Romanian visa resources
Romania's immigration authority: the General Inspectorate for Immigration (IGI)
The General Inspectorate for Immigration (IGI), under the Ministry of Internal Affairs, is Romania's national body for foreigners' stay and residence.
Important
Romania's national immigration authority is the General Inspectorate for Immigration (Inspectoratul General pentru Imigrari, IGI), which operates under the Ministry of Internal Affairs (Ministerul Afacerilor Interne). IGI is responsible for implementing Romania's policy on immigration, asylum and the legal stay of non-EU foreigners, and it decides applications for residence permits and the right to stay.
IGI works through territorial units in each county, and you deal with the office covering the county where you live. Long-stay (Type D) visa applications themselves are lodged abroad at Romanian diplomatic missions and consular offices (coordinated with Romania's National Visa Centre), while IGI handles the residence permit you obtain after arrival.
What IGI does
- Issues and extends residence permits for non-EU nationals
- Registers the residence of EU/EEA/Swiss citizens exercising free movement
- Approves the favourable opinion required before certain long-stay visas are issued
- Runs the online applications portal at portaligi.mai.gov.ro
How to reach IGI
- Central address: Bucharest, str. Lt. Col. Marinescu C-tin, nr. 15A, Sector 5
- Official website: igi.mai.gov.ro (English section at igi.mai.gov.ro/en/)
- Online services portal: portaligi.mai.gov.ro/portaligi/
- Applications for the right of residence are made at the IGI territorial unit for your county
Next steps
Official sources
For the most accurate and up-to-date information, always refer to the official government sources.
Verified against official sources · last reviewed 2026-08-21. Information only — not legal advice.