: temporary protection gives the CNAS basic package for free. Without income you can insure yourself voluntarily: 10% of six minimum wages = 2,430 lei a year (~€455, 2026). Private policy prices: —.
Documents, consulates, legal helpThe same in every country: e-Consul, Diia, free legal aid, a psychologist.

All information is for reference only. Rules and benefits change often, so some of it may be out of date. Always check with official sources before making a decision.

If you spot an inaccuracy, please write to us at howtohelpuacom@gmail.com.