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The Long-Term Life Path in Romania
The roadmap to permanent (long-term) residence after several years of lawful stay in Romania.
Source: General Inspectorate for Immigration (IGI) — igi.mai.gov.ro — Last reviewed: August 2026
Long-term residence (Rezidență pe Termen Lung) is the middle step between a temporary (work/study) residence permit and Romanian citizenship. Unlike temporary residence, which must be renewed every year or two, long-term residence is valid for several years and removes some of the restrictions temporary permits carry. This page is only the roadmap — for the exact documents and steps, see the dedicated Long-Term Residence page in the Immigration section.
1The Core Requirement: 5 Years of Continuous Legal Stay
- You must have lived in Romania continuously for 5 years on a valid temporary permit; absences cannot exceed 6 consecutive months or 10 months total across those 5 years.
- Time spent as a student counts at only half rate — 2 years of study equals 1 year toward the 5-year requirement, a nuance many students get wrong.
- Short-stay, diplomatic, asylum/humanitarian-protection, seasonal-work, and au-pair permits generally do not count toward this calculation.
2Validity & Processing Time
- The long-term residence card is generally valid for 5 years; for family members of a Romanian citizen it extends to 10 years.
- Review typically takes up to 6 months, extendable by another 3 months in special cases; written notice comes within 15 days and the card is issued within 30 days of approval.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does student time count fully toward the 5 years?
No, only half. If you've been a student in Romania for 4 years, only 2 years count toward the 5-year requirement.
What comes after long-term residence?
The next step is typically applying for Romanian citizenship, which has its own separate conditions and timeline — see the Citizenship Path page for details.
This guide is part of the "Start Here" collection.
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