Romania's D/AM Visa: An Employer's Guide to Hiring from Pakistan

What exactly is the D/AM visa?

The D/AM visa is Romania's long-stay visa for non-EU citizens who are going to work for a Romanian employer. "D" stands for the long-stay category in Romanian immigration law, and "AM" (Angajare în Muncă) means employment. It is the main legal route for Pakistani workers coming to Romania on a work contract.

Unlike a short Schengen visa, the D/AM visa is linked to an approved work contract with one named Romanian employer. It allows entry for up to 90 days, during which the worker must obtain a residence permit. Most D/AM contracts run for one or two years and are easy to renew if the job continues.

Why the D/AM visa matters to Romanian employers

Since 2021, Romania has had ongoing labour shortages in construction, manufacturing, agriculture and hospitality. Several industry associations have said that local workers cannot meet demand, especially in skilled trades and among people willing to move for work.

The D/AM system was built so Romanian employers can hire workers from outside the EU legally and efficiently. Pakistan is one of the main source countries, together with Nepal, Bangladesh, Vietnam and Sri Lanka. The big advantage for employers is that once the permit is approved, the timeline is predictable — usually 8 to 14 weeks from signing the contract to the worker's arrival.

The D/AM process from start to finish

Knowing the full workflow helps Romanian HR teams plan hiring realistically. This is how the D/AM process works on the employer's side and the candidate's side:

• Step 1 — Labour-market test (Romania): The Romanian employer registers the vacancy and shows that it could not be filled locally. This opens the work authorisation.
• Step 2 — Work authorisation: Once approved, the employer sends the authorisation document to the worker in Pakistan. The visa application cannot be made without it.
• Step 3 — Candidate sourcing (Pakistan): Crown Enterprises Overseas Employment sources suitable Pakistani candidates matching the trade, experience level and language requirements specified by the employer. Initial shortlists are shared with the employer for selection.
• Step 4 — Candidate documents: Selected candidates get a police clearance certificate (PCC), a medical and their documents ready — passport, education certificates and trade certificates.
• Step 5 — Embassy appointment and visa application: The candidate applies for the D/AM visa at the Romanian Embassy in Islamabad with the work authorisation, contract and supporting papers. Processing normally takes 15 to 30 working days.
• Step 6 — Visa issuance and travel: Once the visa is stamped, travel is coordinated. Flight routing through Istanbul, Dubai or Baku (via Azerbaijan Airlines) is typically the most cost-effective option from Islamabad.
• Step 7 — Arrival and residence permit: Upon arrival in Romania, the worker must apply for a residence permit at the local immigration office within 90 days. Crown Enterprises Overseas Employment briefs all workers on this requirement before departure.

What timeline to expect

Based on 16+ years of deployment experience, a typical D/AM process from contract signature to worker arrival in Romania runs 10 to 14 weeks when all parties are responsive and documents are in order. Some deployments complete faster (8 weeks) when the employer's work permit was already approved and candidates are pre-screened. Others run longer (16 to 20 weeks) when specific trade certifications need verification or when seasonal embassy backlogs occur.

A realistic plan for Romanian employers: if you need workers on site by a fixed project start date, start talking to us at least 4 months ahead. That leaves room for document problems and embassy appointments.

What Crown Enterprises Overseas Employment handles under D/AM

One of the hardest parts for Romanian employers is that the D/AM process involves several parties in two countries: the Romanian authorities, the embassy in Islamabad, medical centres, attestation offices and the candidates themselves. Running all of that from Romania alone is very difficult.

Crown Enterprises Overseas Employment handles the entire Pakistan-side workflow end-to-end:

• Finding, trade-testing and shortlisting candidates
• Police clearance certificates and attestation of documents
• Coordination of medicals and health insurance
• Booking embassy appointments and help with the visa application
• Emigration clearance and Protectorate of Emigrants paperwork
• A pre-departure briefing on Romanian workplace culture and basic language
• Travel planning on cost-effective flights
• Help settling in after arrival

Why D/AM applications are refused

Over 16 years, certain patterns emerge in rejected applications. The most common issues are: inconsistencies between the candidate's actual trade experience and what was declared, missing or improperly attested educational documents, medical findings that disqualify the candidate under Romanian health requirements, and candidates with prior Schengen refusals they failed to disclose.

Crown Enterprises Overseas Employment pre-screens all candidates for these risk factors before formal document submission, which keeps our D/AM approval rates significantly above industry average.