Long Term Visa For Religious Activities

If you are a citizen of a country outside the European Union and the European Economic Area and would like to pursue religious activities in Romania, it is necessary that either your or the organization under which you will carry out these activities obtain the approval of the State Secretariat for Cults.

After obtaining the approval, you can obtain the long-term visa for religious activities from the diplomatic missions and consular offices.

The residence permit for religious activities is issued for long-term purposes, meaning that the holder will also apply for residency in Romania for the validity of the visa. This permit is applied for with the General Inspectorate for Immigration and the holder of the D visa for religious activities will be asked to submit a set of document attesting to his/her stay and the relevant activities.

The long stay visa for religious activities involves submitting the following documents:

• the approval of the State Secretariat for Religious Denominations for foreigners performing similar activities in the country of origin or the country of residence, after consulting the national authority in combating terrorism;

• proof of being the representative of a religious organization legally established in Romania;

• evidence of a living space the and means of support at the level of three average salaries per national economy;

• proof of medical insurance and of the fact that you do not suffer from diseases that could endanger public health;

• the criminal record certificate or other document with the same legal value issued by the authorities in your country of origin.

The visa fee is 120 Euro and it can be paid in the State where the request is made.

The long stay visa will be approved by the National Visa Center only after obtaining the approval of the General Inspectorate for Immigration, and this approval shall be issued within 30 days of receiving the request, with the possibility to extend the deadline by 15 days.

The long stay visa is granted for a period of 90 days, with one or more trips.

 After entering Romania, the next step is obtaining a residence permit. The residence permit is proof of your right to stay in Romania and you can get obtain it from the territorial units of the General Inspectorate for Immigration in the county where you live.

In order to obtain a residence permit, you are required to personally submit the following documents:

• the request;

• the border crossing documents (passport, travel title, etc.) - original and copy;

• the approval of the State Secretariat for Religious Affairs - original;

• proof of legal ownership of the living space - original and copy;

• proof of social health insurance;

• medical certificate;

• taxes.

 You also have the possibility to submit these documents via online application on the official website of the General Inspectorate for Immigration.

The residence permit is renewed at least 30 days before the expiration of the previous one.

The request for the extension of the right of residence shall be resolved within 30 days from the date of its submission. In cases where further checks are required, the deadline for resolving the application may be extended by 15 days.

The right of temporary residence for religious activities shall be extended for a period equal to the duration of the approval.

Remaining in the country for at least eight years (or less, in some cases), can mean that the foreign national will be able to apply for citizenship in Romania. For this to be possible, one will need to provide proof id adequate Romanian language knowledge, their lawful means of subsistence in the country, proof of good conduct, culture and history knowledge, among others.

If you are interested in other topics, such as business and commercial law, property law and real estate matters, debt collection, and others, you can reach out to our Romanian lawyers.

For further information on how to obtain the long stay visa for religious activities by a person belonging to a country outside of the European Union or the European Economic Area in Romania, don’t hesitate to contact one of the lawyers of our team within the law firm Darie, Manea & associates that hold extensive experience in this field, providing full legal service, namely legal advice and representation before competent authorities.