Digital Nomad in Romania

Updated on December 22, 2021: On December 21, 2021, the Romanian Parliament adopted the law that regulates the digital nomad visa in Romania. The law offers long-term visas for the digital nomads who work in Romania.

No, Romania doesn’t yet have proper legislation to encourage digital nomads to come and work in the country, but, according to the Romanian Minister of Research, Innovation, and Digitalization cited by local media, the authorities are considering drafting and adopting such a law.

As we have a huge labor deficit and we are going to get out of this COVID-19 pandemic crisis, this is a good way to attract digital nomads, especially as Romania is attractive for them. We have a good broadband connection and low prices for apartment rent, this could be an opportunity.

Romanian Minister of Research, Innovation and Digitalization, Mr. Ciprian Teleman, for Economedia.ro

Yes, this could be an opportunity, but other countries are ages ahead of Romania from this perspective. When you think of an e-residency friendly country in Europe, the first to pop into your mind is, who else, Estonia. Estonia stepped on this pathway back in 2014 when they launched the e-residency program for all those who don’t have Estonian citizenship but want to establish a company, pay taxes or open a bank account in Estonia. All of them can do that with a smart card offered to certain professional categories by the Estonian Government. The program aims mainly at software developers and writers.

Also, recently, they launched a new Estonian e-visa for the digital nomads.

At the international level, Dubai is one of the most sought-for destinations for those who want to establish a company there, to work remotely from there, or who want to establish a virtual office in Dubai. Besides the regular benefits, UAE Free Zone companies offer a virtual assistant to answer all your calls and e-mails, but also a meeting room and an office for you when coming to Dubai.

According to Nomad Digital Index published regularly by Circleloop, Romania is the third country in the world to live in as a digital nomad, being outranked only by Canada and UK.

Taking the third spot on our index is Romania which is one of the fastest-growing information technology markets in Central and Eastern Europe. This innovative country also has some of the cheapest average monthly costs of fixed-line broadband packages on our list at $8.15! If you’re looking for cheap, reliable internet access, Romania could be the perfect place for you.

Digital Nomad Index, Circleloop

Digital nomad in Romania – why should you?

Even if a dedicated law isn’t yet adopted in Romania, the country is already chosen by digital nomads who take advantage of lots of benefits, especially in Bucharest:

• high internet speed and very good broadband connection
• low prices for apartment rent in Bucharest or elsewhere in the country
• amazing Bucharest attractions to visit
• English is spoken on a large scale
• affordable pricing for going out, sightseeing and having fun

If the authorities will also add the e-residency on this list, meaning you could have the right of living in Romania with a digital nomad visa, even as a citizen outside the European Union, then you’ll have all the reasons to stay here and work for whichever company you want.

What do IT entrepreneurs think about the digital nomad initiative in Romania?

It could prove to be a good initiative on a long term. On a short term, this could be excellent for large corporations in search for digital workforce.

What I have in mind is that other countries imposed a certain salary for the digital nomads to be able to get the e-residency visa. If similar salaries would be imposed in Romania as well, such as from EUR 2,000 upwards, then only few entrepreneurs would afford to hire such nomads.

On the other hand, with only EUR 8 a month for broadband and around EUR 300 monthly rent for a bedroom apartment, Romania is considered to be a very attractive destination for the digital nomads worldwide. They could help us find good IT developers or digital marketers who are willing to work in a creative environment, in a country which is affordable to live in, but also is a member of the European Union.

Catalin ADAM, TUYA Digital

Indeed, this could be a very good initiative, but only if the authorities don’t think about establishing a too high limit for the minimum wages of the digital nomads. Let’s be honest here, a EUR 2,500 monthly salary cannot be paid by lots of employers, might them be from the IT industry. On the other hand, if such a law comes into force, due to the affordable costs with rent and broadband, Romania could easily outrank UK or even Canada in the Digital Nomad Index.

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