Complete guide for Pakistani students — D-Type Visa & Residence Permit, Post-Study Options and Family Reunification, including fees, processing time, financial proof and documents. Content last verified July 2026.
D-type (D/SD) long-stay visa before travel, then a temporary residence permit from the local IGI office after arrival
Letter of Acceptance from the Romanian Ministry of Education, tuition payment, proof of funds, health insurance and clean criminal record; no nationality-based restriction
Tied to Romania's national net minimum monthly wage — sources cite ~€500/month or €2,500 total; confirm via the specific consulate
D-type visa €120; residence permit biometric card RON 259 (approx. €52)
Visa commonly 2–4 weeks; 2–3 months from university acceptance to visa issuance
Up to 4 hours/day (20 or 28 hours/week cited) — confirm whether a labour inspectorate work permit is required
Post-study residence permit pathway — exact duration, fee and eligibility to be confirmed with IGI
Spouse/partner and dependent children — student-sponsor rules to be confirmed with IGI
Romania combines full EU/Schengen degree recognition with genuinely low tuition (€2,000–6,000/year) and living costs (€400–700/month) — among the most affordable EU study destinations — plus a well-defined Ministry of Foreign Affairs scholarship specifically aimed at non-EU students. 7 Continents Migration Experts guides Pakistani applicants through the category that matches their circumstances.
This page covers three core categories: D-Type Long-Stay Visa & Residence Permit for Study (Main Study Visa), Post-Study Options, and Family Reunification. Each includes General Eligibility (any nationality) and Eligibility for Pakistani Nationals, plus HEC/IBCC attestation and scholarship guidance.
⚠ GENUINE CONFLICT — POST-ARRIVAL REGISTRATION DEADLINE: sources reviewed for this document disagree on how many days after arrival a student must register with the General Inspectorate for Immigration (IGI) to obtain the residence permit — most sources cite 30 days, but at least one specifically cites 60 days. Confirm the current exact deadline directly via IGI or the specific Romanian institution before advising a client, given the consequence of missing whichever deadline actually applies.
⚠ GENUINE CONFLICT — RESIDENCE PERMIT DURATION: most sources describe the student residence permit as valid for 1 year, renewable annually for the duration of studies — but at least one source describes it as valid for the TOTAL DURATION of studies in a single grant (similar to Croatia's 2026 change). Confirm the current exact validity structure directly via IGI before publishing, as this may reflect a recent change not yet consistently reflected across all sources.
✓ MASTER GUIDELINES: this page includes both General Eligibility (any nationality) and Eligibility for Pakistani Nationals (country-specific) for every category, plus the HEC/IBCC attestation and scholarship guidance required for Phase 2.
Explore the three categories covered for Pakistani students applying to Romania — select one to see full eligibility, fees and documents.
Romania's two-stage route — D-type visa before travel, IGI residence permit after arrival.
Residence permit pathway for graduates — confirm current terms via IGI.
Spouse and dependent children — student-sponsor rules to be confirmed with IGI.
Romania's two-stage process for non-EU/EEA students: a D-type (D/SD) long-stay visa obtained from a Romanian embassy/consulate before travel, followed by a temporary residence permit application at the local IGI office after arrival, which is the document that actually authorises the full study period.
Romania offers a post-study residence permit pathway for graduates, though this was not detailed with the same precision as some neighbouring countries' more clearly-branded post-study schemes in the sources reviewed for this document — confirm current specific mechanics via IGI before advising clients on exact terms.
A pathway for family members to join a Romanian resident — general family reunification provisions apply, though specific rules for a student-sponsor case should be confirmed directly with the relevant authority.
MAY 2026 MULTI-YEAR STUDY PERMITS: the May 2026 shift to multi-year (up to 3-year) study permits is the single most positive, practically significant update for this page — clients on multi-year programmes should be clearly told they no longer face annual full renewal, only a simpler annual enrolment confirmation.
TWO OPEN CONFLICTS: the two genuine conflicts flagged at the top of this page (30 vs 60-day IGI registration deadline; 1-year-renewable vs full-duration residence permit) are the most important open questions for this page — both should be resolved directly with IGI before publishing definitive guidance to clients.
MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS SCHOLARSHIP: Romania's Ministry of Foreign Affairs scholarship (full tuition waiver, free dormitory, and a monthly stipend) is a genuinely strong, underutilised option worth featuring prominently for eligible Pakistani applicants — the narrow mid-January to 31 March application window means this should be flagged to prospective clients well in advance.
Academic transcripts and degree certificates should be HEC/IBCC attested and apostilled/superlegalised, with certified Romanian translations, as required by the specific Romanian embassy/consulate. Confirm current document requirements.
HEC Attestation
IBCC Attestation
Apostille / Superlegalisation
Certified Romanian Translation
Relevant scholarship options for Pakistani students include Finnish government-affiliated scholarships and university-specific tuition waivers.
Romanian MFA Scholarship
Study in Romania Portal
Fulbright
HEC Scholarships
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