Romania

⇑Universities

Romania has 52 public and 32 private universities (Study in Romania data, 2026). Besides universities, there are also academies and technical institutions. Quality is assessed by the agency ARACIS. In 2024/25 around 490,000 people were studying here.

Many international applicants choose universities of medicine and pharmacy (Universitatea de Medicină și Farmacie, UMF) – for example in Cluj-Napoca, Iași, Bucharest or Târgu Mureș. They offer medicine and dentistry in English, and some also in French.

Universities in Romania – profiles

⇑Study system

Higher education has three cycles and uses ECTS credits:

• licență (bachelor's) – usually 3–4 years, 180–240 ECTS,
• master – 1–2 years, 90–120 ECTS,
• doctorat – usually 4 years,
• integrated programmes – medicine, dentistry and veterinary medicine take 6 years (360 ECTS), pharmacy 5 years (300 ECTS).

The academic year starts in the first week of October and has two 14-week semesters. With your degree you automatically receive a diploma supplement in Romanian and English.

Romania – bachelor's programmes
Romania – integrated (single-cycle) programmes
Romania – master's programmes
Romania – doctoral programmes

⇑Admission

There is no central system – you apply directly to the institution, usually through its online system. If you are an EU citizen, you apply on the same terms as Romanian students and pay the same fees.

You will need, among other things, proof of citizenship and your secondary school leaving certificate (for a master's – your bachelor's degree). Certificates are recognised by the national centre CNRED: documents from EU countries are recognised automatically, and the procedure takes up to 30 days (longer if extra checks are needed).

If you come from outside the EU, you also apply to the institution, which should give you a preliminary decision within about 15 days. If it is positive, the Ministry of Education issues a Letter of Acceptance – processing can take up to 30 working days. You need this letter to apply for a student visa, so apply as early as you can.

Deadlines are set by each institution. Example – medical programmes in English, admissions for 2026/27:

• UMF Cluj-Napoca – two sessions: 25 March – 20 May and 21 May – 16 July 2026, results on 3 June and 28 July,
• UMF Iași – applications until 25 May 2026 (after an extension), registration for the interview until 9 June.

⇑Entrance exams

Admission rules (admitere) are set by each institution and faculty – sometimes your school grades count, sometimes there is an exam. Check the admission regulations on your chosen faculty's website.

For medical programmes in English in Cluj-Napoca and Iași there is no entrance exam: the universities assess your documents and secondary school grades, and in Iași there is also an interview.

⇑Language

Programmes are taught mainly in Romanian, but institutions also offer programmes in English, French, German and Hungarian. If you want to study in Romanian, you can start with a one-year preparatory Romanian course (an pregătitor, 60 ECTS) – offered, for example, by the Faculty of Letters of the University of Bucharest.

For programmes in a foreign language you need a certificate, usually at level B2 – UMF Cluj-Napoca, for example, requires it for medicine in English and in French, unless you completed secondary school in that language. You can use, for example, IELTS or TOEFL.

⇑Residence and formalities

EU/EEA citizens do not need a visa – you enter with an ID card or passport. If you stay in Romania longer than 3 months, you must register your residence with the General Inspectorate for Immigration (Inspectoratul General pentru Imigrări, IGI) – at its office in the county (județ) where you live.

You receive a registration certificate (certificat de înregistrare), valid for one to five years and usually issued on the same day. With your application you submit, among other things, your ID card or passport (original and copy), documents from your institution, health insurance and proof of means of support.

Students from outside the EU/EEA need a long-stay visa for studies, which you apply for at a Romanian embassy or consulate in your country of origin or residence. You will need, among other things, the Letter of Acceptance from the Ministry of Education, proof that you have paid tuition for at least one year, a criminal record certificate, medical insurance and proof of means of support of at least the national minimum wage for each month covered by the visa. The visa is valid for 90 days. At least 30 days before it expires, you apply to IGI for a residence permit for studies, which is renewable. Full details are on the IGI website.

Note: IGI pages describe the required amount differently (gross or net minimum wage), and Study in Romania mentions at least €2,000 – check the current amount with the Romanian consulate before you apply for the visa.

Health insurance: if you are insured in another EU country, bring your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). The full list of documents for EU citizens is on the IGI website.

⇑Tuition fees

Public institutions have state-funded places (locuri bugetate), where the state covers the full cost of your studies, and fee-paying places. An EU citizen can get a state-funded place on the same terms as a Romanian student – if they rank above the funding threshold. If not, the fee is usually €2,000 to €10,000 a year.

Medicine in English is fee-paying. Examples for 2026/27:

• UMF "Iuliu Hațieganu" Cluj-Napoca – €10,000 a year (medicine, dentistry, pharmacy). EU citizens pay half, €5,000, to confirm their place – non-refundable. There is also an application processing fee of €300,
• UMF "Grigore T. Popa" Iași – €9,000 a year (medicine and dentistry), the same for EU and non-EU students.

According to Study in Europe, students from outside the EU pay on average €2,000–5,000 a year. For the student visa you have to show that you have paid tuition for at least one year.

⇑Accommodation and living costs

Study in Europe estimates a student's monthly expenses in Romania at €600–900. You pay in lei (RON), but Study in Romania gives prices in euros:

• student residence – from €80 a month,
• room in a shared flat – under €250, a whole flat in a big city – €400–650,
• food (canteen, shopping, eating out) – €150–400,
• gas and electricity – €80–150,
• phone and internet – €20–60,
• public transport – €20–60, entertainment – €100–200.

A student residence (cămin) is the cheapest option – ask the student affairs office about a place as soon as you are accepted.

⇑Scholarships

If you are an EU citizen, you can apply for the same support as Romanian students:

• state scholarships – paid in lei, for example for academic results,
• university scholarships – many institutions award them for results or to students in financial difficulty,
• Erasmus+ – a semester or year in Romania as part of an exchange with your home university.

If you come from outside the EU, you may be able to apply for the Romanian Government Scholarship – fully funded, covering tuition, a place in a student residence and a monthly allowance. It is open only to selected candidates from outside the EU. Information on all programmes is on Study in Romania – scholarships.

⇑Working while studying

EU citizens can work in Romania without any permit, also while studying. If you register your residence as a worker, you add your employment contract and documents from your employer to your application at IGI.

Students from outside the EU/EEA with a residence permit for studies can work without a work permit, but only part-time on an individual employment contract – according to IGI, for no more than 6 hours a day. After graduating, you can stay for up to 9 months to look for a job.

Note: IGI gives a limit of 6 hours a day, while the EU Immigration Portal says 4 hours – check the current limit with IGI or your institution before you start work.

For casual jobs, Romanian is a big help. Start with your institution's careers office and the European job portal EURES.

Romania – why work there?
How to find a job abroad?

⇑Useful links

• Study in Europe – Romania – the official country profile on the European Commission's portal,
• Study in Romania – the official portal for international students: institutions, programmes, procedures, living costs,
• Study in Romania – procedures – admission rules for EU and non-EU citizens,
• CNRED – recognition of certificates and diplomas,
• Study in Romania – scholarships – state scholarships and exchange programmes,
• IGI – General Inspectorate for Immigration: residence registration for EU citizens,
• IGI – studies – long-stay visa and residence permit for students from outside the EU,
• ENIC-NARIC – recognition of qualifications in Europe,
• Eurodesk – free information on studying, traineeships and volunteering in Europe.