Area: 238,391 km²
Residents: 19,870,000 (as of 2016)
Population density: 83 E / km²
Form of Government: Republic
System of Government: Semi-presidential system
Neighboring countries: Bulgaria, Serbia, Hungary, Ukraine, Moldova
Capital: Bucharest National
language: Romanian
Religions:
86.7% Romanian -Orthodox,
6.6% Protestants,
5.6% Catholics,
0.3% Muslims,
0.2% Jehovah’s Witnesses
Currency: Leu (RON)
1 Leu (RON) = 100 Bani
Exchange rates:
1 EUR = 4.92 RON
1 RON = 0.20 EUR
1 CHF = 4.534 RON
1 RON = 0.22 CHF
(rate from 13.07.2021)
Telephone area code: +40
Time zone: UTC + 2 EET
UTC + 3 EEST (March – Oct)
In 2020, 826 Germans officially emigrated to Romania and 628 came back to their homeland. Within the 10 years from 2010 to 2019, 7,874 Germans officially emigrated to Romania and 7,816 moved back to Germany. In 2020 there were officially 7,005 Germans living in Romania. Romania has been a member of the European Union (EU) since 2007 and the Schengen Agreement came into force in Romania in 2011.
In addition to the Romanians, around 1.2 million Hungarians and around 621,000 Roma live in the country. Transylvanian Saxons have been resident since the 12th century. However, the total number of Romanian Germans has now fallen below 50,000. Other minorities are Ukrainians (0.3%), Russian Lipovans (0.2%), Turks (0.2%), Tatars (0.1%), Serbs (0.1%), Slovaks (0.1%) %) and Czechs (below 0.1%).
Big cities like Bucharest are attractive for emigrants. However, it is very difficult to get a house with a garden, especially in the city center. But there are also very nice residential areas in the outskirts. Besides the urban area, Romania has many beautiful rural parts. In these areas you can get a nice and cheap house with a garden. The great advantage of the rural location is the tranquility.
According to allcitycodes, the national language Romanian is not difficult. You should definitely learn it, even if parts of the population speak German, English, Italian or French. Many cities in Romania even have German-speaking schools. The Germans who immigrated to Romania many generations ago have left behind many good virtues.
The Romanian lifestyle corresponds to that of the Latin peoples; you quickly forget hectic rush and stress. The population likes to meet in one of the many street cafes in the spacious boulevards, chat or play board games and cards. In the warm summer nights, the right holiday feeling emerges very quickly.
Many natural landscapes that are still quite original, such as the Carpathian Mountains or the Danube Delta, as well as the German-friendly population attract more and more Germans to Romania. Romania has a pleasant continental climate. The springs are pleasantly warm, the summers dry, hot with lots of sun. The winters can be cold and snowy, depending on the region.
General provisions for travel and residence (until the corona pandemic)
Stay up to 3 months
Romania is a member state of the European Union. Within the EU, all member states have the right to free movement. Therefore, citizens of the EU and Switzerland can stay and take up residence in the country for up to 3 months without a visa. You need either a valid identity card or passport to enter the country. Children and young people need their own passport. The identification documents must be valid on the day of departure. At the latest after the 3 months have elapsed, you must report your presence to the Romanian authorities (either at the local registration office or the police station).
Stay over 3 months
If you are staying for more than 3 months, it is necessary to register your place of residence with the competent authorities in Romania and to apply for a registration certificate. You do not need a visa. You can stay in the country for more than 3 months if you
- Have a job or are self-employed
- Be able to prove that you have sufficient financial means to cover your livelihood (for pensioners, for example, a pension notice)
- Have comprehensive health insurance coverage
- Are enrolled in a recognized educational institution
- Can prove a place of residence
- Being able to present a police clearance certificate.
In any case, however, it is important to be able to provide evidence of sufficient financial resources and health insurance coverage.
Permanent residence permit
If you have resided permanently in Romania for 5 years, subject to the legal provisions, you receive the right to reside there permanently in the future. To do this, you can apply for a permanent residence card to certify your permanent right of residence. This permanent residence card is initially valid for 5 years. You need an address in Romania, a rental agreement or proof of ownership, proof of health insurance, proof of sufficient financial resources and a police clearance certificate. The required permit is usually issued without any problems, but a passport is required for this extended residence permit.
Before applying for a permanent residence permit, you should either have found a permanent job or have sufficient financial resources. It is an advantage to have a basic knowledge of the Romanian language. Test here for free how well you speak and understand Romanian (takes about 3 minutes).
You can find the information you need to read and the application forms in Romanian or English at mae.ro or in German at berlin.mae.ro.
Health insurance
Everyone who applies for an extension of his stay in Romania is obliged to pay 6.5% of his income earned in Romania into the health fund of the country. Those who have no income in Romania have to pay 6.5% of the Romanian minimum wage.
Foreign citizens who are resident in Romania or who have a permanent residence permit can use medical services free of charge. To do this, you have to insure yourself with the regional health insurance company or the Bucharest health insurance company.
