Over 27,500 residence permits issued by the Bucharest-based immigration police officers
Cojocariu Eugen, 26.01.2026, 22:02
In 2025, immigration police officers in Bucharest issued 27,510 residence permits after foreign nationals got the right of residence in Romania. Most beneficiaries came from Nepal, Turkey and Sri Lanka. 25,837 permits were issued for temporary residence, of which 19,767 for employment and 1,673 for long-term residence.
Also in 2025, the Bucharest-based immigration police officers managed the legal situation of 144,525 people. Of these, 102,333 were third-country nationals, most of them from Nepal (14,760), Turkey (9,652) and Sri Lanka (8,351). 42,192 others were EU, EEA and Swiss citizens, most of them coming from Italy (8,797), Sweden (7,314) and France (4,723).
They established their residence in Romania mostly for employment (61,432), family reunification (14,047) and studies (10,057). In 2025, 34,765 applications for employment permits were submitted, 28,694 of which were approved for permanent, seconded, seasonal or highly qualified workers, whereas 3,742 were rejected and 2,329 are still pending. As regards family reunification, 1,003 applications were registered, of which 487 were approved, 339 rejected, and 177 are still being processed.
In terms of preventing and curbing illegal residence and undeclared work, immigration police officers carried out 1,396 checks and control activities, individually and in cooperation with other institutions. 216 foreign nationals in illegal situations were found, most of them coming from Nepal. 672 return decisions were issued, with a voluntary departure period of 15 or 30 days, of which 165 for illegal stay, 94 as a result of a right of stay extension refusal, 350 upon request and 44 as a result of the revocation of their right of stay or entry visa, the General Inspectorate for Immigration says. Also, a number of 371 foreigners were refused entry into the EU, EEA and Switzerland for periods between 6 months and 5 years. In the case of 326 people, the return border procedure was applied at the Otopeni “Henri Coandă” International Airport.
The digitalization of services represents an important chapter. Work and posting permits are generated exclusively in electronic format, are digitally signed and sent directly by e-mail, thus eliminating unnecessary trips to a counter. To support employers and foreign nationals interested in the labour market, the General Inspectorate for Immigration has carried out an information campaign jointly with the Territorial Labour Inspectorate. The IGI Portal has been upgraded, allowing those interested to make online appointments, thus leading to shorter waiting times and increased efficiency in the relation with the public.