Romania accepts Digital Nomads - but only high-income ones

On January 14, President Klaus Iohannis promulgated the Law amending and supplementing the Government Emergency Ordinance no. 194/2002 on the regime of foreigners in Romania - the Digital Nomads bill.

The bill defines the digital nomad as a foreigner who is employed with an employment contract at a company registered outside Romania and who provides services through the use of information and communication technology.

The long-stay visa is granted, upon request, to digital nomads who wish to travel and stay in Romania, while continuing to obtain income from the performance of the employment contract with a company registered outside Romania or from the activities carried out by a company registered by them outside Romania, by using information and communication technology, if they cumulatively meet the several conditions.

Firstly, they must have obtained revenues from the activity carried out, in the amount of at least three times the average gross monthly salary in Romania for each of the last six months prior to the date of submission of the visa application, an income limit that must be maintained over the entire period of stay in Romania under the Digital Nomad visa.

In November, the average gross wage in Romania was nearly RON 6,000 (EUR 1,200). The average gross wage in the IT&C sector was RON 14,300 (EUR 2,860) - meaning that on average the Romanian employees in the best-paid sector in Romania would not qualify for the Digital Nomad visa in their own country.

The average budget of a digital nomad, estimated by abrotherabroad.com, a publication dedicated to such persons, is USD 1,875 - less than half the minimum set by Romania. The list of documents a digital nomad must provide o Romanian authorities, presented by Cursdeguvernare.ro, is quite impressive as well.

(Photo: Benjawan Sittidech | Dreamstime.com)