Finding an internship in Romania

The thousands of backpackers, students or young professionals worldwide, hopefully, will not be far behind discovering the charms of Romania. And it's not just about the Dracula fans all the time, but people who want to truly enrich their knowledge and experience. 

Conditions for interns in Romania

In the last 20 years, the economy of Romania has developed a lot, and this fact can be seen in the low unemployment rate and high growth. After the communist regime, a lot of foreign investors came to Romania and this lead to a higher GDP per capita, many more jobs and also a great opening for the foreign employees. For instance, Cluj, Bucharest, Timisoara or Iasi are great markets for expats looking for an internship. 

There are several conditions under which foreigners are allowed to get an internship in Romania. The most important one is that the internship should respect the local market regarding the available jobs. Also, all the responsibilities and the tasks of the job should be clearly described in the internship contract. Expats should also make sure that the work week in Romania is 40 hours, meaning 8 hours per day and nothing more, without extra pay. 

Formalities for getting an internship in Romania

There is a standard procedure for hiring foreigners in Romania. It is the same for a natural and legal person, and you need to follow the next stages:

• Obtaining the employment notice;
• Obtaining the long-stay visa;
• Getting a residence permit;
• Issuing a residence permit for work/posting purposes. 

Once you get all the needed documents, you can apply for the internship. 

Who is eligible for internships in Romania 

Foreigners wishing to work in Romania or to get an internship here need to have a relevant work permit. Although EU nationals exempt from this, still, they need to apply for a residence permit. 

An international student who came to Romania and wants to apply for an internship does not require a working permit. Still, this is applicable as long as these students hold a residence permit for studying in Romania. Students coming from the Non-EU area can work in Romania only 4 hours per day, without having to apply for a specific work permit. 

Internships during studies in Romania

Laws in Romania state that foreigners with a right of temporary residence for studies may be employed in the territory of Romania without a contract of internship or employment. Still, they need an individual part-time or internship contract with a maximum of 4 hours per day working time. 

Promising fields for an internship in Romania

Finding an internship in Romania can be quite complicated, especially for those who do not understand the language. But, with all that, expats looking for an internship in Romania can find a good position in one of the international companies in the country. Due to the companies with foreign investors, and also to the skills of Romanian people of speaking at least one foreign language, expats will surely manage an internship here. 

When it comes to the fields of work, you will be most likely to find a suitable position in the country's most developed industries. Here we need to mention finance, accounting, telecommunications, technology and IT. 

To grow the chances, we recommend you search for opportunities in major cities, such as Sibiu, Galati, Brasov, Bucharest, Cluj or Timisoara. Here, there are the biggest poles of the Romanian industries and therefore, the most numerous jobs and internships. 

How to find an internship in Romania

Finding an internship in Romania, as an expat, might seem really difficult, especially if you are still in the home country. But if you want to make sure that you get the best support, you can contact the Chambers of Commerce in Romania. 

If you want to send a spontaneous CV to a company that you like, you can do it. Keep in mind that unlike small enterprises, multinationals always have openings for internships. So, you should just send to the HR departments a cover letter or a CV and get in touch with the foreign and international companies across the country. 

Finally, you can search on the Internet, or on professional virtual platforms. There are also social networks where expats in Romania post different jobs and internships. 

Internship rules in Romania

There are some rules when it comes to internships in Romania, and expats might be interested in some aspects:

• Companies can hire a maximum of 5% of interns of the total number of employees;
• Interns will get a monthly remuneration, which cannot be less than 50% of the national minimum wage imposed by law;
• Internship contracts cannot last more than 6 months;
• Interns will not perform activities overtime;
• Interns cannot be hired to do manual labour specific to unqualified workers;
• Companies cannot rehire as interns persons who were previously underemployment contracts.

Do you need a visa for internships in Romania?

Citizens who are permanent residents of member states of the UE, who will stay in Romania for a period of 90 days, and within 6 months, don't need to obtain an entry visa. 

But for stays longer than 90 days, it is necessary to obtain a residence permit for a long-stay student visa or expat. You can find further information on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website. 

Wages to expect when you are in an internship in Romania

It is hard to say which is the exact wage for an internship in Romania. It depends on the company you will work for. But for you to make an idea, the remuneration for an internship cannot be less than 50% of the minimum salary in Romania, which means not less than 150 euros. 

 Useful links:

Iagora
Internshipul
UNDP
Go Abroad
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Chambers of Commerce in Romania