Author
The duration of residence permits granted for refugee status is 3 years and for subsidiary protection 2 years.[1]
The conditions for issuing a residence permit – in the form of a card – are prescribed by the Asylum Decree.[2] In order to obtain a residence permit, issued free of charge ,the beneficiary of international protection has the obligation to submit a document to IGI-DAI which proves their legal residence. This can be a: title of ownership; lease agreement registered with the fiscal administration; commodity contract concluded in authentic form; or any other documents concluded under the conditions of validity provided by Romanian legislation in force regarding the housing title, which prove the acquisition of some housing rights.[3]
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Responsibility for issuing the residence permits lies with IGI-DAI. In practice there are no difficulties in the issuance of the residence permit. However, the AIDRom representative in Timișoara stated that beneficiaries encounter difficulties in obtaining a rental contract fulfilling the conditions required by the authorities. Currently, the landlords do not want to declare to the authorities that they rented out their apartments. The situation was the same for beneficiaries of international protection living in Region 2, but not in the Galati reception centre, in 2023.[4] In 2024, according to JRS Romania some beneficiaries of protection still experienced challenges in securing housing. One persistent obstacle is the reluctance of Romanian landlords to rent to foreigners, often refusing to declare rental agreements to the authorities. In addition, the requirement for a financial guarantee or deposit poses a significant challenge, as none of the NGOs are in a position to cover these costs. Some beneficiaries also struggle to find stable employment, making it difficult to sustain rent payments once NGO support ends. In certain cases, even paying for utilities becomes a burden, as these are not always included in the assistance provided by NGOs.[5]
The beneficiary of international protection has to fill in a standard form,[6] which is usually filled in together with the officer in charge. The time of issuance of the residence permit card is issued differs from one Regional Centre to another: as of 2022, one week or even sooner in Bucharest, three weeks în Timișoara, according to the director of the regional centre of Timișoara, three weeks în Rădăuţi, three weeks in Galaţi (also in 2023),[7] two to three weeks in Giurgiu. As for Şomcuta Mare, the director was not aware of the average duration. The situation in Timisoara in 2024 remained similar to the previous year’s, with some minor improvements. Difficulties and delays may arise when the beneficiaries do not understand the procedure and do not bring all the required documents.[8]
As regards the renewal of residence permit, beneficiaries of international protection do not encounter any problems. Before the expiry of the residence permit, they fill in a request for renewal and a new card is issued in the same time frame as mentioned above.
IGI-DAI issued 1,374 residence permits to refugees and 1,798 to subsidiary protection beneficiaries in 2023.[9] These were residence permits issued for the first time; beneficiaries had not held another residence permit in the previous 6 months. In 2024, IGI-DAI issued 2,416 residence permits to refugees and 2,417 to subsidiary protection beneficiaries.[10]
[1] Article 20(6) Asylum Act.
[2] Article 51 Asylum Decree.
[3] ibid. Article 50(3).
[4] Practice based observation of JRS Romania, April 2024.
[5] ibid. February 2025.
[6] The form is available here.
[7] Practice observed by JRS Romania, April 2024.
[8] Information provided by IOM, 19 February 2022.
[9] Information provided by IGI-DAI, 18 January 2024.
[10] ibid. 23 January 2025.