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Withdrawal Agreement permanent residence — UK national or family member

RomaniaLong-term residence

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

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What exact status does accumulated residence lead to?

The target status is the Withdrawal Agreement right of permanent residence in Romania, recognised for an indefinite period. Article 12 continued the right already obtained by 31 December 2020, subject to the historical permit-application deadline of 31 December 2021. Separately, Article 13 recognises permanent residence on application for qualifying Withdrawal Agreement temporary residents after five continuous years and the other stated conditions; the old 2021 deadline is not the sole path to this status.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • The IGI-hosted consolidation is expressly valid at 2 April 2024 and the current IGI legislation index still labels it updated April 2024. Later legal amendments, if any, and late handling of the historical Article 12 permit deadline were not established by these captures.
  • https://igi.mai.gov.ro/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/ORDONANTA-DE-URGENTA-nr.-204-din-23-noiembrie-2020.pdf#art-12
    ### Articolul 12 ## Dispoziţii privind dreptul de şedere permanentă **(1)** Beneficiarilor art. 50 TUE care au obţinut până la data de 31 decembrie 2020 dreptul de rezidenţă permanentă pe teritoriul României în condiţiile Ordonanţei de urgenţă a Guvernului nr. 102/2005, republicată, cu modificările şi completările ulterioare, li se recunoaşte în continuare acest drept, dacă solicită eliberarea permisului de şedere permanentă până la data de 31 decembrie 2021 inclusiv, cu îndeplinirea condiţiilor prevăzute la <u>art. 7 alin. (3) lit. a)-c)</u>.
  • https://igi.mai.gov.ro/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/ORDONANTA-DE-URGENTA-nr.-204-din-23-noiembrie-2020.pdf#art-13
    ### Articolul 13 **(1)** Dreptul de şedere permanentă se recunoaşte, la cerere, în condiţiile prezentei ordonanţe de urgenţă, pe perioadă nedeterminată, persoanelor prevăzute la <u>art. 7</u> şi <u>8</u> care, la data soluţionării cererii, sunt titulari ai unui drept de şedere temporară pe teritoriul României şi îndeplinesc cumulativ următoarele condiţii: **a)** au avut drept de şedere temporară pe teritoriul României în mod continuu în ultimii 5 ani anteriori depunerii cererii, iar în această perioadă împotriva acestora nu a fost dispusă nicio măsură de îndepărtare de pe teritoriul naţional; **b)** abrogată; La data de 22-03-2024 Litera b) , Alineatul (1) , Articolul 13 , Sectiunea a 3-a , Capitolul II a fost abrogată de Punctul 1. , Articolul IX din ORDONANŢA DE URGENŢĂ nr. 25 din 21 martie 2024, publicată în MONITORUL OFICIAL nr. 250 din 22 martie 2024 **c)** fac dovada deţinerii legale a spaţiului de locuit, în condiţiile legii; **d)** nu prezintă pericol pentru securitatea naţională; **e)** nu constituie o ameninţare la adresa ordinii publice. Condiţia se consideră îndeplinită dacă străinul nu a săvârşit, cu intenţie, infracţiuni pe teritoriul României pentru care i s-a aplicat o pedeapsă privativă de libertate mai mare de 5 ani.

What qualifying residence period is required and when does the period begin?

A right of temporary stay in Romania held constantly over the 5 years before the application, with no removal decision during that period.

See recorded sources
  • https://igi.mai.gov.ro/en/permanent-stay-in-romania/
    they have had a right of temporary stay on Romanian territory constantly over the 5 years prior to filing their application, and over that period they were never subject to any decision or removal from Romanian territory;

Which types of residence count fully, partially or not at all where the official rules specify this?

The checked official sources did not provide enough route-specific evidence to confirm which types of residence count towards the qualifying period.

What absence/continuity rules affect accumulation of the qualifying residence period?

For a Withdrawal Agreement beneficiary seeking permanent residence through Article 13, temporary residence must be continuous during the five years before application, with no removal measure in that period. Article 13(4) does not treat as interruptions absences of at most six months within a year; compulsory military service; up to 12 consecutive months for important reasons such as pregnancy/childbirth, serious illness, education or training, or work posting abroad; or a custodial sentence served in Romania shorter than six months. The applicant must prove continuity, by any means of evidence. These are accumulation rules; after permanent status is recognised, a separate Article 15 rule concerns loss after more than five consecutive years outside Romania.

See recorded sources
Limits of the record
  • The cited IGI consolidation is valid at 2 April 2024 and remained the version linked from the IGI legislation index when retrieved on 25 September 2026. These captures do not independently exclude later amendments. Article 12 recognition of an already-held permanent right is separate from Article 13 accumulation.
  • https://igi.mai.gov.ro/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/ORDONANTA-DE-URGENTA-nr.-204-din-23-noiembrie-2020.pdf#art-13-4-5
    **(4)** La stabilirea continuităţii perioadei de şedere temporară nu sunt considerate întreruperi: **a)** absenţele temporare de pe teritoriul României care nu depăşesc 6 luni în decurs de un an; **b)** absenţa de pe teritoriul României pentru satisfacerea serviciului militar obligatoriu; **c)** absenţa de pe teritoriul României pentru motive întemeiate, precum starea de graviditate şi de naştere, boală gravă, participarea la programe de învăţământ sau pregătire profesională ori mutarea în interes de serviciu într-un alt stat membru al Uniunii Europene sau o ţară terţă, pentru o perioadă de maximum 12 luni consecutive; **d)** perioada în care a fost executată o pedeapsă privativă de libertate pe teritoriul României, mai mică de 6 luni. **(5)** Dovada continuităţii şederii temporare pe teritoriul României prevăzută la <u>alin. (1) lit. a)</u> cade în sarcina solicitantului şi poate fi făcută prin orice mijloc de probă.
  • https://igi.mai.gov.ro/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/ORDONANTA-DE-URGENTA-nr.-204-din-23-noiembrie-2020.pdf#art-15-1
    ### Articolul 15 **(1)** Dreptul de şedere permanentă încetează în una dintre următoarele situaţii: --- **a)** persoana prezintă pericol pentru securitatea naţională; **b)** persoana absentează de pe teritoriul României pe o perioadă mai mare de 5 ani consecutivi.

What other major conditions apply, how is the status obtained, and what renewal, document-validity, retention or loss rules matter?

Applicants must prove sufficient means for themselves and family members at least at the level of the Romanian minimum guaranteed income, legal ownership or rental of living space, and not be a threat to national security or public order (met if they have no intentional criminal offence in Romania with a prison sentence over 5 years). The documents are the application form, border-crossing document, criminal record statement from the state of domicile or residence, and proof of ownership or rental of living space. Applications are processed within 30 days, extendable by up to 15 days; the permanent stay permit is valid 10 years (5 years for under-14s). The official source does not state retention or loss rules.

See recorded sources
  • https://igi.mai.gov.ro/en/permanent-stay-in-romania/
    they can prove owning sufficient means to support themselves and their family members, at least at the level of the minimum guaranteed income in Romania; they can prove legal ownership/rental of their living space as under the law; they are not a threat to national security; they are not a threat to public order (this requirement is deemed satisfied if the foreign citizen has not committed criminal violations with intent on Romanian territory that they have received a prison sentence for in excess of 5 years)
  • https://igi.mai.gov.ro/en/permanent-stay-in-romania/
    In this case, the documents required for the issuance of the permanent stay document are: application form; border crossing document in the original and one copy; statement of criminal record or another document of equal legal value issued by the authorities of their state of domicile or residence; proof of legal ownership/rental of living space(original and one copy).
  • https://igi.mai.gov.ro/en/permanent-stay-in-romania/
    Applications for the recognition of the right of permanent stay shall be processed within 30 days of the date they were filed and for objective reasons this time limit may be extended by a maximum of 15 days, with the notification of the applicant. Permanent stay permits are valid for 10 years of the date of issuance, except for those issued to persons aged under 14, which are valid for 5 years of the date of issuance.

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

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