Living in Romania

Residency and visas

See entry requirements for Romania in our travel advice.

If you intend to stay for longer than 3 months, you should apply for a registration certificate from the Romanian Office for Immigration.

The UK and EU have agreed the full legal text of the draft Withdrawal Agreement in principle. The agreement on citizens’ rights will allow UK nationals to stay in their Member State of residence after the UK leaves the EU.

In the event of changes to residency rules or registration processes after the UK leaves the EU, we will update this page as soon as information is available.

Passports and travel

See overseas British passports applications and get an emergency travel document (sometimes called an emergency passport).

See our travel advice for Romania and sign up for up-to-date information on local laws and customs, safety and emergencies.

Passports and travel after the UK leaves the EU

If the UK leaves the EU without a deal, new travel rules will apply. You should have at least 6 months left on an adult or child passport to travel to most countries in Europe (not including Ireland).

If you renewed your current passport before the previous one expired, extra months may have been added to its expiry date. Any extra months on your passport over 10 years may not count towards the 6 months needed.

You should check your passport is valid for travel before you book your trip. You’ll need to renew your passport before travelling if you do not have enough time left on your passport.

If the UK leaves the EU without a deal, UK nationals will not need visas for short stays elsewhere in the EU. You will be able to stay up to 90 days in another EU country, within a 180 day period. You should retain evidence of travel (e.g. train and plane tickets), in case these are requested by national authorities. If you hold a residence permit from an EU Member State, you will be able to transit through other EU Member States to reach your country of residence. We will update this guidance as more information becomes available.

If the UK leaves the EU with a deal, nothing will change until the end of 2020. In this time you can continue to travel freely in the Schengen area with your UK passport. What happens after 2020 will form the next part of negotiations.

Healthcare

See our travel advice for Romania.

If the UK leaves the EU without a deal on, your access to healthcare is likely to change. The NHS has more information about healthcare for UK nationals living in and visiting Romania.

The UK government has or is seeking agreements with countries on healthcare arrangements for UK nationals after the UK leaves the EU.

Up to the UK leaving the EU, you should get a free European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) to get emergency medical treatment during temporary stays in EU countries. You also need comprehensive travel insurance to cover anything not covered by your EHIC.

If you plan to visit after the UK leaves the EU, you should continue to buy travel insurance for the health treatment you may need, as you would for a non-EU country. If you have a UK-issued EHIC, it will still be valid until the UK leaves the EU.

You can find English-speaking doctors in Romania. You should also check your prescriptions are legal in Romania.

S1 form – healthcare paid for by the UK

You may be entitled to state healthcare paid for by the UK if you live in Romania and get an exportable UK pension, contribution-based Employment Support Allowance or another exportable benefit.

You will need an S1 form. You can apply for one by calling +44 (0)191 218 1999.

Working in Romania

See working in another EU country.

Some jobs may require a UK police certificate

If you intend to work in Romania, you should register with the Romanian Office for Immigrants - you can also register as self-employed. See General Inspectorate for Immigration.

Money and tax

If you intend to use a bank card, or other financial service from a UK-based firm in the EU after exit, this may be affected. Read more about using a bank card, insurance or other financial service in the EU.

See tax if you leave the UK to live abroad and tax on your UK income if you live abroad.

The UK has a double-taxation agreement with Romania to ensure people do not pay tax on the same income in both countries. The UK’s exit from the European Union will not change existing double taxation arrangements for UK nationals living in Romania. Individual taxpayer queries regarding double taxation relief should be directed to the relevant tax authority. We recommend you get professional advice on paying tax in Romania.

See information about paying income tax in Romania.

You may be able to pay National Insurance while abroad in order to protect your State Pension and entitlement to other benefits and allowances.

Pensions

See State Pension if you retire abroad and new State Pension.

If you retire in Romania, you can claim:

• your UK State Pension or new UK State Pension. Please contact the International Pension Centre to claim
• your Romanian pension if you’ve worked in Romania
• pensions from working abroad, if you’ve worked in other EU countries

The UK government will continue to pay state pension, child benefits, and disability benefits to eligible UK nationals in the EU after the UK’s exit from the EU. Find guidance on benefits and pensions in a no deal scenario.

If you haven’t worked in Romania, you should claim your UK state pension by contacting the International Pension Centre.

If you’ve worked in several EU countries, see state pensions abroad.

Pensions after the UK leaves the EU

The UK government will uprate your UK state pension for the fiscal year 2019/2020 in any scenario.

Life certificates for UK state pensions

If you get a ‘life certificate’ from the UK Pension Service, you need to respond as soon as possible – your payments may be suspended if you don’t.

Benefits

See claiming benefits if you live, move or travel abroad.

Find out which UK benefits you might be able to get while you’re abroad and how to claim them.

Many income-related benefits such as Pension Credit and Housing Benefit can’t be paid if you’re abroad for more than 4 weeks.

You may be eligible to claim some Romanian social security benefits – see Romanian social security benefits.

Driving in Romania

See driving abroad and road travel in Romania.

Holders of UK driving licences who are resident in an EU country should exchange their UK licences for a driving licence from the EU country you are living in before the UK leaves the EU. For more information see driving abroad.

See driving licence renewal and exchange and taking a vehicle out of the UK.

Births, deaths and getting married

If your child is born in Romania, you will need to register a birth abroad.

If someone dies in Romania, you should:

• see what to do after someone dies
• check out the following list of English-speaking funeral directors in Romania
• read guidance for UK nationals on bereavement information for Romania

Find out how you can get married abroad.

You many also need:

• English-speaking lawyers in Romania
• translators and interpreters in Romania
• notary services for Romania

Pets

See travelling with pets.

UK nationals will still be able to travel to and from the UK with a pet (cat, dog or ferret) when the UK leaves the EU, but the rules will change. See pet travel to Europe after EU Exit for more information.

Emergencies

The European emergency number 112 is the only emergency number in Romania. See Romania – emergency numbers.

If you need urgent help, contact the British Embassy in Bucharest.

Accommodation and buying property

See buying a property abroad.

Returning to the UK

You should read our guidance on:

• returning to live in the UK
• returning to live in the UK in the case of no-deal
• bringing your family to the UK
• access to higher education, 19+ further education and apprenticeship funding
• importing vehicles back to the UK
• bringing your pet back to the UK
• checking your tax status after returning to the UK

Disclaimer

Please note that this information is provided as a guide only. Definitive information should be obtained from the Romanian authorities. The FCO will not be liable for any inaccuracies in this information.