--- title: "Romania Hiring Guide 2026 | 20-Day Notice from Day One" description: "Hire in Romania 2026: written contract before day one, 3 months probation, 20 days minimum employer notice, social insurance registration, monthly payroll." canonical: https://www.teamed.global/country-hiring-guides/romania/hiring-guide --- Romania · Hiring guide child Served by Teamed vetted partner-entity network in Romania # How do you *hire a Romanian employee* in 2026? Romania gives employees dismissal protection from day one of employment. There is no qualifying period. The written contract must be in place before work begins, and the employer must serve at least 20 days written notice to dismiss anyone after probation. Last reviewed 13 Jun 2026 · Romania guide ![A wide boulevard in Bucharest lined with early twentieth-century buildings and leafy plane trees.](/images/country-guides/romania-hiring-guide.webp) Illustration · Bucharest, Romania Answer.cite this The Romania hire process has five steps. Offer letter, work-authorisation check, written contract, social-insurance registration, first payday. The written contract must be signed before the employee starts work. It is a legal requirement under the Labour Code. Probation for non-management roles lasts up to 3 months. Either side can end it with 5 days written notice. Dismissal protection applies from day one of employment. ![Hands placing a signed employment contract on a desk in a bright Bucharest office.](/images/country-guides/romania-hiring-guide-polaroid-1.webp) Sign before day one ## What does the end-to-end Romania hire process look like? Five steps from accepted offer to first payslip: offer letter, work-authorisation check, written contract, social-insurance registration, first payday. The written contract must be ready before the employee starts. That is the key deadline in Romanian hiring. | Step | What happens | Owner | Timing | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1. Offer letter | Written offer with role, salary, start date, and key terms | Client / Teamed drafts | Same day after verbal accept | | 2. Work-authorisation check | Verify right to work in Romania: EU/EEA citizen or valid residence and work permit | Teamed | Before the employee starts | | 3. Written employment contract | Individual labour contract (CIM) signed by both parties | Teamed (legal employer) | Before day one | | 4. Social-insurance registration | Register the employee in Revisal, notify the ITM, collect tax ID and IBAN | Teamed | Day 0 (before first day) | | 5. First payday | First payslip issued, PIT and social contributions declared to ANAF by the 25th of the following month | Teamed | End of first calendar month | 1. Issue the offer letter Send a written offer the same day as verbal acceptance. Include role, salary, start date, probation of up to 3 months for non-management roles, and any conditions such as work-authorisation or background checks. 2. Complete the work-authorisation check Check identity documents for EU and EEA nationals, or verify the work permit for non-EU nationals, before the employee starts. Record the document details and retain a copy. 3. Issue and sign the written contract The individual labour contract (CIM) must be signed by both parties before the employee's first day of work. Teamed's standard Romanian CIM meets all Labour Code requirements. Clients choose commercial terms; Teamed signs as the legal employer. 4. Complete social-insurance registration Submit the Revisal entry to the ITM before the start date, then collect the employee's CNP or NIF, Romanian IBAN, and confirm health and pension registration. This registration must be in place on day one. 5. Issue the first payslip and file declarations Run the first payroll at the end of the first calendar month. Declare and pay withheld income tax and social contributions to ANAF by the 25 days of the following month. The employee receives their payslip and is on the payroll record. ## What must a Romanian offer letter include? The offer letter is not the binding contract. It is the document the candidate decides against. Include role title, reporting line, start date, gross monthly salary, working hours, location, probation period of up to 3 months for non-management roles, and any conditions such as work-authorisation or background checks. Three things to watch in Romanian offer letters: - **Quote gross salary only.** Romanian employees are accustomed to discussing net pay, but committing to a net figure in writing creates problems when the social contribution rates or personal income tax rates change. Always quote gross. - **Align probation terms with the contract.** If the offer letter sets a 3 months probation for a non-management hire and the contract then contradicts it, the contract governs. Draft both documents together to avoid conflicts. - **Do not promise collective agreement benefits you have not checked.** Some sectors in Romania operate under sector-level collective agreements (contracte colective de munca). If a collective agreement covers your industry and location, the offer letter must not undercut the agreed minimums. Teamed checks coverage before drafting. Teamed's standard Romanian offer letter covers all required ground. Clients choose commercial elements. Teamed holds the legal-employer position and issues documents in Romanian as required by law, with an English translation where requested. ## Romania work-authorisation checks Every employer must confirm work authorisation before the employee starts. EU and EEA citizens can work in Romania without a permit. Non-EU nationals need a valid work permit (permis de munca) issued before their start date. ### EU and EEA nationals Citizens of EU and EEA member states have free movement rights in Romania. The employer checks and retains a copy of the identity document (passport or national ID card). No government portal check is required for this category. Teamed records the document reference and sets an expiry reminder where relevant. ### Non-EU nationals Third-country nationals must hold a valid Romanian work permit before they start work. The work permit is tied to a specific employer and role category. The employer must apply for the permit on behalf of the employee through the General Inspectorate for Immigration (IGI). The permit must be in place before any work begins. A follow-up renewal check is required before expiry. Common categories include the standard work permit for non-seasonal employment, the permit for highly qualified workers (Blue Card), and the intra-company transfer permit for international employees. Processing times vary by category and workload at the IGI. Inspectoratul General pentru Imigrari (IGI) · Work permits in Romania Foreign nationals who are not EU or EEA citizens must hold a valid work permit issued by the IGI before beginning employment in Romania. Employers are responsible for applying on behalf of the employee. Employment without a valid permit is a legal offence. Source: [General Inspectorate for Immigration (IGI): Work permits in Romania](https://igi.mai.gov.ro/en/) ### Ongoing checks For employees on time-limited work permits, Teamed tracks the expiry date and triggers a renewal reminder ahead of the deadline. A permit expiry without a renewal is a compliance breach. Teamed manages the calendar so no renewal is missed. ## The Romanian written contract: what must it contain? Romania requires a written individual labour contract (Contractul Individual de Munca, or CIM) signed before work begins. The CIM is the legally binding employment document. The offer letter is not. Both parties must sign before the employee's first day. What the Romanian individual labour contract (CIM) must include: - Names, addresses, and identification details of both employer and employee - Start date and, for fixed-term contracts, the end date or duration - Place of work, or a statement that the role involves work at multiple locations or from home - Job title, qualification level, and a brief description of duties - Gross monthly salary and any variable components (bonuses, allowances) - Agreed working hours per day and per week (standard is 40 hours per week) - Paid annual leave entitlement (at least 20 days working days per year) - Notice period: at least 20 days for employer-initiated dismissal after probation - Probation period, if agreed (up to 3 months for non-management indefinite contracts) - Reference to any applicable collective bargaining agreement - Confidentiality, non-compete, or non-solicitation clauses, if agreed - Health and safety obligations and any relevant risk information The CIM must be drawn up in Romanian. Romanian law is the governing law for employment in Romania and cannot be contractually displaced. Teamed's standard Romanian contract satisfies all current Labour Code requirements and is updated annually. Key source: [Labour Code Romania (Law 53/2003)](https://legislatie.just.ro/Public/DetaliiDocument/37441) via the Ministry of Justice. ## Onboarding admin in the first week Revisal registration, CIM signing, and social-insurance notification must happen before or on day one. Teamed handles the payroll and compliance side. The client handles the operational and cultural side. | Onboarding task | Who does it | Day | | --- | --- | --- | | CIM (written contract) signed by both parties | Employee and Teamed | Before day one | | Work-authorisation check completed | Teamed | Before day one | | Revisal registration submitted to ITM | Teamed | Day 0 (before first day) | | Tax identification number (CNP or NIF) collected | Employee submits to Teamed | Day 1 | | Romanian IBAN collected for bank transfer | Teamed | Days 1 to 3 | | Health insurance and pension registration confirmed | Teamed | Days 1 to 7 | | Benefits setup (meal vouchers, private health, etc.) | Teamed (admin) and Client (decision) | Days 1 to 7 | | Equipment and system access | Client | Days 0 to 1 | | Manager introduction and first-week plan | Client | Days 0 to 7 | | 30-60-90 day plan documented | Client (manager) | Days 1 to 14 | ## How does Teamed handle Romanian employment for you? Teamed becomes your legal [employer of record](/lp/employer-of-record) in Romania for [**from $599 per employee per month**](/pricing), with **zero FX mark-up** in any currency. The CIM contract, Revisal registration, social-insurance declarations, and the full Romanian Labour Code stack run on **one platform**. **Real HR and legal experts** handle your Romanian hires, from the first offer letter through every monthly ANAF declaration and annual Revisal audit. **An actual person**, not a chatbot or a pooled queue. There is **no setup fee** and **no exit fee**. Employer cost **passes through at cost, itemised** on every invoice. EOR payroll, contractor onboarding, and entity setup all live on **one platform**. A Romanian contractor who converts to full employment keeps their record. Run the [Crossover Calculator](https://www.teamed.global/tools/crossover-calculator) to see the month your Romanian hire is ready to graduate to your own entity. Start from the Romania hiring overview; each guide here takes one layer of Romanian employment law. Key sources: [Labour Code Romania (Law 53/2003)](https://legislatie.just.ro/Public/DetaliiDocument/37441), [Eurofound: Romania notice periods](https://apps.eurofound.europa.eu/legislationdb/notice-period-to-employees/romania), and [Accace: Labour law in Romania](https://www.accace.com/labour-law-and-employment-in-romania/). ## Frequently asked questions How long does it take to hire someone in Romania through Teamed? Teamed can onboard a Romanian employee with EU or EEA work authorisation within a few business days. The critical path is drafting and signing the CIM (individual labour contract) and submitting the Revisal registration to the ITM, both of which must happen before the employee's first day. Non-EU nationals who need a work permit from the IGI will take longer, as the permit must be in place before the start date. What is Revisal and when must it be filed? Revisal is Romania's national register of employment contracts, maintained by the Territorial Labour Inspectorate (ITM). Every employer must register the CIM in Revisal before the employee starts work. The registration records the key contract terms and creates the official employment record. Teamed submits the Revisal entry as part of the standard onboarding process, before day one. What is the probation period and notice during probation in Romania? The probation period for non-management employees on indefinite contracts can last up to 3 months under the Labour Code. Management roles can have probation up to 4 months. During probation, either side can end employment with 5 days written notice. After probation, the employer must give at least 20 days written notice to dismiss. When does dismissal protection apply in Romania? Romania provides dismissal protection from day one of employment. There is no qualifying service period before an employee can bring a wrongful dismissal claim. Dismissals must be based on lawful grounds under the Labour Code and follow the correct procedure. Outside the probation period, the employer must also give 20 days written notice before any dismissal takes effect. What is the minimum annual leave entitlement for a Romanian employee? The minimum paid annual leave is 20 days working days per year under the Labour Code. The employer must ensure at least 10 consecutive days are taken in one block each year. Any unused leave at the end of the year can be carried over and taken within the following 18 months. Unused leave must be paid out on termination. Teamed Legal Operations The contract-before-day-one rule catches companies out regularly in Romania. Employers used to a grace period elsewhere are surprised to find there is none here. We build the CIM and Revisal registration in parallel with the offer process, so both are ready before the new hire arrives. A note from Tom Price-Daniel In Romania the written contract must exist before work begins. Not within a week. Before day one. Dismissal protection applies from the first day. There is no qualifying service period. The Revisal registration and the social-insurance declarations are the admin we handle. Tom Price-Daniel · Co-founder, Teamed ## Related Romania guides - Hiring in Romania, overviewparent - [Romania termination and severance](/country-hiring-guides/romania/termination-and-severance)sibling - [Romania employer cost breakdown](/country-hiring-guides/romania/cost-breakdown)sibling - [Romania tax and payroll](/country-hiring-guides/romania/tax-and-payroll)sibling - [Germany hiring guide](/country-hiring-guides/germany/hiring-guide)sibling - [Employer of Record overview](/lp/employer-of-record)core - [Crossover Calculator](https://www.teamed.global/tools/crossover-calculator)tool - [Talk to an expert](https://www.teamed.global/contact)CTA A note on this page. This is a guide, not legal, tax or accounting advice. Rules change and vary by jurisdiction. Verify current requirements with the Romanian Ministry of Labour and the General Inspectorate for Immigration (IGI) for Romania, or speak to a qualified professional, before relying on any specific framework.