Work in Romania as a foreign doctor, nurse or AHP (2026)

• CMRCollege of Physicians of Romania (Colegiul Medicilor din România)

  Doctors: membership, practice approvals and specialist recognition with the Ministry of Health

  How to register with the CMR

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   1. Check that you can practise in Romania

   The third-country norms require you to be in one of the situations in Article 376 of Law 95/2006, and the CMR checklist asks for proof of Romanian or EU citizenship, or another legal status that allows you to work in Romania. Check this first, because the norms list it as a ground for refusal. The CMR can be contacted at [email protected].
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   2. Recognise your basic medical studies with CNRED

   If your medical degree is from a third country, the CMR checklist and the government norms ask for a certificate recognising your university medical studies (atestat de recunoaștere a studiilor) issued by the Ministry of Education. CNRED handles recognition of studies completed abroad. Ask your university for the diploma, transcript or diploma supplement in advance.
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   3. Learn Romanian and get a certificate

   The Ministry of Health file for specialist recognition must include a certificate attesting knowledge of Romanian or a language passport, except for Romanian citizens. The CMR's rules for short teaching and occasional practice ask for B1 from an organisation recognised by the Ministry of Education, so expect at least that level for clinical work.
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   4. Prepare the Ministry of Health file

   For specialist recognition under Government Decision 764/2017, you submit a request with full contact details, identity document, proof of your status under Article 376, certified copies of your medical and specialist qualifications, documents from the issuing authority on the length, curriculum and competences of your training, proof of experience and continuing education, a health certificate, a good standing certificate, a criminal record certificate, the Romanian language certificate and proof of the evaluation fee.
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   5. Translate, legalise and watch the 3-month validity

   Foreign-language documents must come with original legalised translations into Romanian. The CMR says third-country study documents must carry an apostille or be superlegalised, depending on the conventions that apply. The health certificate, good standing certificate and criminal record certificate are valid for only 3 months from issue, so obtain them last.
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   6. Pay the CMR evaluation fee

   Under CMR Decision 15/2025, the professional evaluation fee for titles from a third country other than Australia, New Zealand and the United States is €1,000, paid in lei at the exchange rate on the day of payment into the CMR account. If the evaluation includes an aptitude test, the fee is doubled.
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   7. Joint commission assessment

   The Ministry of Health forwards your file to the joint commission within 30 days. The commission checks that your specialty exists in the Romanian nomenclature, that the organisation, duration and curriculum of your training are equivalent, and that the competences match. If your training lasted fewer years but the total training hours match, the hours count. It can request more documents within 15 days, and a delay of more than 10 days past its deadline suspends the procedure.
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   8. Aptitude test if training is not equivalent

   If the criteria are not fully met, you sit an aptitude test with a theoretical and a clinical or practical component, on topics from the Romanian specialist exam. You need at least 7.00 in each and an overall average of at least 7.00. If you fail, you can ask once for a re-examination within 180 days; after that, the request is rejected.
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   9. Recognition order and CMR membership

   On a favourable CMR opinion, the Minister of Health issues an order recognising your title, and you are notified. With this, you apply for the CMR membership certificate. If your application is rejected, you can challenge the decision before the national appeals commission within 30 days of notification.
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    10. Work permit and long-stay visa

    Your employer applies to the IGI for a work permit, which the IGI processes within 30 days, or 45 days if further checks are needed. You then apply at a Romanian embassy or consulate for the long-stay employment visa, and after arrival for a single permit or EU Blue Card at least 30 days before the visa's right of stay expires.

• Romania does not use IELTS or OET for licensing. The language requirement is Romanian, and English test results do not count.
• Specialist recognition (third countries): the government norms require a certificate attesting knowledge of Romanian or a language passport, except for Romanian citizens.
• Short-term teaching and occasional practice: CMR Decision 13/2025 asks third-country doctors for a certificate from an organisation recognised by the Ministry of Education showing professional language skills at B1 (CEFR). It is not required for occasional practice within mixed teams with Romanian doctors.
• The CMR does not publish, on the pages we reviewed, a single language level for full membership after recognition. Ask your territorial college before you book a test.
• Nurses and midwives: language rules are set by the OAMGMAMR, whose website we could not access when we checked. Confirm the requirement with the Order directly.

• Work permit (aviz de muncă)

  Your employer applies to any territorial office of the IGI. Conditions include that the post cannot be filled by Romanian, EU or EEA citizens or permanent residents, that you meet the specific training, experience and authorisation conditions, that you are medically fit, that you have no incompatible criminal record, and that you fall within the annual quota set by government decision. The employer pays a fee equal to €100 in lei for permanent or highly skilled workers.

• Highly qualified worker and EU Blue Card

  The IGI defines a highly qualified worker as a foreigner employed in a highly qualified job with an individual employment contract of at least six months, on the basis of a work permit. After entry, you apply for an EU Blue Card at the IGI. The IGI says Blue Card holders can work without a work permit after 12 months of legal employment in Romania as a highly qualified worker.

• Long-stay visa for employment

  With a copy of the work permit, you apply at a Romanian diplomatic mission. You need proof of means equal to the minimum gross salary for the whole visa period, a criminal record certificate and medical insurance valid for the visa. The IGI says the visa fee is €120, paid in the country where you apply, and the visa is granted for 90 days.

• Single permit

  After entering, you apply to the IGI in your county for a single permit at least 30 days before the right of stay from the visa expires, in person or online through the IGI portal. You need the application, passport, proof of housing, a medical certificate and the fees. The IGI decides within 30 days, extendable by up to 15. The right of stay for work is extended for the contract's validity, up to 2 years, or up to 3 years for highly qualified workers.

• Changing employer

  A work permit links you to one employer. The IGI fee for a work permit on a change of employer, or a change of job with the same employer, is equal to €25 in lei.

• Long-term residence

  The IGI says you can obtain long-term residence after a continuous stay in Romania during the last 5 years, with absences of less than 6 consecutive months and no more than 10 months in total. The long-term residence permit is valid for 5 years for most purposes, and holders can work without a work permit.

Pay for doctors and nurses in Romanian public hospitals is set by national public-sector pay legislation. When we checked, we could not access the official legal texts or the relevant ministry pages, so we do not give figures. Check the gross salary, allowances and on-call pay in your contract. For the visa, the IGI uses the national minimum gross salary as the minimum means of support.