Health insurance for foreigners in Romania is one of the conditions for obtaining a Romanian visa and a residence permit. A foreigner who applies for a long-stay visa (type D) must prove medical insurance for the period of validity of the visa, and the extension of the right of temporary residence (the residence permit issued by the General Inspectorate for Immigration) requires, as a rule, that the foreigner is insured in the Romanian social health insurance system. This page explains who is insured under Law no. 95/2006 on health reform and how foreigners who live in Romania can become insured.
A foreigner who has his domicile or residence in Romania, in order to benefit from the package of medical services for the persons who are voluntarily insured, must insure themselves at the county and Bucharest social health insurance houses, otherwise, if he uses the providers’ services of medical services will bear the value of the services provided.
According to Law no. 95/2006 on health reform (republished), are insured, according to this law, all Romanian citizens domiciled in the country, as well as foreign citizens and stateless persons who have requested and obtained the extension of the right of temporary residence or are domiciled in Romania and prove payment of the contribution to the fund, under this laws.
The same law also provides that citizens of EU, EEA and Swiss states who have obtained a right of residence in Romania for more than 3 months and do not hold an insurance concluded in another member state that produces effects in Romania are insured on the same conditions, if they prove payment of the contribution; persons from states with which Romania has concluded bilateral social security agreements benefit from medical services under the conditions of those agreements.
The former provision under which social health insurance was merely optional for members of diplomatic missions, for foreign citizens temporarily in the country without a long-stay visa and for Romanian citizens living abroad no longer appears in the current text of Law no. 95/2006: persons who are not insured by law may opt to pay the contribution under the Fiscal Code or must rely on private insurance and pay for the medical services used.
Government Emergency Ordinance no. 150/2002 and its methodological norms (Order no. 221/2005) have been repealed; the corresponding rules are now found in Law no. 95/2006 and its implementing norms: (1) The quality of insured is held by all Romanian citizens domiciled in the country, as well as foreign citizens and stateless persons domiciled in Romania or have requested and obtained the extension of the right of temporary residence in Romania under the law and prove payment the contribution of the social health insurance to the fund, hereinafter referred to as the contribution, under the conditions of the law and of the present methodological norms.
(2) The quality of the insured ceases once the right of domicile or residence in Romania is lost, with the death or with the judicial declaration of the death of the insured.
(3) If the contribution is no longer paid, after 3 months from the last payment the person is treated as uninsured and only benefits from the minimum package of medical services.
(4) Citizens of EU, EEA and Swiss states who have obtained a right of residence in Romania for more than 3 months, do not hold an insurance concluded in another member state producing effects in Romania and prove payment of the contribution are also insured, as are EU/EEA/Swiss cross-border workers; persons from states with which Romania applies bilateral social security agreements benefit from medical services under the conditions of those agreements.
(5) Foreign citizens and stateless persons who are only temporarily in the country (visit, tourism, business, sports, cultural or scientific activities, short-term medical treatment and similar situations) are not insured in the Romanian system; they must hold travel medical insurance, which is also a condition of the visa, or pay for the services used.
Under the Fiscal Code, the social health insurance contribution (CASS) is currently 10%; the rates previously set by Order no. 221/2005 under the repealed Government Emergency Ordinance no. 150/2002 no longer apply.
Foreign citizens and stateless persons who have obtained the extension of the right of temporary residence in Romania under the legislation governing the regime of foreigners pay the contribution of 10%, calculated on the taxable income earned in Romania, according to the Fiscal Code.
Those who do not realize taxable incomes on the Romanian territory and who do not otherwise hold the quality of insured may insure themselves optionally by paying the contribution of 10%, calculated on the base set by the Fiscal Code.
Foreign nationals already living in Romania can reach out to us if they plan in extending their stay, if they wish to change or renew their visas, as well as in other cases. We also assist those who have been living in Romania for the minimum number of years and are now ready to apply for Romanian citizenship. This process is subject to a set of clear conditions and our team can give you complete details.