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Hiring Employees in Romania

CIM contract · REVISAL · sourcing · screening · onboarding · Labour Code compliance

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Hiring employees in Romania requires compliance with the Romanian Labour Code (Codul Muncii) from the very first hire. Every employee must have a written individual employment contract (CIM — contract individual de muncă) signed before their first day, and must be registered in the national employment register (REVISAL) before they begin work. These are not administrative formalities — they are legal obligations enforced by the Labour Inspectorate (ITM) with significant fines for non-compliance.

Romania For Business SRL manages the complete hiring process for international companies — from role specification and multi-channel candidate sourcing through interview coordination, offer management, CIM contract drafting, REVISAL registration and employee onboarding. Our HR team ensures that every hire is fully compliant with Romanian employment law from Day 1. All services are delivered in English.

REVISAL registration must be completed BEFORE the employee’s first working day — not on Day 1

The most common compliance error made by international employers in Romania is completing the REVISAL registration on the employee’s first working day, or even after. Romanian law requires the REVISAL entry to be submitted before the employee begins work. If an ITM inspector visits the premises and finds an employee working without a prior REVISAL entry, the fine is immediate and significant — regardless of whether a signed CIM exists. Romania For Business SRL completes REVISAL registration as part of every hiring engagement, before the agreed start date.

Employment Contract Types in Romania

Romanian employment law recognises several types of working arrangement — each with different legal status, protections and obligations. Choosing the correct type is essential before the CIM is drafted.

Contract type Key features When to use
Indefinite-term (perioadă nedeterminată) • Standard contract — most common
• No end date
• Minimum 20 working days notice each side
• Full Labour Code protections apply		 All standard permanent hires. Preferred by candidates. Required for microenterprise employee condition.
Fixed-term (perioadă determinată) • Maximum 36 months total (including renewals)
• Can be renewed maximum twice
• Converts automatically to indefinite if continued beyond limit
• Same rights as indefinite during term		 Project-based hires, seasonal work, covering an employee on leave. Not suitable as a tool to avoid permanent obligations.
Part-time (muncă cu timp parțial) • Fewer hours than standard 8h/day or 40h/week
• Must specify hours in CIM
• Pro-rata salary and benefits
• Does NOT count for microenterprise condition (must be full-time)		 Flexible staffing, student workers, supplementary roles. Note: only a full-time employee satisfies the microenterprise employee condition.
Temporary work (muncă temporară) • Employee provided by a licensed temporary work agency
• Agency is the legal employer
• Client company directs the work
• Maximum 24 months per assignment		 Short-term demand spikes, testing a candidate before direct hire, specialist skills for a defined project.
Individual service agreement (PFA / contractor) • Not an employment contract — a service agreement with a self-employed individual (PFA, SRL, IF)
• No social contributions for the client company
• ANAF risk: reclassification as employment if conditions indicate subordination		 Genuine freelance / consulting engagements only. ANAF actively scrutinises arrangements that resemble employment dressed as service contracts.
ANAF actively investigates disguised employment — ‘contractor’ arrangements that are actually employment

Romanian tax law (and ANAF enforcement practice) treats self-employed individuals (PFA, SRL contractors) who work exclusively or primarily for one company, under that company’s direction, on the company’s premises with the company’s tools, as employees — regardless of the contractual label. If ANAF reclassifies a service agreement as employment, the company owes all unpaid social contributions (CAS, CASS), income tax and penalties — typically for the last 5 years. Use genuine service agreements only for genuinely independent, multi-client professionals.

The Individual Employment Contract (CIM) — What Must It Include?

The individual employment contract (contract individual de muncă — CIM) is the legal foundation of every Romanian employment relationship. It must be in writing, in Romanian, and signed by both parties before the employee’s first working day. Romania For Business SRL prepares bilingual (Romanian / English) CIMs for international employers.

CIM mandatory element What it must state — and why
Employer identity Full legal name, registered address, trade register number (CUI/J) and legal representative of the employing entity. The employer on the CIM must be the Romanian SRL — not the foreign parent company.
Employee identity Full name, personal identification number (CNP — for Romanian nationals) or foreigner’s personal number, address, and identity document details.
Job title and job description The specific job title (must match the Classification of Occupations — COR code) and a description of the main duties. The job title in the CIM determines the social contribution base category.
Workplace The specific address where the employee will work. If the employee works from home (telemuncă), this must be specified and the contract must include the telework provisions required by Law 81/2018.
Contract duration Indefinite-term (perioadă nedeterminată) — standard — or fixed-term (perioadă determinată) with explicit end date and legal basis for the fixed term.
Working time Standard working hours: 8 hours/day, 40 hours/week — or the specific part-time schedule. Overtime rules and shift patterns if applicable.
Gross salary The agreed gross monthly salary in RON. Any variable components (bonus, commission) must be referenced or covered in a separate annex or bonus plan.
Annual leave entitlement Minimum 20 working days — or the higher amount agreed (collective bargaining agreements may specify more).
Notice period Minimum 20 working days for employee-initiated termination; minimum 20 working days for employer-initiated termination (45 for management roles).
Probation period (if any) Optional — maximum 90 calendar days for standard roles, 120 days for management roles, 30 days for roles with disability. Termination during probation does not require severance.
Collective bargaining agreement Reference to the applicable collective agreement (contract colectiv de muncă), if any applies at sector or company level.
The CIM must be in Romanian — the English version is for the employee’s information only

Romanian law requires the CIM to be drafted in the Romanian language. The Romanian version is the legally binding document — in any employment dispute before Romanian courts, only the Romanian text is authoritative. Romania For Business SRL prepares the Romanian version as the primary contract and provides an English translation alongside it — making the terms clear to both the international employer and any employee who does not speak Romanian.

Hiring Employees in Romania — Step by Step

Romania For Business SRL manages the complete hiring process — from initial role brief through to the employee’s first day and onboarding completion. The process below applies to a standard permanent hire.

01

Role brief defined

02

Job description prepared

03

Sourcing & search

04

CV screening & shortlist

05

Interviews & assessment

06

Offer & negotiation

07

CIM signed & REVISAL

08

Onboarding complete

Stage What happens
1. Role brief We discuss the role in detail — job title, key responsibilities, required qualifications and experience, seniority level, team structure, reporting line, start date and salary range. We advise on market salary expectations based on our benchmarking data.
2. Job description We prepare a bilingual job description (Romanian and English) — ensuring the job title matches the Romanian COR classification (required for REVISAL). Job descriptions are posted on selected platforms and shared with our direct network.
3. Sourcing We run a multi-channel search — job boards (BestJobs, eJobs, Hipo), LinkedIn (active and passive candidates), specialist platform sourcing, and direct approach where appropriate. The sourcing strategy is agreed with the client before activation.
4. CV screening We screen all applications against the agreed criteria and provide a shortlist of the top candidates — typically 5–10 CVs — with a written summary for each candidate including our assessment and any questions or concerns.
5. Interviews We schedule and coordinate all interview rounds — managing candidate communication throughout. We brief the client before each round and debrief after. Assessment tools or structured interview frameworks can be incorporated on request.
6. Offer and negotiation We prepare the offer letter in English and Romanian and manage the negotiation — advising on market norms for salary, meal vouchers, private health insurance, notice periods and any other candidate requests. We confirm acceptance in writing.
7. CIM and REVISAL We draft the bilingual CIM incorporating the agreed terms. The client signs the Romanian version. We submit the REVISAL entry before the agreed start date. We provide the client with the REVISAL confirmation number.
8. Onboarding We prepare the full onboarding documentation pack — employee file, GDPR processing consent, health and safety general instruction (SSRM — instructaj de protecție a muncii), occupational medicine appointment coordination, and any role-specific compliance documents.

Ongoing Employer Obligations After the First Hire

Hiring is the beginning of a set of ongoing obligations — not a one-time event. International employers who hire in Romania must be aware of the following recurring requirements.

Ongoing obligation What the employer must do — and when
Monthly payroll and D112 declaration Every month: calculate gross-to-net salaries, pay net salaries to employees, calculate and pay employer and employee social contributions to ANAF, and submit the D112 payroll declaration. D112 is due by the 25th of the following month. Failure triggers automatic ANAF fines.
REVISAL updates Every change in the employment relationship must be updated in REVISAL within the applicable time limit: salary changes (within 20 working days), position/function changes (before the change), address changes (within 3 working days), and employment termination (on the last working day).
Annual leave tracking The employer must track annual leave — accrual, requests, approvals and carry-over. Unused annual leave from the current year must be allowed to be taken within 18 months of the end of the year in which it was earned. Annual leave that cannot be used due to employer reasons must be compensated.
Occupational medicine (medicina muncii) All employees must undergo a pre-employment medical assessment (examen medical la angajare) before starting work, and periodic medical assessments during employment — typically annually for office roles, more frequently for physical or hazardous roles. The employer pays the cost.
Health and safety training (SSM) All employees must receive general and specific health and safety training (instructaj SSM) before starting work and at regular intervals thereafter. The training must be documented and signed by the employee. Employers with more than 50 employees must designate a dedicated SSM responsible person.
Meal voucher administration If meal vouchers (tichete de masă) are offered: the employer orders vouchers from an approved provider (Edenred, Sodexo, Up Romania, etc.), issues them to employees monthly, and records the issuance. The cost is deductible for the employer and partially exempt from social contributions for the employee.
ITM notifications Certain employment events require notification to the Labour Inspectorate (ITM): changes to the employee count, collective redundancies (over the applicable thresholds), and working time modifications for certain categories. REVISAL updates often satisfy the ITM notification requirement.

Hiring Foreign Nationals — EU and Non-EU Employees

International companies frequently need to hire both Romanian nationals and foreign nationals — including EU citizens and non-EU nationals. The requirements differ significantly between the two groups.

EU / EEA / Swiss nationals Non-EU nationals
Rights:
✓ Full right to work in Romania — no work permit required
✓ Must register with the local authority (evidența persoanelor) within 3 months of arrival if staying longer
✓ CIM and REVISAL required — same as Romanian nationals
✓ Social contributions apply on the same basis
CNP / residence registration:
EU citizens need a Romanian personal identity number (CIF — code for foreigners) for payroll purposes — obtained at the local authority or ANAF. 		Requirements:
✓ Work permit (aviz de angajare) required before starting work
✓ Permit applied for by the employer at Inspectoratul General pentru Imigrări (IGI)
✓ Annual quota system — limited number of work permits per year
✓ Residence permit required alongside the work permit
Timeline:
Work permit processing: typically 30–60 days from complete application. Employer must hold a valid work permit before REVISAL registration.

Pricing — Hiring Employees in Romania

Recruitment fees are payable on successful placement — when the candidate signs their CIM employment contract. There is no fee if the search does not result in a hire. The CIM drafting and REVISAL registration package is also available as a standalone service for companies that have already identified their candidate.

HIRING EMPLOYEES IN ROMANIA

from €1,500
per successful placement

HIRING ENGAGEMENT INCLUDES:

  • Requirements brief — role, seniority, must-haves, salary range, start date
  • Job description preparation — Romanian and English versions
  • Multi-channel sourcing — job boards, LinkedIn, direct approach, specialist platforms
  • CV screening and shortlist — against agreed technical and cultural criteria
  • Interview scheduling and candidate briefing
  • First-round interview coordination (online or in-person)
  • Second-round and final interview support
  • Reference and employment history check
  • Offer preparation and negotiation support
  • CIM employment contract drafting — Romanian-law compliant, bilingual
  • REVISAL registration — completed before the employee’s first day
  • Onboarding document pack — employee file, GDPR consent, health and safety notice
  • 90-day replacement guarantee — free replacement if hire leaves within 90 days

FEE SCHEDULE — HIRING EMPLOYEES

  • Junior / mid-level hire (annual salary up to €25k) — 1 role from €1,500
  • Senior professional hire (annual salary €25k–50k) — 1 role 15% of annual gross salary
  • Multiple hire package — 3–5 roles, same brief 10% per role (discounted)
  • CIM contract drafting only (without full recruitment) from €150
  • REVISAL registration only (without full recruitment) from €75
  • Employee onboarding documentation package from €100
  • 90-day replacement guarantee Included with all placements

Recruitment fees are payable on successful placement — when the candidate signs their CIM employment contract. No fee is payable if the search does not result in a hire. Fees may be subject to Romanian VAT.

Frequently Asked Questions — Hiring Employees in Romania

Yes — a CIM (contract individual de muncă) is mandatory for every employee in Romania. It must be in writing, in Romanian, and signed by both the employer and the employee before the employee begins work. There are no exceptions. Oral employment agreements have no legal standing under Romanian law. Operating without a signed CIM exposes the employer to significant fines from the Labour Inspectorate and may result in the employment relationship being treated as undeclared work (muncă la negru) — which carries criminal liability.

REVISAL registration must be completed before the employee’s first working day — not on Day 1, not after. The law is unambiguous: the employment contract must be registered in REVISAL before work begins. The REVISAL system timestamps the registration — an ITM inspector can verify immediately whether the registration was made before or after the work commenced. Romania For Business SRL completes REVISAL registration as a standard part of every recruitment engagement, before the agreed start date.

Yes — fixed-term contracts (contracte pe perioadă determinată) are permitted under the Romanian Labour Code, subject to specific rules. A fixed-term contract can be concluded for a maximum initial period of 12 months; it can be renewed twice; and the total cumulative duration cannot exceed 36 months. If the employment continues beyond 36 months, or if the contract is renewed more than twice, it automatically converts to an indefinite-term contract. Fixed-term contracts must state the legal basis for the fixed term — general cost-saving is not an acceptable reason.

The Romanian Labour Code allows for a probation period (perioadă de probă) in indefinite-term contracts: maximum 90 calendar days for standard roles; maximum 120 calendar days for management positions; maximum 30 calendar days for employees with disabilities. During the probation period, either party can terminate the contract by written notice without severance, without needing to cite specific grounds. For fixed-term contracts: maximum 5 working days for a contract up to 3 months; maximum 15 working days for a contract of 3–6 months; maximum 30 working days for a contract over 6 months.

Operating without a CIM or REVISAL registration is treated as undeclared work (muncă la negru) — a serious offence under Romanian law. Fines: from RON 10,000 to RON 20,000 per undeclared employee for REVISAL violations. Criminal liability: systematic undeclared employment may be treated as tax evasion. Additionally, the employer owes all unpaid social contributions (CAS, CASS) and income tax from the date the employee began work — potentially for multiple years. ITM inspectors conduct unannounced site visits and check REVISAL status on the spot.

All employees must be paid at least the national minimum gross wage (salariul minim brut pe economie) set by Government Decision. As of January 2024: RON 3,300/month gross (approximately €660/month). Construction sector employees have a higher minimum (confirm current rate). Employees in the IT sector may be entitled to income tax exemption on their salary if specific conditions are met — Romania For Business SRL advises on the IT salary exemption eligibility. Romania For Business SRL verifies the current minimum wage at the time of each contract to ensure compliance.

Meal vouchers (tichete de masă) are not legally mandatory — but they are a standard benefit across Romanian employers. Not offering meal vouchers is a significant competitive disadvantage in recruitment — most candidates expect them. The maximum daily value is set by Government Decision (verify current value before implementing). Meal vouchers are tax-efficient: the cost is deductible for the employer, and the value is partially exempt from social contributions for the employee. Romania For Business SRL advises on the optimal benefits package for each hiring engagement.

EU, EEA and Swiss nationals have the full right to work in Romania without a work permit — they simply need to register with the local authority if staying more than 3 months. Non-EU nationals require a work permit (aviz de angajare) issued by the Immigration Inspectorate (IGI) before they can begin work. Work permits are subject to an annual national quota and take 30–60 days to process. Romania For Business SRL advises on non-EU employee requirements and refers to specialist immigration lawyers for the permit application.

Romania For Business SRL’s recruitment engagements include a 90-day replacement guarantee: if the placed employee voluntarily resigns or is terminated for cause within the first 90 calendar days of employment, we will run a free replacement search for the same role — at no additional fee. The replacement guarantee does not apply if the termination is due to the employer’s own conduct, redundancy, or a change in role specifications. The guarantee applies to one replacement per original placement.