Working in Romania from Nigeria: Visa, Permit, Costs (2026)

If you are a skilled or manual worker in Nigeria looking for legal employment in Europe, Romania is one of the most active destinations hiring right now. Romanian employers frequently recruit foreign talent in construction, logistics, manufacturing, and hospitality to fill workforce gaps. However, moving from Nigeria to Romania requires following a strict legal process set by the Romanian government.

Romania sets an annual government quota for foreign workers from non-EU countries. While thousands of spots are opened each year, the legal paperwork requires patience. Getting your work approval from the Romanian authorities and your visa in Nigeria can take several months. If you need to relocate immediately, you should keep this timeline in mind. However, for workers who prepare their documents early and secure a direct employer, Romania offers a legitimate, legal pathway to live and work in Europe.

Understanding the legal route to Romania

To work legally in Romania as a Nigerian national, you cannot simply apply for a visa on your own. The process is a two-step system where your employer in Romania must start the paperwork long before you visit the embassy in Nigeria.

• Step 1: Work Authorization (Aviz de Muncă) - Your employer in Romania must apply for this document on your behalf at the General Inspectorate for Immigration (Inspectoratul General pentru Imigrări or IGI). They must prove that the job position was advertised locally first and that you meet the required qualifications.
• Step 2: Long-Stay Visa for Employment (Viza de lungă ședere pentru angajare în scop de muncă - Type D/AM) - Once the IGI issues your Aviz de Muncă, your employer sends the original work authorization to you in Nigeria. Only after you have this document can you apply for your national employment visa.

This route applies specifically to full-time, long-term employment. Seasonal permits also exist for short-term farm or resort work, but most trade workers enter under the standard long-stay work authorization framework.

Submitting your application in Nigeria

Once you hold the official work authorization from Romania, you must lodge your visa application directly through official Romanian channels serving Nigeria.

• Online Pre-approval: You must first register and upload your documents to the official Romanian e-Visa portal (evisa.mae.ro). The embassy will review your digital files before scheduling an in-person appointment.
• In-person Submission: After receiving pre-approval on the portal, you will be invited to present your original documents and submit your biometric data at the Embassy of Romania in Abuja. There are currently no third-party visa centers like VFS or TLScontact handling Romanian work visas in Nigeria, so you must attend your appointment at the embassy in Abuja.

Required documents and legalisation in Nigeria

Preparing your paperwork correctly is the most critical step in avoiding visa delays or refusals. Romania requires clear proof of your identity, clean criminal history, and trade capabilities.

• Valid Passport: Your Nigerian international passport must be valid for at least one year beyond your intended entry date to Romania and have at least two blank pages.
• Work Authorization Document: The original Aviz de Muncă issued by IGI in Romania.
• Police Character Certificate: You must obtain a police clearance certificate from the Nigeria Police Force (CID department). Because Nigeria is not a member of the Hague Apostille Convention for Romania, your police report cannot simply be apostilled. Instead, it must undergo official legalisation: first authenticated at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Justice in Abuja, then legalised by the Embassy of Romania.
• Proof of Qualifications: Trade certificates, diplomas, or reference letters proving your work experience. These documents should also be authenticated at the relevant ministry in Abuja if requested by your employer.
• Medical Certificate: A comprehensive health check from an accredited hospital in Nigeria showing you are fit to work and free from contagious diseases.
• Travel Health Insurance: Coverage for medical emergencies valid across all Schengen and Romanian territories for the initial months of your stay.

Official fees, real costs, and timelines

It is crucial to understand the difference between official government fees and the out-of-pocket expenses you will incur while getting ready in Nigeria.

• Official Visa Fee: Set by Romania, the long-stay employment visa fee is approximately 120 EUR, payable according to embassy instructions during your interview in Abuja.
• Work Authorization Fee: The employer pays approximately 100 EUR directly to the Romanian immigration authorities (IGI) when applying for your Aviz de Muncă.
• Document Legalisation in Nigeria: Obtaining your police clearance and authenticating documents through the ministries in Abuja typically costs between approximately 150,000 NGN and 350,000 NGN (roughly 100 EUR to 230 EUR), depending on travel to Abuja and processing speed.
• Medical Exam and Photos: Passport photographs and medical screenings in Nigeria generally range between 50,000 NGN and 120,000 NGN (approximately 30 EUR to 80 EUR).
• Flight Ticket: A one-way flight from Lagos or Abuja to Bucharest usually costs between approximately 500 EUR and 1,000 EUR (around 750,000 NGN to 1,500,000 NGN), depending on the airline and booking notice.
• Processing Timeline: The employer's work authorization step at IGI in Romania usually takes approximately 2 to 4 months. Once submitted at the embassy in Abuja, the visa issuance takes approximately 3 to 6 weeks. Total waiting time is often between 4 and 7 months.

Avoid recruitment scams and illegal fees

In Nigeria, many fake agents target trade workers by promising quick Romanian visas in exchange for millions of Naira. Under European and Romanian regulations, legitimate recruitment agencies and employers carry the cost of hiring foreign workers. You should never pay anyone for a job offer.

Be extremely cautious of agents asking for high processing fees or guaranteed visa fees. An agent cannot guarantee a visa outcome because only the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Embassy in Abuja can issue visas. If an agency demands money before giving you an interview or asks you to pay for your work permit, walk away immediately.

Trades in high demand in Romania

Romania regularly recruits skilled manual workers from abroad to fill genuine labor shortages across several major industries.

• Construction: Masons, carpenters, rebar fixers, and welders are heavily recruited to support ongoing commercial buildings and road infrastructure projects across major Romanian cities.
• Logistics and Transport: Experienced heavy-duty truck drivers and warehouse forklift operators are widely sought after by international transport and distribution hubs.
• Hospitality and Services: Kitchen helpers, line cooks, and hotel room attendants find consistent job openings in tourism centers and large hotel chains.

Myths vs facts

• Myth: You can travel to Romania on a tourist visa from Nigeria and convert it to a work permit locally.
  Fact: You must receive your Aviz de Muncă and long-stay employment visa while still in Nigeria before traveling. Tourist visas cannot be converted into work status inside Romania.
• Myth: Romanian employers can charge you thousands of Euros to cover your work permit application.
  Fact: Romanian law requires the employer to pay for the work authorization paperwork at IGI, and selling job offers is strictly illegal.
• Myth: You can use a standard Nigerian apostille stamp for your embassy documents.
  Fact: Romania requires full legalisation for Nigerian official documents, which involves authentication at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Abuja before embassy submission.
• Myth: English is not useful, so you cannot work in Romania unless you speak fluent Romanian.
  Fact: While basic Romanian helps in daily life, many international construction sites, warehouses, and transport fleets operate effectively in English.

Before you sign

Before agreeing to any job offer or handing over your documents, run through this protective checklist:

• Verify the employer: Ensure the job contract lists a legally registered Romanian company with an official CUI (unique registration code).
• Check the salary details: Confirm that your contract states your gross monthly wage in Romanian Leu (RON) or Euros, along with clear working hours and overtime terms.
• Confirm accommodation terms: Ensure the contract explicitly clarifies who pays for your housing in Romania, as many genuine trade employers provide free or subsidized staff housing.
• Keep hold of your passport: Never surrender your international passport to an agency or recruiter in Nigeria or Romania; only embassy staff during official appointments should handle it.
• Confirm document original status: Verify that you will receive the official physical copy of your Aviz de Muncă from Romania before paying for any embassy appointments.

Take the next step with Workuro

When you register on Workuro, build a clean, accurate profile that highlights your specific trade skills, valid certifications, and exact document readiness. Make sure to specify your practical experience in trades like welding, driving, construction, or hospitality, and mention your English communication level. Having your legal documents ready, such as an updated international passport and police report, makes you stand out to European employers actively searching for qualified workers. Workuro is free for workers - employers pay to search the register, and nobody may charge you for a job.