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Long-Stay Visa D/VF — family reunification with a third-country sponsor

RomaniaFamily

Explore the five recorded questions, answers and sources for this pathway.

Official link

Which family relationships qualify?

Spouse; unmarried minor children of the sponsor and spouse, including adopted children; unmarried minor children of the sponsor or of the spouse, including adopted, in their care and over whom they exercise parental rights (the other parent's consent is required if rights are shared). The immigration authority may also approve first-degree ascending relatives of the sponsor or spouse who cannot support themselves and lack adequate family support in the home country, and unmarried adult children unable to support themselves for medical reasons. Unaccompanied minors with refugee status or subsidiary protection may request reunification with ascending-line relatives or their legal guardian, or otherwise any other relative.

See recorded sources
  • https://eviza.mae.ro/home/TypeOfVisa
    a. spouse; b. unmarried minor children of the sponsor or of the spouse, including adopted children; c. unmarried minor children of the sponsor, including adopted children, under the sponsor’s care and over whom the sponsor exercises their parental rights. If parental rights are exercised in common, the approval of the second parent is compulsory in order to achieve the family reunification requested by the sponsor.
  • https://eviza.mae.ro/home/TypeOfVisa
    Provided that legal conditions are met, the Inspectorate General for Immigration from the Romanian Ministry of Internal Affairs may also approve family reunification for the following categories: a. next-of-kin, in ascending line, of the sponsor or spouse, if such persons cannot provide for themselves and do not enjoy appropriate family support in their home country; b. unmarried adult children of the sponsor or of the spouse, if due to medical reasons, they are unable to provide for themselves; Unaccompanied underage children who benefit from the refugee status or from subsidiary protection may request family reunification for: a. next-of-kin, in ascending line, or for their legal guardian; or b. when such persons do not exist or cannot be identified, for any other relative of the underage child.

Who may sponsor or bring the family member, and what immigration/citizenship status must that person hold?

The sponsor must hold a temporary residence permit valid for one year, an EU Blue Card, an ICT or 'mobile ICT' permit, or a long-term residence permit, or be a beneficiary of refugee status or subsidiary protection; a foreigner applying for a first EU Blue Card may also apply. Holders of a right of stay for scientific research and holders of an EU Blue Card, ICT or 'mobile ICT' permit may apply even if their temporary residence permit is valid for less than one year.

See recorded sources

What is important for proving marriage, partnership, parentage, custody, dependency or another qualifying relationship?

The sponsor files the application with the marriage certificate or proof of kinship, an authentic declaration that the family members will live with the sponsor, and, for a minor under joint custody, the written consent of the other custodian. If there are doubts about the marriage or kinship, the immigration authority may request other evidence. For the residence permit, marriage and the marriage certificate must be translated and superlegalised/apostilled, and the sponsor states that there is no bigamy or polygamy.

See recorded sources

What important financial, accommodation, insurance or maintenance responsibilities apply?

The sponsor must prove legal possession of housing considered normal for a similar family in Romania, means of support, and social health insurance. The application is approved only if the sponsor has, in addition to what is needed for their own maintenance, means equal to the guaranteed minimum gross basic national salary for each family member for 3 months. The visa application must include medical insurance covering the whole intended stay, medical repatriation, emergency treatment and/or hospitalisation or death, valid in all member states, with minimum cover of 30.000 EUR.

See recorded sources
  • https://igi.mai.gov.ro/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/ORDONANTA-DE-URGENTA-nr.-194-din-12-decembrie-2002.pdf
    d) dovada deţinerii legale a spaţiului de locuit pentru o locuinţă considerată normală pentru o familie similară în România; La data de 31-07-2011 Lit. d) a alin. (7) al art. 46 a fost modificată de pct. 61 al art. I din LEGEA nr. 157 din 11 iulie 2011, publicată în MONITORUL OFICIAL nr. 533 din 28 iulie 2011. e) dovada mijloacelor de întreţinere; f) dovada asigurării în sistemul de asigurări sociale de sănătate a solicitantului;
  • https://igi.mai.gov.ro/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/ORDONANTA-DE-URGENTA-nr.-194-din-12-decembrie-2002.pdf
    b) solicitantul să deţină un spaţiu de locuit considerat normal pentru o familie similară din România; c) solicitantul să posede mijloace de întreţinere, pe lângă cele necesare pentru propria întreţinere potrivit legii, în cuantum corespunzător salariului de bază minim brut pe ţară garantat în plată pentru fiecare membru de familie, pentru o perioadă de 3 luni;
  • https://igi.mai.gov.ro/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/ORDONANTA-DE-URGENTA-nr.-194-din-12-decembrie-2002.pdf
    b) asigurare medicală pe perioada valabilităţii vizei, care să acopere integral perioada preconizată de şedere a străinului în cauză, toate cheltuielile pe care le-ar putea ocaziona repatrierea din motive medicale, tratamentele medicale de urgenţă şi/sau spitalizarea de urgenţă ori decesul; asigurarea trebuie să fie valabilă pe întregul teritoriu al statelor membre, iar acoperirea minimă să fie de 30.000 EUR;

How does the application work at a high level, what rights does the family member receive, how long does the status last, and how can it become independent or longer-term where officially stated?

The sponsor applies to the IGI territorial office; the application is decided within at most 3 months (the sponsor may be interviewed). The approval is sent to the sponsor and presented by the family members to the Romanian mission within 60 days, with the long-stay visa application. The family member's right of temporary stay is extended individually by the same period as the sponsor's. Holders of a family-reunification right of stay may carry out economic or professional activities or be employed under the special laws. If they come of age, the sponsor dies, the marriage is dissolved or the partnership ends, an independent residence permit valid 6 months may be granted to holders (or those who held, within the last 5 years) of a family-reunification permit. The official source does not state eligibility for long-term residence.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • Long-term residence eligibility for family members was not stated in these sources.

These are the answers currently recorded in the catalogue. A missing or partial answer is not an eligibility decision.

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