Student Visas & Permits

Here’s what you’ll need to get a study visa for Romania:

Your passport and two passport-sized photos
An acceptance letter from your school, signed by the Ministry of Education
Proof of finances – this must be at least €2000 (US$2400)
Proof of a place to live – your school can issue you with a letter stating that you have a place to live in dorms
Health insurance – if you’re under twenty-six, your school covers this. If you’re over twenty-six, you’ll need to pay a monthly fee of at least 49RON (US$12)

Housing & Living Costs
Romania has one of the lower costs of living in the EU, even in Bucharest. This means that you can enjoy a cosmopolitan lifestyle on a relatively small budget. That being said, you’ll still need to budget.
As the cost of living is at its highest in Bucharest, these costs will reflect the cost of living in the capital. Some average costs of living in Romania (in ROM and USD) are:

Monthly rent (1 bedroom apartment): 1900ROM ($470) *

Utilities (monthly average): 475ROM ($115)

Monthly public transport pass: 70ROM ($17)

Meal (inexpensive restaurant): 35ROM ($8.60)

Coffee: 10ROM ($2.50)

Milk (1 liter): 5ROM ($1.25)

Vegetables (1kg): 4ROM ($0.95)

Eggs (dozen): 10ROM ($2.50)

Water (1.5 liter): 2ROM ($0.50) **

Chicken (1kg): 21ROM ($5.15)

Wine (bottle): 25ROM ($6.15)

Bread (loaf): 3ROM ($0.75)

* Most students rent accommodation from their school. This is known as dorms in the US or corridors or halls in Europe. The cost of renting this type of accommodation is much lower. It varies from school to school and depending on the type of room you want.

** You can’t drink the tap water in Romania. You’ll need to factor bottled water into your budget. That being said, the Romanian government is working hard to improve the quality of the tap water.

Tuition Fees & Scholarships
Tuition fees in Romania depend on what you’re studying and where you’re from. If you’re from Romania, the EU, the EEA or Switzerland, then it’ll be less than if you’re from outside. That being said, there’s no big difference.
It’ll cost between 10,000ROM (US$2400) and 24,600ROM (US$6040). Programs like medicine and engineering generally come in at the higher end of this range.

Before arriving in Romania, most schools will ask you to pay a deposit of at least one semester’s worth of fees. This can vary from school to school.