Romania is preparing for a new wave of foreign workers entering the labor market, amid an economic context in which the labor shortage remains one of the most acute challenges of recent years.
The government has approved the admission of 90,000 foreign workers in 2026, 10,000 fewer than in 2025, when the cap stood at 100,000 permits for workers from outside the European Union.
By the end of September 2025, more than 136,000 foreign citizens held valid work permits in Romania, according to the General Inspectorate for Immigration. During the same period, nearly 62,000 residence permits for employment were issued, along with over 73,000 individual employment contracts for non-EU citizens.
From the pandemic to a boom in foreign labor
In 2020, a year marked by restrictions, economic disruptions, and uncertainty, Romania had approximately 25,600 foreign workers with valid work permits. The pandemic temporarily slowed external recruitment, but as the economy recovered, the labor shortage became increasingly evident.
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