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Immigration · Filing from the Gulf

Romania work visa from Dubai

Updated

From €1,300usually 10–30 working days

Government fees are paid separately at cost and are listed below with their source.

  • Eligibility check against the job offer and salary rules
  • Employer document checklist
  • Application file and filing

You can file the D/AM visa where you live, not only in your home country — if your UAE residence or Saudi iqama is valid. The employer still gets the aviz de muncă first; the permit you end up with runs up to 2 years12. We prepare both files and the Gulf-side legalisation.

Check your eligibility

Checked against Romanian law and IGI

Residence permit validity
2 years12
Salary floor
national gross minimum wage34
Quota for 2026
90,0005

Figures checked

For Indian, Pakistani, Filipino, Nepali and other non-EU workers living in the UAE or Saudi Arabia with a Romanian job offer.

Dubai or Riyadh to Romania: key facts

EU memberSchengen

Filing from the Gulf changes where you apply, not the rules: the same salary floor, the same 90,0005 quota, a permit up to 2 years12.

  • Residence permit validity2 years12
  • Salary floor in the job offernational gross minimum wage34
  • Minimum gross wageRON 4,325/month3
  • Quota of new foreign workers, 202690,0005
  • Years to permanent residence5 years26

Figures checked

Where a Gulf resident files the D/AM visa

A Romanian consulate accepts a long-stay visa from a foreigner who lawfully resides in its district. In the Gulf that means the Embassy in Abu Dhabi, Consulate General in Dubai, Embassy in Riyadh8910. The Romanian office in Jeddah is an honorary consulate and does not take visa files.

The residence document must stay valid while the file is decided. An iqama that expires mid-procedure, or a UAE visa cancelled after you resign, moves your file back to your home country.

The employer side of the procedure is identical to any other country: aviz at IGI first, visa second.

Police certificate: apostille in Riyadh, legalisation in Dubai

Start the police certificate before the aviz arrives, not after.

The D/AM document list asks for a criminal record from the country of domicile or residence91011. For a Dubai resident that is normally a UAE police clearance; for an iqama holder, a Saudi one. Ask the mission before your appointment whether it also wants the home-country certificate.

The two countries certify papers differently. Saudi Arabia has applied the Apostille Convention since 7 December 2022, so a Saudi certificate needs an apostille. The UAE is not a party: UAE papers need attestation by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and then legalisation by the Romanian mission. Start before the aviz arrives — from its issue date you have 60 days1011 to file the visa.

Company owners leaving the Gulf

If you run a company in Dubai and plan to move your tax residency to Romania, a work permit through someone else’s payroll is rarely the right tool. Residence for commercial activities gives a permit up to 1 year27 and no quota.

Moving tax residency also changes how your UAE income is taxed. Read Romanian tax rates before you resign from the Gulf entity.

Who this page is not for

  • Visitors on a UAE tourist visa — you cannot file a D/AM from Dubai without residence there.
  • Anyone offered a “Romania work permit in Dubai” with no named employer.
  • Remote workers for foreign clients — see the digital nomad visa.

Filing from the Gulf vs from home

Schengen
File from home countryFile from UAE / Saudi Arabia
Who can fileAny citizenOnly holders of valid UAE residence or iqama
Criminal record certificateCountry of domicile or residenceUAE or Saudi certificate; ask about the home-country one
CertificationApostille or legalisation, by countrySaudi: apostille; UAE: attestation + Romanian legalisation
Salary floornational gross minimum wage34national gross minimum wage34
Quota90,0005 for 2026Same shared quota
Permit validity2 years122 years12

Requirements when applying from Dubai or Saudi Arabia

Conditions come from GEO 194/2002 on foreigners in Romania, as amended by Law 28/2024; residence-district rules are set by each consulate.

RequirementThresholdNotes
Aviz de muncă issued to your employerOriginal or certified copy; the consulate checks it with IGI.
Valid UAE residence visa or Saudi iqamaMust cover the whole visa decision period.
Salary in the contractnational gross minimum wage34Not below RON 4,325/month3 gross.
Criminal record certificateFrom the country of domicile or residence, with a sworn Romanian translation.
Certification of Gulf papersSaudi: apostille. UAE: attestation by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, then Romanian legalisation.
Health insuranceValid in Romania for the whole visa period.

Family members in the Gulf

  • A spouse and children sponsored on your UAE or Saudi visa can lose that status when you leave — time their exit with family reunification.
  • They apply after you hold the Romanian residence permit, not together with your D/AM.

Who this is not for

  • Workers with an absconding case or an unresolved labour ban in the Gulf.
  • Applicants whose iqama expires within the next few months.

Pakistani citizen filing at home instead? See the Pakistani route.

Check your eligibility

Common reasons for refusal

Checked on

Residence expired during the procedure

The consulate only handles lawful residents of its district.

We check iqama or UAE visa dates before the employer files.

Missing police certificate

The D/AM list requires a criminal record from the country of domicile or residence.

Request it at the start, not after the aviz.

Document not certified

UAE papers need attestation and Romanian legalisation; Saudi papers need an apostille.

We list each attestation stamp needed.

Aviz bought from an agent

Only IGI issues an aviz, only to the employer.

We verify the aviz before you resign.

Quota exhausted

The 90,0005 cap for 2026 is shared by all countries.

Employer files early in the year.

After a refusal

  • Keep your Gulf job until the visa is in your passport.
  • The written reasons tell you whether to refile from the Gulf or from home.

Romania work visa from Saudi Arabia or the UAE: the steps

Five steps; the Gulf-specific ones are certifying the police certificate and filing where you reside.

  1. Residence checkWe

    We check your UAE visa or iqama dates against the expected timeline.

  2. Employer file at IGIWe

    We prepare and file the aviz de muncă application for your Romanian employer.

  3. Gulf documentsYou

    You request the local police clearance; we tell you which attestations it needs.

  4. D/AM at the consulateYou

    You file at the embassy in Abu Dhabi, the consulate general in Dubai or the embassy in Riyadh, within 60 days1011 of the aviz. The visa is decided within 10 days1011.

    Long-stay D/AM visa.

  5. Residence permitAuthority

    After arrival, IGI issues the residence permit for employment.

    Authority: 2 years 12

What you receive

  • A checklist split into home-country and Gulf documents
  • The filed employer application
  • Your consular file, translated

After arrival

Renewals happen in Romania, not in the Gulf. Permanent residence opens after 5 years26.

Dubai to Romania work permit visa price

Our package price is shown below. Romanian state fees are not published in our reference data, and Gulf attestation fees change by emirate and ministry, so we do not add a fake total.

ItemSingle applicantCoupleCouple with two children
Our application packageFrom €1,300From €1,300From €1,300
IGI and consular feesNot publishedNot publishedNot published
UAE / Saudi attestationPaid at costPaid at costPaid at cost
Family reunification—Quoted separatelyQuoted separately
TotalNot publishedNot publishedNot published

Government fees are paid separately at cost and are listed below with their source.

An agent in Dubai quoting one “all-in” price for the permit is usually selling the aviz — which only an employer can obtain.

Get a quote

Programme updates

Open

  1. Minimum gross wage RON 4,325 (GD 146/2026). MiCA transition ended with no designated Romanian CASP authority.

    What it means for Gulf applicants: Offers written against the old salary floor now need a new contract.

    Ministry of Justice, Portal Legislativ (legislatie.just.ro)Bursa

  2. Dividend tax 10% -> 16% (Law 141/2025); micro-enterprise single 1% rate, revenue cap EUR 100,000; crypto gains tax 16%. Foreign worker quota 90,000 (GD 1169/2025).

    What it means for Gulf applicants: A smaller quota: employers file earlier, so keep your iqama valid longer.

    Ministry of Justice, Portal Legislativ (legislatie.just.ro)Ministry of Justice, Portal Legislativ (legislatie.just.ro)Ministry of Labour, Family, Youth and Social Solidarity

  3. Romania became a full Schengen member: internal land border checks lifted.

    What it means for Gulf applicants: With a Romanian permit you can visit other Schengen states for short trips.

    Council of the EU

  4. Law 28/2024: EU Blue Card salary threshold lowered to 1x average gross salary; employment residence permits up to 2 years.

    What it means for Gulf applicants: One permit now covers up to two years — fewer trips back to renew.

    Ministry of Justice, Portal Legislativ (legislatie.just.ro)

How we track changes

Applying from the UAE and Saudi Arabia: questions

Can I apply for a Romania work visa from Dubai?

Yes, if you hold a valid UAE residence visa. Your employer gets the aviz de muncă first, then you file the D/AM at the Romanian consulate in the UAE.

Can a Saudi iqama holder apply for a Romania work visa in Riyadh?

Yes. The iqama proves lawful residence, so the Romanian embassy in Riyadh can take your file. The Saudi police clearance needs an apostille.

What is the Dubai to Romania work permit visa price?

Our package price is shown in the costs table. State fees are not published in our reference data, and attestation is paid at cost. A single “all-in” price from an agent usually hides a fake aviz.

Is there a Romania work permit agency in Dubai I can trust?

Check one thing: does the agency name the Romanian employer and show an aviz issued by IGI to that employer? If not, walk away.

How long is the permit valid once I arrive?

Up to 2 years, renewable in Romania.

Do I need to go back to India or Pakistan to apply?

Not while your Gulf residence is valid. If it lapses, you file in your home country instead. The salary floor stays the same either way: national gross minimum wage.

Filing from the UAE or Saudi Arabia

Tell us your citizenship, where you reside and your residence expiry date. We reply with the split document list and a quote for our part.

What happens after you write

  1. We read your message and reply with a written quote for our part of the work.
  2. You get the document list for your case, marked with what needs an apostille or a sworn translation.
  3. Nothing is filed and nothing is charged until you accept the quote.

Work permit application

From €1,300usually 10–30 working days
  • Eligibility check against the job offer and salary rules
  • Employer document checklist
  • Application file and filing

We use your details only to answer this request. We usually reply within one business day.

Legal disclaimer The information on this site is general and is not legal advice for your specific situation. Legal disclaimer Editorial policy

Sources (12)

  1. 1
    Law 28/2024 amending legislation on foreigners (EU Blue Card Directive 2021/1883 transposition)

    Ministry of Justice, Portal Legislativ (legislatie.just.ro) · Law · Checked on

    Used for Employment residence permit validity

  2. 2
    Government Emergency Ordinance 194/2002 on the regime of foreigners in Romania

    Ministry of Justice, Portal Legislativ (legislatie.just.ro) · Law · Checked on

    Used for Employment residence permit validity, Years to permanent residence, Shareholder residence permit validity

  3. 3
    Government Decision 146/2026 on the minimum gross wage (RON 4,325 from 1 Jul 2026)

    Ministry of Justice, Portal Legislativ (legislatie.just.ro) · Law · Checked on

    Used for Salary floor for the job offer, Minimum gross wage

  4. 4
    Employed worker in Romania

    European Commission, EU Immigration Portal · Government · Checked on

    Used for Salary floor for the job offer

  5. 5
    Guvernul a aprobat un contingent de 90.000 de lucratori straini nou-admisi pentru anul 2026 (GD 1169/2025)

    Ministry of Labour, Family, Youth and Social Solidarity · Government · Checked on

    Used for Quota of new foreign workers for 2026

  6. 6
    Long Term Residence in Romania

    General Inspectorate for Immigration (IGI) · Government · Checked on

    Used for Years to permanent residence

  7. 7
    Self-employed worker in Romania

    European Commission, EU Immigration Portal · Government · Checked on

    Used for Shareholder residence permit validity

  8. 8
    Employment visa (D/AM)

    Embassy of Romania in the United Arab Emirates · Government · Checked on

    Used for Romanian missions taking D/AM files in the Gulf

  9. 9
    Employment visa (D/AM)

    Consulate General of Romania in Dubai · Government · Checked on

    Used for Romanian missions taking D/AM files in the Gulf, Criminal record for the D/AM

  10. 10
    Employment visa (D/AM)

    Embassy of Romania in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia · Government · Checked on

    Used for Romanian missions taking D/AM files in the Gulf, Criminal record for the D/AM, Deadline to file the D/AM after the aviz, D/AM decision time

  11. 11
    Employment visa (D/AM)

    Embassy of Romania in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan · Government · Checked on

    Used for Criminal record for the D/AM, Deadline to file the D/AM after the aviz, D/AM decision time

  12. 12
    Status table: Convention of 5 October 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents

    Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH) · Government · Checked on

    Used for Certification of Saudi documents, Certification of UAE documents

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