New measures on employment area
1 February 2022New social protection measures for employees and other professional categories [1]
The measure of technical unemployment was extended until March 31st, 2022.
► The state covers the technical unemployment indemnity in case of restrictions, during the period of temporary interruption or reduction of the activity, as a result of the implementation of the measures for diminishing the impact of the risk provided by the Government decisions for prolonging the state of alert in Romania or for employers with suspended activity as a result of the epidemiologic investigations performed by the public health directions (in Romanian, direcțiile de sănătate publică).
► The gross monthly amount of the technical unemployment indemnity covered by the state is 75% of the base salary corresponding to the occupied position, capped at 75% of the gross average wage used to substantiate the state social insurance budget for the year 2022 (i.e., RON 6,095).
► The maximum amount covered by the state budget is of RON 4,571.25. In case the employer’s budget is sufficient, the amount covered by the state may be supplemented by the employer with amounts representing the difference to cover at least 75% of the base salary corresponding to the occupied position.
New provisions regarding quarantine[2]
The 5-day quarantine measure is established for:
► persons arriving in Romania who do not present the EU digital certificate on COVID-19 or, in the case of natural persons from states whose authorities do not issue EU digital certificates on COVID-19 or documents compatible with these certificates, proof on paper or in electronic format attesting the vaccination for which 10 days have elapsed since the completion of the complete scheme, passing through the disease in the last 180 days before entering the country or negative RT-PCR testing for COVID-19 carried out no later than 72 hours before boarding (for those travelling by public transport) or entering the national territory (for those travelling by own means), with certain exceptions;
► direct contacts of a person confirmed for SARS-CoV-2 virus infection, except for persons within 90 days following the isolation period of a positive confirmation with SARS-CoV-2 virus.
New provisions concerning the quota of foreign workers [3]
► For the year 2022, a quota of 100,000 newly admitted foreign workers has been established in the Romanian labour market.
New measures regarding the regime of foreigners in Romania
► Starting with January 17, 2022, the notion of the digital nomad and the regime applicable to this category were introduced[4].
► The digital nomad is defined as a foreigner who is employed with an employment contract at a company registered outside Romania and who provides services through the use of information and communication technology or who owns a company registered outside Romania, in which he provides services through the use of information and communication technology and may carry out the activity of employee or the activity within the company, remotely, through the use of information and communication technology.
► Digital nomads who wish to travel and stay in Romania may be granted a long-stay visa for other purposes, upon request, by the Romanian diplomatic missions and consular offices of the country in which they have their residence or domicile if they meet a number of conditions and present certain documents in this regard.
► The temporary residence permit is valid for six months, and the first extension is made for the same period.
[1] Government Emergency Ordinance no. 2/2022 on the establishment of social protection measures for employees and other professional categories in the context of prohibition, suspension or limitation of economic activities, determined by the epidemiological situation generated by the spread of Covid-19, as well as for amending and supplementing normative acts, published in the Official Gazette, Part I no. 61 of 20.01.2022
[2] Decision no. 6/2022 on the procedure for approving the rules for applying the quarantine measure on persons, published in the Official Gazette, Part I no. 97 of 31.01.2022
[3] Decision no. 132/2022 on the establishment of the quota of newly admitted foreign workers on the labour market in 2022, published in the Official Gazette, Part I no. 90 of 28.01.2022
[4] Law no. 22/2022 amending and supplementing the Government Emergency Ordinance no. 194/2002 on the regime of foreigners in Romania, published in the Official Gazette, Part I no. 45 of 14.01.2022
