What is the best way to learn Romanian in Romania in 2026?

For working movers in Bucharest, start with Institutul Cultural Român (ICR). Its adult tracks follow CEFR levels from beginner to advanced, with in-person groups at the secondary ICR site on Biserica Amzei Street 21–23 in Sector 1, plus online options when your timetable is messy. Registration windows and fees change by session, so use the live ICR announcement and limbaromana@icr.ro rather than any third-party price list. ICR also notes that course attendance alone does not equal a proficiency certificate.

If you need denser academic Romanian, University of Bucharest runs a one-year Preparatory Year of Romanian Language aimed at international students who plan Romanian-taught degrees afterwards. Babeș-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca offers the same preparatory-year intensity (roughly 25 hours a week across the academic year) through its Center for International Cooperation, plus shorter Romanian modules for enrolled internationals and the long-running Transylvania International Summer Courses of Romanian Language and Civilization. Neighbourhood texture still shapes how much Romanian you overhear after class: Living in Bucharest and Living in Cluj-Napoca.

One weekly Romanian-only errand beats five silent Duolingo streaks: ask for a parcel, read an întreținere notice aloud, or message a landlord in simple sentences. Language exchanges and Expats in Romania Meetup nights help only when you leave room for imperfect Romanian rather than switching the whole table to English: Making friends in Romania.

Spanish, Italian, or French speakers often recognise Romance roots faster, yet case endings, articles, and formal written forms still need drills. Office English can stall progress if every hard meeting stays English: Romanian for work. IGI and ANAF desks will not wait for perfect grammar either: Romanian bureaucracy without Romanian.

Ordinary temporary residence usually does not demand a classroom exam. Long-term stay and citizenship files can. ICR and UBB jointly organise Romanian proficiency exam sessions (ICR–UBB is an ALTE member for Romanian), and ANC citizenship routes under Articles 10 and 11 typically want at least CEFR B1 from named issuers such as accredited preparatory-year universities, the Romanian Language Institute, ICR, or Romanian cultural institutes abroad. Match the exam brand to the file you will actually submit: Romanian language requirements.