What paperwork do you need after moving to Romania in 2026?

Finish the correct stay path before quality-of-life shopping. EU, EEA, and Swiss citizens who stay beyond three months usually register at IGI for a registration certificate. Non-EU movers typically need a purpose-based temporary residence permit (permis de ședere), often filed through PortalIGI: Apply for a residence permit. Book slots early for Bucharest and Cluj desks; summer queues stretch when students and workers file together.

Secure housing a landlord will put on paper: How to rent a home. Then treat address registration as ANAF-registered lease proof (landlord Form C168 within about 30 days of signing) or a notarised host declaration, not a Hungarian-style lakcímkártya clone. Confirm or collect your CNP so banks and tax desks accept the 13-digit code. Mistyped digits on the residence card create months of BCR or ING cleanup.

Buy a local mobile number early for landlord and bank SMS. Prefer city Orange, Vodafone, or Digi Magazin packs over Otopeni tourist SIMs when you can wait a day. Open a bank account once CNP and address proof are clean. Match health insurance to your status: IGI often wants real sickness cover, while Regina Maria or MedLife abonamente buy clinic speed after public entitlement.

Exchange a foreign licence through DGPCI and your county SPCRPCIV (formerly DRPCIV) when you become a long-stay driver: Convert a driving licence. Pet arrivals need ANSVSA timing and designated entry points for non-EU animals: Bring pets. Romanian still appears on many counters even when café English is strong. Treat volatile fees, PortalIGI calendars, and ghișeul.ro card tariffs as verify-live the week you file.