Romania’s New Golden Visa Program – EU Residence by Investment

IST Hungary is closely monitoring the developments in the investment climate of the Central European region. In light of recent legislative initiatives, we consider it important to inform you about the planned introduction of a new residence program for financially independent individuals in Romania.

This state program, announced on October 15, 2025, offers affluent citizens from non-EU and non-EEA countries the opportunity to obtain long-term residence by making capital investments in the Romanian economy.

The key requirement is an investment starting from €400,000.

Within the framework of the proposed program, investors have the right to choose the most suitable capital investment option for themselves.

Available Investment Options:

• Acquisition of real estate on Romanian territory
• Purchase of government bonds
• Investment in shares of local companies
• Participation in investment funds officially approved by the Romanian Financial Supervisory Authority (ASF)

Regardless of the chosen instrument, the minimum investment amount is fixed at four hundred thousand euros, and the investments must be maintained for at least five years.

A significant advantage of this program is that the five-year residence permit can be renewed. Furthermore, the investor is not required to reside permanently in Romania to maintain their status. The right to obtain the same resident status extends to the main applicant’s family members, including their spouse and minor children.

All candidates must undergo a comprehensive verification process. The origin of the invested funds must be entirely legal, and applicants must not be listed on international sanctions lists.

After five years of successfully maintaining resident status, the investor becomes eligible to apply for permanent residence in Romania. Subsequently, the path opens to apply for citizenship. According to the current Romanian Citizenship Law No. 21/1991, the standard requirement is residence in the country for eight years. However, this period can be reduced to three years for individuals whose activities are recognized by the authorities as a significant contribution to the country’s economic, scientific, or cultural development.

The program is currently in the legislative approval stage. For its final enactment, the draft law must be reviewed by the Senate and then by the Chamber of Deputies of Romania. Following parliamentary approval, the document may be sent for assessment to the Constitutional Court, and the final decision to sign the law rests with the country’s President. Only after the adopted law is published in Romania’s Official Gazette will the program officially come into force, and the start of application intake will be announced.

IST Hungary views the planned Romanian program as a well-considered and modern instrument for investors seeking to establish strong ties with the European Union. The combination of transparent investment routes and a comprehensive Due Diligence procedure creates a balanced offering in the investment immigration market. We believe that upon its launch, this program has all the prerequisites to become one of the sought-after solutions for obtaining EU residency.

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