Americans can study in Romania without the D/SD student visa
Engineering at POLITEHNICA Bucharest costs €2,600 a year, about $2,960. The hard parts are the Ministry of Education's acceptance letter and a residence permit you file after you land.
Most non-EU students get a consulate visa before they fly. U.S. citizens are exempt from Romania's D-type visa, so you arrive visa-free and apply to IGI, the immigration inspectorate, for a residence permit for studies at least 30 days before your 90 days end.
The student permit in four numbers (September 2026)
About $5,590
Money to show when you file
25,950 lei, six months of minimum wage
About $194
IGI fees for your first permit
€120 paid in lei, plus 265 lei
6 hours
Daily work allowed without a work permit
on a part-time contract
9 months
Extra stay after you graduate
to find a job or start a business
Step by step
Admission first, immigration office second
Romania's Ministry of Education, not your university, issues the letter of acceptance, and IGI wants it with your first permit. Work backward from your start date.
- Apply between February and the end of July, as a rule, with your U.S. diploma and transcripts apostilled.
- Allow up to 30 working days for the Ministry to issue your letter once your file is complete.
- Enter visa-free. You get 90 days in any 180 across the Schengen area.
- File at IGI at least 30 days before those days run out, with the letter, an enrollment certificate, proof of money, proof of housing and a medical certificate.
- IGI decides within 30 days. Renew at least 30 days before each permit expires.
Student Visa
For enrollment in a Romanian educational institution. Requires acceptance letter and proof of financial support.
- Government cost
- $120
- Processing time
- ~30 days
- Timeline
- Duration of study program
- Difficulty
- Easy
About that data card
Our record lists the fee as "$120." Romania sets it at €120, about $137 in September 2026, and Americans pay it in lei at IGI along with 265 lei for the permit. Our checklist describes the consulate route, which U.S. citizens skip. At IGI, you bring the Ministry letter, an enrollment certificate, six months of minimum wage in savings, proof of housing and a medical certificate.
What a year of school costs in 2026
Social sciences and economics
€2,200 a year (about $2,500) for a bachelor's or master's at POLITEHNICA Bucharest.
Engineering master's or PhD
€2,700 a year (about $3,070) for a master's in technology. A PhD runs €3,800 (about $4,320) for 12 months.
Medicine in English
€10,000 a year (about $11,380) for Medicine or Dental Medicine at UMF Iuliu Hațieganu in Cluj-Napoca, plus a €300 processing fee.
Romanian prep year
Required for Romanian-taught degrees unless you hold a B1 certificate. POLITEHNICA charges €1,980 to €8,730 (about $2,250 to $9,930), by field.
Rent, food and the rest
€600 to €900 a month (about $680 to $1,020), per the EU's Study in Europe profile.
The national range
The EU puts average non-EU tuition at €2,000 to €5,000 a year (about $2,280 to $5,690).
Paying from the U.S.
How federal aid fits a Romanian degree
Pell Grants can't be used at any foreign school. Direct Loans can, but only at schools that take part. Search the FAFSA school list by foreign country and ask the school's international office before you pay a deposit. We couldn't confirm a participating Romanian school as of September 2026.
Grad PLUS closed to new borrowers on July 1, 2026. Unsubsidized loans now top out at $20,500 a year for graduate study and $50,000 a year for professional programs like medicine. Be sure to keep filing U.S. returns: the IRS taxes citizens on worldwide income, campus paychecks included.
What the permit allows, and what ends it
Part-time work
Up to six hours a day on an employment contract, no work permit needed. The cap rose from four hours on March 8, 2024.
After graduation
Extend your study residence by 9 months to look for work or set up a business.
Toward long-term residence
Long-term status takes 5 continuous years, and study years count at half. Keep absences under 6 months in a row and 10 months total.
What gets it revoked
Suspending your studies for any reason other than a medical one.
Who should look elsewhere
If your budget depends on Pell Grants or Grad PLUS, neither will follow you here. A Romanian-taught degree without B1 Romanian adds a full prep year of fees. We couldn't confirm that a student permit lets you bring a spouse, so get that answer from IGI in writing before planning a family move.
Help with programs, paperwork and coverage
Skola
Studying Abroad in Europe
Helps students find and apply to degree programs across Europe.
Legalize That Doc
Document Preparation
Prepares and apostilles U.S. documents for use abroad.
Hunter Schultz
Healthcare Coach
A healthcare coach who helps you work out what care you'll need overseas and how to get it covered.
ExpatInsure
Global Health Insurance
Places Americans living overseas in international health insurance plans.
MyExpatTaxes
U.S. Expat Tax Service
Prepares U.S. tax returns for Americans living overseas.
Studying in Romania: common questions
Can international students work in Romania?
Yes. With a residence permit for studies, you can work part-time up to six hours a day on an individual employment contract without a work permit. The limit rose from four hours on March 8, 2024.
Do Americans need a student visa to study in Romania?
No. U.S. citizens are exempt from Romania's D-type long-stay visa, according to the U.S. Embassy in Bucharest. You enter visa-free and apply to the General Inspectorate for Immigration (IGI) for a residence permit for studies at least 30 days before your 90 visa-free days end.
Can I use FAFSA or federal student loans at a Romanian university?
Only if the school participates in the Direct Loan program, which you can check in the FAFSA school search by foreign country. Pell Grants never apply at foreign schools, and Grad PLUS closed to new borrowers on July 1, 2026. We couldn't confirm a participating Romanian school as of September 2026.
Do years as a student count toward permanent residence in Romania?
Partly. Long-term residence needs 5 years of continuous stay, and IGI counts study years at half. Absences must stay under 6 months in a row and 10 months in total.
How much money do I need to show for a Romanian student residence permit?
IGI asks for at least six months of Romania's gross minimum wage. With the wage at 4,325 lei a month since July 1, 2026, that's 25,950 lei, about $5,590 in September 2026. Universities say to keep it in a Romanian bank account.
Can I stay in Romania after I graduate?
Yes, for a while. Your study residence can be extended for 9 months after graduation so you can look for a job or set up a business. To stay longer, you switch to a work or business permit.
Do I need to speak Romanian to study in Romania?
Not for an English-taught program. For a Romanian-taught degree, you need a B1 language certificate or a preparatory year in Romanian first. At POLITEHNICA Bucharest that year costs €1,980 to €8,730 (about $2,250 to $9,930), depending on the field.
How much does it cost to file for a student permit in Romania?
Plan on a €120 consular fee paid in lei plus 265 lei for the permit, about $194 in total in September 2026. That's the fee list a Bucharest university published in January 2026; confirm the amounts with IGI when you book.
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