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Countries · Student guide

Romania

Bureaucracy, housing, budget, and university life in Romania — IGI, primărie, and RON costs, not the Italian playbook

Updated on Jul 28, 2026

Cost of living
Low

Typical spending band for a student

Language
Romanian / EN

Main language to handle day to day

Currency
RON

Local currency for banking and payments

Visas
Easy

Typical visa/permit process complexity

Overview

In Romania the cost of living is among the lowest in the EU, but services and bureaucratic times vary greatly between Bucharest and university cities. For EU students many steps are simple; the real work is decent accommodation and realistic expectations on quality services.

What really changes here

  • CNP (personal code) after residence: useful for contracts and healthcare
  • Residence permit only outside the EU for over 90 days
  • Low rents but check central heating and condominium expenses
  • Healthcare: CAS insurance if you work; EHIC for EU short
  • Economical transport; metro Bucharest; taxi app (Bolt)
  • Payments: increasing cards; cash still strong

Ideal if…

  • Students on a limited budget who want EU
  • Medicine, IT, languages ​​in Cluj, Timișoara, Iași
  • Those who accept slower pace and less Western "comfort".
  • Active university life and low costs

Harder if…

  • You are looking for German standards at Romanian prices everywhere
  • You don't speak English/Romanian for local offices
  • You expect punctual transportation everywhere
  • You do not tolerate cold winters with weak heating

Arrival checklist

First 7 days

  1. Temporary accommodation with address
  2. University registration
  3. CNP request if long stay (non-EU: permitted)
  4. RON or EU bank account
  5. Local SIM (Orange, Vodafone, Digi)
  6. Healthcare registration if you work
  7. Save 112; learn reliable taxi numbers
Mistakes to avoid
  • Sign without understanding winter condominium costs
  • Paying “agencies” without a contract
  • Being uninsured if you work
  • Underestimate unofficial taxi scams

City guides

Cities in Romania

Neighborhoods, rent, universities, transport and safety: everything you need to choose where to move.

Bucarest
  • from 1,300 RONroom/month
  • 5universities
  • 6neighborhoods

Capital of Romania and the largest city in south-eastern Europe after Athens, Bucharest is a metropolis in full swing: one of the main technological hubs in Eastern Europe, with many IT companies and development centres, one of the lowest costs of living among EU capitals and a legendary nightlife in the Old Center (Centrul Vechi). A large university center (University of Bucharest, Politehnica, ASE), it combines the imposing architecture of the communist era (the Parliament Building) with large parks and very different neighborhoods. The language is close to Italian and English is widespread among young people and in the tech sector. The bureaucracy is lighter than elsewhere, but guides in Italian are scarce.

Open city guideCluj-Napoca
  • from 1,300 RONroom/month
  • 5universities
  • 8neighborhoods

Heart of Transylvania and technological capital of Romania — often called the “Silicon Valley” of the East — Cluj-Napoca is a young, dynamic and energy-filled city. It is home to Babeș-Bolyai, the country's largest university, and is one of the most student cities in Europe in relation to population, with a leading tech, cultural and festival scene (Untold, Electric Castle, TIFF). Compact, historic and livable, it has one of the highest quality of life in Romania. The downside is that rents, driven by the tech boom, are the most expensive in the country. As in Bucharest, the language is close to Italian and English is widespread among young people.

Open city guide
Move checklist Plan documents and deadlines step by step

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