Relocating to Romania with Your Family: A Complete Guide for 2026

Introduction: why families choose Romania

Romania is rarely the first, “obvious” choice for relocation — it lacks the name recognition of Portugal or Spain. But the families who discover it gain a rare combination: full EU membership, Schengen access, a warm climate and a high level of safety — at a cost of living well below Western Europe. As expats put it, “it’s Europe, and it’s affordable Europe” — there is money left over to save, including for the children’s education.

The profile of relocating families is varied: entrepreneurs who have set up a Romanian company; employees of multinationals with a Bucharest office; remote workers; and families arriving through family reunification behind a primary applicant. What unites them is a practical calculation: affordable housing and food, a well-developed English-speaking environment, a large community of foreigners, and a sense of safety many had been missing at home.

This guide walks through all the key questions: who can move and how, which city to choose, how schools and healthcare work, what the move itself and monthly life cost, how to find housing — and, by honest accounts, what frustrates people in the first year and what they quickly get used to.

Why Romania — the case for a family

Below is a comparison of Romania with popular Western European destinations on the factors that matter most to families: taxes, rent and cost of living, safety, English and climate.

A distinct plus for families who don’t (yet) speak the local language: Romania has a very large Russian-speaking community (Moldovans, Ukrainians, Belarusians, Russians) and strong English-, German- and Italian-speaking communities too (see below). Food is familiar and cheap: inexpensive fruit and vegetables year-round, pork, and even jamón at reasonable prices.

Communities and languages: not only Russian

A Russian-speaking network is not the only anchor for a family. Romania has strong English-, German- and Italian-speaking communities, each with its own schools and services in the mother tongue.

The German presence is historic. Transylvania (Sibiu, Brașov) and the Banat were home to Saxons and Swabians for centuries. Thanks to the officially recognised German minority, there are state schools that teach entirely in German — an affordable, high-quality alternative to expensive international schools. German business (automotive, industry) sustains demand for German-language services and networks, such as the German-Romanian Chamber of Commerce (AHK).

Italian is almost a “home” language. Italy is one of Romania’s key economic partners, and Italian business is especially visible in the west of the country. Romanians understand Italian easily (both are Romance languages), so services and communication in Italian are accessible; the Istituto Italiano di Cultura and the Dante Alighieri society provide cultural and language support.

The English-speaking environment is the broadest. International schools teach in English, English is widespread among professionals, and the expat community (IT, multinationals, embassies) sustains clubs and groups such as InterNations.

Who can move and how: grounds for residence

EU/EEA citizens — freedom of movement

Citizens of the 27 EU states, plus Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein, may live in Romania without a visa or work permit. For stays longer than three months they must register and obtain a registration certificate — a notification procedure, provided there is a qualifying ground (work, self-employment, study or sufficient means).

Non-EU/EEA citizens — a residence permit

Citizens of countries outside the EU need a long-stay visa (Viza D) and then a residence permit (permis de ședere) to live in Romania for more than 90 days in any 180. The ground is chosen to fit the family’s situation.

The path to permanent residence and citizenship

Which city to choose for a family

A family with children weighs different priorities than a pure business decision: international schools, safety, community and family-friendly neighbourhoods come first. By expats’ accounts, for families with school-age children Bucharest is the default — precisely because of the depth of international education.

Schools and education

Bucharest has a great many international schools; there is also a Russian-language school at the embassy. Many families choose the international environment specifically — for fluent English and the experience of mixing with children from many countries (often no two children in a class are from the same country).

Schools in more than English. It is worth knowing about the German state schools for the recognised German minority (for example, the Brukenthal college in Sibiu and the Nikolaus Lenau lyceum in Timișoara) — they teach entirely in German for a nominal fee, making them a strong and inexpensive alternative to €12,000-a-year international schools. For Italian and other languages, cultural institutes (Istituto Italiano di Cultura, Goethe-Institut) and selected bilingual sections provide support.

Healthcare

Romania has a family-doctor system (medic de familie): once registered, a family attaches to a doctor and receives basic consultations and tests free of charge — regardless of citizenship. This is a big plus for families.

A specialist appointment at a private clinic costs from around €30 (150 lei) up to ≈€100 for complex cases — generally cheaper than in many neighbouring countries. An honest caveat from expats: experienced doctors tend to be older, and their English can be weaker; a qualified specialist who explains things clearly is often found by recommendation or through an insurer. You can also match care by language: English-speaking doctors are found in private and expat-oriented clinics, while in Transylvania (Sibiu, Brașov) German-speaking specialists are more common.

What the move itself costs (one-off outlays)

A separate item people often forget is the “sunk” sum for the first week: while you look for housing and get set up, money goes fast. Below is a real breakdown of a family’s DIY move (mother + two children) to Bucharest.

The key lesson: budget a reserve. Even on a tight approach the sum easily runs over — because rent turns out dearer than planned and the search takes longer. A big plus in this particular case was that the flat was let for the first time, freshly renovated with new mattresses, so no major furniture had to be bought.

Romania compared with other destinations*

The monthly family budget

Once settled, the recurring costs begin. The main items for a family are housing, food, healthcare and — for families with children — school. A baseline budget for a family of three in Romania is roughly €1,650–1,750 a month (groceries, rent, utilities, transport, connectivity) — excluding school and individual spending.

How to find housing

To search like a local, use OLX.ro, Storia.ro and Imobiliare.ro, as well as dealing directly with owners. Practical observations from families: if a listing targets expats, the price can be double — the same flat is cheaper on Romanian sites. Shared rentals and rooms within a flat are also common.

On the money side: expect a deposit of about 100% of the monthly rent and an agency commission of 1–4%. On Bucharest districts: the central areas and “sectors one to three” are considered fine, while families tend to avoid some outlying districts. Houses near international schools (large and new) cost more — around €2,500 a month on average; a little further out, in Romanian neighbourhoods, roughly €1,000–1,500. After 2022, when Romania took in many refugees, prices rose and quality supply thinned; over time the situation is gradually levelling out.

Honest pros and cons for a family

Families like Romania not for a perfect “picture” but for a combination of safety, climate and a human touch. But there are two sides to the coin — here is what to know in advance.

The first year and adaptation

Many families move as part of a corporate relocation, where a provider company helps with documents, the move and setting up, and also runs adaptation programmes: meetings, excursions, sports, spouses’ associations. Even without that, it is worth leaning on the large and friendly expat community and the various language communities.

The main advice from those who have done it: don’t be afraid to move with children. Children adapt quickly, English is picked up within six months, and the critical “six-month wall” passes — after which the country begins to reveal its better side. Roads between cities became comfortable after EU accession (motorways at up to 130 km/h), so travelling around the country with a family is easy: the old capital, the north, Transylvania with its mountains and wild bears, old towns from the 11th–12th centuries.

Methodology and data note

First-hand details and figures draw on the real experience of families who moved to Bucharest (2023–2026) and reflect personal impressions, not official rules. Amounts vary by city, family size and lifestyle; visa requirements, timelines and rates are volatile and are marked with “*”/”≈”. Verify the residence-permit and citizenship process against current rules (IGI) and a specialist adviser. This material is for information only and does not constitute legal, immigration or financial advice.