Studying in Romania

What a year costs

Tuition. Study in Romania, the Ministry of Education's portal, gives fees from €400 to almost €9,000 a year, depending on the field and whether you are from the EU. Non-EU students at state universities pay in euros.

POLITEHNICA Bucharest's Faculty of Engineering in Foreign Languages publishes its 2026-2027 non-EU fees:

• Bachelor's: €2,600 in year one, then €2,430 a year
• Master's: €2,700 in year one, then €2,430 a year

English- and French-taught medicine, dentistry and pharmacy sit at the top of the national range and are priced by each medical university. Check the university's own fee page for your start year; we did not find an official 2026-2027 English-programme fee for the largest medical universities when we checked.

Living costs. Study in Romania estimates about €600 a month, made up of accommodation €60-€300 (dormitory to private flat), food €100-€300, utilities €40-€60, transport €10-€30, phone and internet €20-€40, and entertainment. A dormitory place is the biggest single saving; in a private flat, expect to be at the top of those ranges.

The visa

You need a long-stay visa for studies (type D) from a Romanian consulate, then an extension of your right of temporary residence from the General Inspectorate for Immigration (IGI) once in Romania, which gives you a residence permit card.

The fee: €300. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs eVisa portal states that from 27 April 2026 the long-stay visa fee is €300. Before that date it was €120, and many university pages still quote €120. That figure is out of date.

What you need. The IGI and university guidance list:

• A letter of acceptance for studies issued by the Ministry of Education
• Proof that tuition for at least one year has been paid
• Proof of means of support of at least the national minimum gross wage for each month of the period on the visa
• Travel medical insurance for the whole stay, with cover of at least €30,000

The money. Romania's national minimum gross wage rose to 4,325 lei a month on 1 July 2026 (Ministry of Labour). So the floor is 4,325 lei, or its equivalent, for each month on the visa. The visa is issued for 90 days, so the consulate assesses at least three months, but you then need the same test for the residence extension below.

Timing. Apply at least two months before departure. The visa is valid for 90 days.

Extending your residence in Romania. Before the visa runs out, apply to IGI to extend your right of residence for studies. For extensions, IGI asks for means of at least the minimum gross wage for at least six months, a medical certificate, and the fees: €120, paid in lei, as the consular tax, and 265 lei for the residence permit card. Submit at least 30 days before your current permission expires. IGI decides within 30 days, extendable by 15.

Working while you study

With a temporary right of residence for studies you can work without a work permit, but only on an individual part-time employment contract of no more than six hours a day. The contract must be part-time and in writing.

Six hours a day on top of a full-time degree is a ceiling, not a plan. Do not count on part-time work to meet the funds test or cover your budget.

After you graduate

IGI allows your right of temporary residence for studies to be extended for nine months after graduation, to look for work or to arrange employment or a business. You apply with the documents proving you have completed your studies. When you find a job, you move to an employment-based permit.

Language

Romanian state universities teach in Romanian, English, French and German. For Romanian-taught programmes, POLITEHNICA Bucharest requires at least B1 Romanian. If you do not have it, you take a preparatory year in Romanian, which adds a year and its fees. For foreign-language programmes you need an international certificate (TOEFL, IELTS or Cambridge for English; DELF or TCF for French; Goethe for German) unless you have completed four or more consecutive years of education in that language. The required score is set per programme.

Outside class, Romanian helps with landlords, public offices and most jobs outside multinational firms. Start learning it early, even if your programme is in English.

When to apply

Admission for non-EU students is a two-stage process: the university assesses your file, then submits you to the Ministry of Education, which may issue a letter of acceptance within 30 working days of receiving a complete file (15 working days after an incomplete file is completed). You cannot apply for the visa without that letter.

POLITEHNICA Bucharest opens its application platform usually in February and keeps it open until the end of July. Other universities, especially the medical universities, set their own calendars and may close earlier: check the programme page.

Work backwards: file by spring, allow a month for the Ministry letter, two months for the visa, and time to pay a year's fees in advance. Applying in July for an October start leaves no margin.

What to watch out for

The €300 visa fee is new. From 27 April 2026 the long-stay visa fee rose from €120 to €300. Agency and university pages quoting €120 are out of date.

You pay a year's tuition before the visa. Proof that fees for at least one year have been paid is a visa requirement. Ask the university in writing about refunds if the visa is refused, before you transfer.

The minimum wage changes, and so does your funds figure. Your proof of funds is tied to the national minimum gross wage, which rose on 1 July 2026. Check the current figure when you apply, and again before each extension.

Extend on time, every year. Your residence extension must be filed at least 30 days before your current permission expires. Missing it can leave you without lawful status and make the next extension harder.

Private agents and "guaranteed admission". Admission for non-EU students depends on a Ministry letter of acceptance. No agent can guarantee it. Deal directly with the university's international office where you can.

Where these numbers come from

Rules change, sometimes at short notice. Every figure above carries the date we checked it. Check the official source before you rely on it, and note that 2026-2027 fees for English-taught medicine were not available on an official page when we checked.