Romania faces labor shortages as bureaucracy stalls foreign recruitment

Romania faces significant administrative hurdles in recruiting foreign labor despite a projected need for up to 90,000 non-EU workers by 2026. According to data from ESSA Group, the recruitment process is being hampered by bureaucratic delays and the suspension of certain digital services.

The Bucharest Court of Appeal has suspended the execution of Order no. 1073/2026, which pertains to the list of deficit occupations. This legal decision has led to the temporary deactivation of several essential functions on the WorkinRomania platform. Specifically, the suspension affects the registration and authorization of new foreign employers, as well as the submission of single applications for long-stay visas (D/AM2).

The General Inspectorate for Immigration clarified that these disruptions are not due to technical malfunctions of the platform, but are a direct result of the court's decision. These administrative bottlenecks complicate long-term planning for companies that rely on international talent to fill critical labor shortages.