Top of foreign nationals in Cluj, by country of origin

Cojocariu Eugen, 02.10.2026, 16:36

Approximately 21,000 foreign nationals reside in Cluj county (north-western Romania), most of whom arrived primarily for work or study. In the first 8 months of 2026, the largest numbers came from Nepal, Sri Lanka, and India. Their status was discussed at the annual meeting between representatives of the Cluj Prefect’s Office and consuls accredited in Cluj-Napoca. According to the Cluj Immigration Service, residence and stay-related applications were processed for 6,487 individuals in the first 8 months of the year. Of these, 5,801 were from non EU countries, while 686 were citizens of the EU, the European Economic Area, or Switzerland. As regards non-EU nationals, this year most of them came from Nepal (1,113 individuals), Sri Lanka (735), India (385), and Turkey (198).

Employment is the primary reason for establishing residence in Romania. In the first eight months of the year, 3,419 individuals established residence for work purposes. Another 278 individuals did so for studies, 226 as family members of Romanian citizens, and 184 as family members of other foreign nationals. A total of 4,674 residence permits were issued during the same period; of these, 4,543 were for temporary residence and 131 for long-term residence.

A total of 822 applications for work permits were registered on the labour market. Authorities issued 793 permits for permanent or posted workers, while 71 applications were rejected, accounting for just over 8% of the processed requests. During the first 8 months of 2026, the Cluj Immigration Service conducted 309 inspections to combat illegal stay, identifying 58 individuals with irregular status. Authorities issued 73 return decisions granting a period for voluntary departure and 6 return decisions requiring removal under escort. Four individuals were placed in public custody centres. Entry bans, ranging from 6 months to 2 years, were imposed on 24 individuals for the territories of the EU, EEA member states and Switzerland.

Data released by the General Inspectorate for Immigration on September 22, 2026  also reveals the total size of certain foreign communities present in the county. Records of the Cluj Immigration Service include 3,672 files of French citizens, 1,650 of citizens of the Republic of Moldova, and 1,621 of Italian citizens. In the case of citizens of the Republic of Moldova, 998 cases were related to studies. The records also include 528 files of Tunisian citizens, 374 of which were for studies, as well as 435 files of Hungarian citizens and 319 of Ukrainian citizens.