Romania · Residency by investment

Proposed Romanian Residency by Investment Programme (EUR 400,000)

Proposed Last verified July 2026

NOT LAW. DO NOT PRESENT AS AVAILABLE. This was announced on 15 October 2025 as a PNL draft bill and registered in the Senate. As of July 2026 it has not passed either chamber. It still has to clear the Senate, then the Chamber of Deputies as the decision chamber, then possible review by the Constitutional Court, then presidential signature and publication in the Official Gazette.

This is worth tracking, but the odds are low to moderate and there is no reliable timeline. Romania would be launching an EU golden visa into the most hostile environment such schemes have ever faced. That is after the CJEU ruled against Malta's CBI in April 2025, and while Romania itself sits under an Excessive Deficit Procedure with a 2030 correction deadline.

Qualifying routes

€400k
Government bonds

PROPOSED ONLY. Maturity of at least 5 years.

€400k
Real estate

PROPOSED ONLY. Held for at least 5 years.

€400k
ASF-authorised investment funds

PROPOSED ONLY.

€400k
Shares in Romanian-listed companies

PROPOSED ONLY.

The facts

Minimum investment
€400k
Total landed cost
Not applicable. The programme does not exist.
Route type
Residency by investment
Physical presence
No minimum stay under the draft.
Family
Family members would be includable under the draft
Permanent residency
Permanent residence after 5 years under the draft.
Citizenship
The draft refers to Law 21/1991 but is deliberately vague on the actual timeline to citizenship.
Language test
B1 Romanian under the ordinary route.
Dual citizenship
Permitted
What can go wrong
  • PROPOSED ONLY. Registered in the Senate and not passed by either chamber as of July 2026. Anyone offering to pre-register a client is selling nothing real.
  • The political headwinds are severe. There is the April 2025 CJEU ruling against Malta's CBI, an openly hostile Commission and Parliament, and a legislature with its attention elsewhere. The Chamber of Deputies passed a Moldova-unification negotiation bill in June 2026.
  • The draft's vetting provisions are unusually heavy. They call for source-of-funds checks plus screening by SRI (domestic intelligence), SIE (foreign intelligence) and the ONPCSB anti-money-laundering office.
  • The draft's language on citizenship is deliberately vague. It points to Law 21/1991 without committing to an actual timeline.

Path to permanent residence and citizenship

Permanent residency. Permanent residence after 5 years under the draft.

Citizenship. The draft refers to Law 21/1991 but is deliberately vague on the actual timeline to citizenship.

Language test. B1 Romanian under the ordinary route.

Dual citizenship. Permitted

Frequently asked

How long until citizenship through the Proposed Romanian Residency by Investment Programme (EUR 400,000)?

The draft refers to Law 21/1991 but is deliberately vague on the actual timeline to citizenship. A language requirement applies: b1 Romanian under the ordinary route.

What does the Proposed Romanian Residency by Investment Programme (EUR 400,000) cost?

The minimum qualifying investment is €400k. Not applicable. The programme does not exist.

How much time must I spend in Romania?

No minimum stay under the draft.

Who can I include in the application?

Family members would be includable under the draft.

Before you commit capital to this

Tell us your citizenship, your tax exposure and where your family wants to be in ten years. If this route is wrong for you, we will say so.

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