Living in Romania as a French National: Cities, Settling-In Formalities, Housing and Schooling

For a French national, the legal framework is simple: free movement within the European Union opens access to residence and employment without authorisation, and settling-in formalities follow a precise timetable. Romania remains outside the euro area: its currency is the leu (RON), whose exchange rate is tracked in the “Economic benchmarks” block of this page.

• Advantages: access to work without a permit, a free registration certificate, a Romance language close to French for anyone who wants to learn it, a public health insurance system open to employees and the self-employed, and French schools in Bucharest.
• Points of caution: Romanian is the language of administrative procedures; Romania lies in an earthquake zone; road conditions vary from one road to another (France Diplomatie, 15 September 2026); access to public care requires being insured, as explained in the page on the Romanian healthcare system.

The Romania country page details health insurance by status; the pages on working in Romania and retiring in Romania complete this guide.

Bucharest, the capital, is home to the French embassy (+40 311 333 777) and the country’s two accredited French schools. It is the main hub of services for French nationals: administrations, French schools and the widest healthcare offer. Other large cities stand out for their location: Cluj-Napoca and Timișoara in the west of the country, Brașov at the foot of the Carpathians, Iași in Moldavia and Constanța on the Black Sea. Municipal populations can be found in the publications of the National Institute of Statistics (INS).

• Bucharest: France Diplomatie reports pickpocketing in public places, restaurants and on public transport, street assaults reported in Bucharest and the big cities, and advises against the Ferentari district. It recommends avoiding the capital’s yellow taxis, where meter fraud is reported (15 September 2026).
• Buildings at seismic risk: in Bucharest, some buildings carry a red dot on their façade, a sign of a high risk of collapse in an earthquake; the city hall’s official register should be checked before renting or buying (France Diplomatie).
• Provincial cities: the choice depends on employment, the distance to hospitals and the children’s school; a trial stay of a few weeks makes it possible to compare.

The checklist for the first 90 days helps you put the formalities in order once the city is chosen.

The guaranteed gross minimum basic salary is 4,325 lei a month from 1 July 2026, against 4,050 lei previously, under Government Decision No. 146 of 12 March 2026, published in the Monitorul Oficial (Romania’s official gazette) No. 196 of 13 March 2026. Eurostat converts national minimum wages into euros: 825 euros a month in Romania in the second half of 2026, against 906 euros in Hungary and 1,867 euros in France. This benchmark places the level of local wages and prices against France; it does not replace a comparison of rents.

• Housing: rents and property prices vary strongly from one city to another; they can be found in the publications of the INS and of the National Bank of Romania. The lease then serves as proof of address for several procedures.
• Car: every vehicle using the public road network must pay the rovignette (roviniete), sold online, at the borders, at petrol stations and at post offices, for a period of one day to one year; the absence of a vignette exposes the driver to a fine of up to 2,000 euros on leaving the country (France Diplomatie, 15 September 2026).
• Health budget: the guide to budgeting for health abroad gives a method for including contributions and uncovered costs.

Salary levels by status, taxes and contributions are in the page on working in Romania.

A French national enters Romania with a passport or a national identity card. France Diplomatie specifies that Romania does not recognise the automatic five-year extension of French identity cards issued between 1 January 2004 and 31 December 2013: a valid passport avoids any incident at the border. For a stay of more than three months, the EU citizen registers with the immigration authority at the Foreigners Office of their place of residence, or books an appointment online on the dedicated portal (France Diplomatie, 15 September 2026 and 20 April 2026).

• Registration certificate: the IGI issues it free of charge, within one working day, on the basis of Emergency Ordinance No. 102/2005; it is valid for up to five years, but no less than one year.
• Documents according to the reason for the stay: an employee presents the application form, their identity document, their employment contract, a statement from the employer and an extract from the employees’ register; a self-employed person, the trade register certificate; a student, proof of enrolment, of resources and of health insurance. A person without an occupation, whether a student or a retiree, shows sufficient resources and comprehensive health insurance (IGI, Your Europe).
• Permanent residence: after five years of regular, continuous residence, the application costs 70 lei; the average processing time is 30 days, 90 days at most (hub.mai.gov.ro).
• Identification number (CNP): the personal numeric code is the identifier used by the Romanian administration. The official pages consulted do not detail the procedure for assigning it to citizens of the European Union; it should be confirmed with the IGI or the city hall of the place of residence.
• Tax: anyone who stays more than 183 days over 12 consecutive months fills in a questionnaire with the ANAF (the Romanian tax administration) within 30 days; the administration then determines the tax liability (France Diplomatie, 20 April 2026).
• Consular register: registration on the register of French nationals living abroad is strongly recommended for a stay of more than six months.

In Romania, access to the public system depends on insured status: an employee is declared by their employer and contributes 10% of their gross salary, a self-employed person declares their income to the ANAF, and a retiree holding the S1 form is covered without any new local contribution. For a temporary stay, the EHIC (European Health Insurance Card, CEAM in French, called CEASS in Romania) is requested from one’s health insurance fund at least 15 days before departure (France Diplomatie).

Expavy helps you compare the supplementary cover that is useful during the affiliation period, with the page on expat health insurance.

France Diplomatie rates Romania at normal vigilance across the whole territory (updated 15 September 2026) and reports that crime remains generally low. Two alerts appear on the country page: heightened vigilance for French nationals abroad (10 September 2026) and a rise in measles cases (13 March 2026).

• Emergencies: 112 is free and available in English for the ambulance, police and fire brigade. The French embassy in Bucharest can be reached on +40 311 333 777.
• Mountains and wildlife: the Carpathians involve steep terrain and rapid changes in the weather; the presence of 6,000 to 7,000 bears means you should never approach or feed them (France Diplomatie).
• Border with Ukraine: France Diplomatie recommends avoiding border areas because of the conflict and possible drone risks.
• Climate: the National Meteorological Administration (ANM) describes 2025 as the fourth warmest year since 1901, at +1.2 °C against the 1991-2020 reference, with four heatwaves, a maximum of 43.4 °C at Calafat on 26 July and a minimum of -22.5 °C. Summers are hot and winters are cold at altitude.
• Language: Romanian is the language of administrative procedures and of everyday working life; language courses are best chosen on arrival.

According to the order of 19 June 2026 establishing the list of accredited French schools abroad (Journal officiel, the French official gazette, of 30 June 2026), two schools in Bucharest appear on the list: the Lycée français Anna-de-Noailles, from the first year of nursery school to the general final year, and the École française internationale de Bucarest, from the first year of nursery school to the last year of primary school (CM2). Families whose French-national child attends a school accredited by the AEFE (Agency for French Education Abroad) or by the Mission laïque française can apply for a school grant, subject to conditions (French embassy, page of 28 April 2026).

Outside Bucharest, families turn to the Romanian school; enrolment conditions should be requested from the Romanian Ministry of Education. For families, family health cover is checked at the same time as choosing the school.