Romania – Doctors

How does the healthcare system in Romania work, and does it cover expats?

Romania’s healthcare landscape combines both public and private providers. The public system delivers universal coverage financed through social security contributions paid by those in employment, along with annual payments from groups such as retirees and the self-employed — unless an exemption applies. This contribution-linked model shares certain similarities with Germany’s statutory health insurance scheme (GKV) and Australia’s Medicare, in that entitlement to care is tied to participation in the funding mechanism.

The system as a whole is underpinned by compulsory health insurance contributions and is coordinated by the National Health Insurance House (CNAS), which oversees funding distribution and holds contracts with both public and private healthcare providers across the country. Broader regulatory authority rests with the Ministry of Health, which is responsible for ensuring that standards align with EU requirements.

Healthcare delivery in Romania is structured across three tiers: primary care, which encompasses family doctors and general practitioners; secondary care, covering outpatient specialist consultations and diagnostic services; and tertiary care, involving hospitalisation and complex medical procedures. This differs from a fully tax-funded model such as the UK’s NHS — where treatment is free at the point of use for all — in that the Romanian system is fundamentally contribution-based. Full access to services depends on being enrolled and actively paying into the fund.

Foreign nationals who have legally established the right to reside in Romania are entitled to healthcare under the same conditions as Romanian citizens, provided they contribute to the health insurance fund. Expats employed by a Romanian company are enrolled in the public insurance system automatically through their employer.

The public healthcare system faces notable structural challenges, including chronic underfunding and shortages of medical staff, which can result in lengthy wait times and the use of outdated equipment and facilities. These difficulties tend to be more pronounced in rural areas and smaller towns, where hospitals, clinics, and pharmacies are less densely distributed, making access to essential care both harder and more time-consuming for residents.

For up-to-date information on eligibility conditions and contribution requirements, visit the CNAS official website and the Romanian Ministry of Health. The General Inspectorate for Immigration (IGI) also publishes guidance on healthcare rights for foreign nationals at igi.mai.gov.ro.

How do you find and register with a doctor in Romania?

Outside of emergency situations, the Romanian public healthcare system is structured around local general practitioners known as family doctors, who serve as the first point of contact and direct patients to specialist services and hospitals when needed. Selecting and registering with a family doctor (medic de familie) is the fundamental starting point for accessing publicly funded healthcare, since this practitioner functions as the main gateway into the broader system.

Once registered, patients are issued a health insurance card, which must be presented when using healthcare services. Choosing a general practitioner as your primary care provider is essential, as most specialist and hospital services can only be accessed through a GP referral under the public system.

To register as an insured person and find a contracted family doctor, follow these steps:

1. Obtain your tax identification number (CIF/CUI). Contributing to CNAS requires a tax identification number. If you are employed, your employer will generally manage this on your behalf.
2. Register with the local CNAS office (Casa de Asigurări de Sănătate). Registration for health insurance takes place at your local CNAS office. Documents typically required include a national identity card or passport, proof of address, an employment contract, and your tax identification number. Foreign nationals may additionally need to provide a residence permit or valid visa depending on their circumstances.
3. Confirm your insurance status. While your employer is responsible for registering you with CNAS and making payroll deductions once your tax ID is in place, it is advisable to independently verify that contributions are actually being processed — some expats have encountered administrative gaps in this area.
4. Obtain proof of insurance (adeverință). You will need to carry an adeverință, a printed proof of insurance obtainable from your local CAS office or employer. This is especially important for foreign nationals, as the standard electronic health card is not always issued automatically.
5. Choose and register with a family doctor. Registering with a family doctor requires your proof of insurance, identification, and possibly a birth certificate. A directory of contracted family doctors is available via the CNAS provider list, or you can enquire directly at your local health insurance house.
6. Confirm your registration is active. Contact your local CAS office or use the CNAS online system to verify that your enrolment is fully recorded. If your employer has an arrangement with a specific local clinic, this may provide a more straightforward route to accessing services.

Romania does not operate strict geographical catchment boundaries in the way some European countries do, but family doctors are subject to patient list caps set by CNAS — so it is sensible to check with your preferred practitioner that they are accepting new patients before proceeding. For the most current registration guidance, contact your regional health insurance house or visit cnas.ro.

How do you pay for a doctor’s appointment in Romania?

Once you are enrolled with CNAS and making contributions, visits to your registered family doctor should be free of charge at the point of use — as should emergency care. Some other services and medications, however, may be subject to a co-payment. This represents a clear advantage over systems where even routine GP consultations carry a standard fee.

The funding for Romania’s healthcare system is drawn primarily from mandatory social contributions paid by both employers and employees, enabling access to essential services in public hospitals. That said, the public system is under strain, with extended waiting times and gaps in specialist availability being common challenges.

If you are not employed or not covered through another qualifying category, you are responsible for paying health insurance contributions directly. The applicable contribution is calculated by applying a 10% rate to a base equal to six times the national gross minimum wage. As of 2025, the precise monetary amount will reflect the current minimum wage figure — refer to the CNAS website for the current figure.

Outpatient medications are covered to varying degrees under the public insurance system, with individual patients potentially responsible for up to 80% of the drug cost as a co-payment. Admission to public hospitals is free for insured individuals, but certain services — including outpatient medicines and rehabilitation — may carry significant out-of-pocket costs.

Attending a private clinic without insurance means paying the full consultation fee directly. Prices differ substantially between providers and cities, though they are generally more affordable than equivalent services in Western Europe. It is always worth requesting a price list before any private appointment. For current public contribution rates and co-payment structures, the CNAS official website is the authoritative source.

Do you need private health insurance to see a doctor in Romania?

While the Romanian public healthcare system extends discounted or free services to all residents enrolled in the social security system — expats included — many choose to maintain a private health insurance policy as well, primarily to sidestep the pressures and limitations of the public sector. Whether private coverage is strictly necessary will vary based on your residency status, employment situation, and personal standards for healthcare quality.

For non-EU expats, proof of medical insurance is a mandatory requirement when applying for residency in Romania. Such individuals should arrange a private health insurance policy before arriving in the country. EU citizens, by contrast, have an automatic right to live and work in Romania and can access basic healthcare immediately using a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC).

Nationals of third countries travelling to Romania for temporary residence purposes must obtain private health insurance in their country of origin before entering. However, once they are employed under a formal contract on Romanian territory, they gain insured status and enjoy the same rights as Romanian citizens. This means that private insurance may be needed initially but can subsequently be replaced or supplemented once CNAS contributions are underway.

A common approach among expats is to maintain both: CNAS coverage for essential care and private insurance for convenience, direct specialist access, and higher service standards. Private health insurance typically costs between €300 and €1,000 per year depending on the level of cover chosen (as of 2025). For expats who wish to avoid lengthy queues and access specialists without a referral, private insurance offers a practical and often preferable alternative.

Romania’s digital nomad programme permits initial stays of three months, which may subsequently be converted into longer-term residency. Digital nomads and self-employed individuals not making payroll contributions should ensure they have adequate health coverage in place from the moment they arrive. For current visa and residency requirements relating to health insurance, the General Inspectorate for Immigration (IGI) is the appropriate authority to consult.

How do you transfer your medical records to a doctor in Romania?

Bringing your medical history with you when transitioning to a new doctor in Romania is an important practical step — particularly for those managing ongoing health conditions or long-term medication regimens. Romania does maintain an electronic health infrastructure through the SIUI (Integrated Unique Health Information System), but this platform primarily serves registered patients and contracted providers operating within the CNAS network, rather than facilitating the import of foreign records.

Before departing your home country, request a comprehensive summary of your medical records from your current GP or healthcare provider. Depending on where you are coming from, this may be called a GP summary, a patient summary, or a medical history letter. The document should ideally cover your active diagnoses, current treatments with dosages, vaccination records, known allergies, and any pertinent test results or correspondence from specialists.

There is no formal international medical record transfer agreement between Romania and other countries. Nevertheless, your new Romanian family doctor can work from copies of your existing records — whether translated or not — particularly if they work in a private setting with prior experience of treating international patients. For documents in languages other than Romanian, having key materials translated by a certified translator is strongly advisable, especially where complex conditions or specialist treatment plans are involved. Informal translations may be useful for general communication, but certified Romanian translations may be required for formal medical or administrative purposes.

It is worth noting that only doctors holding a contractual relationship with a health insurance company are authorised to issue prescriptions for medicines subsidised by the social health insurance system. At the close of a consultation, or upon discharge from hospital, your doctor may issue an electronic prescription for reimbursed medicines, which can be dispensed at community pharmacies. In practice, this means foreign prescriptions will generally need to be re-issued by a CNAS-registered Romanian doctor before they can be dispensed under the insurance scheme.

Guidance on Romania’s digital health infrastructure and patient records systems is available from the Romanian Ministry of Health and the CNAS website. If you are relocating from another EU country, the cross-border healthcare provisions associated with the EHIC and the EU Cross-Border Healthcare Directive may offer some continuity of care options — the European Commission’s health portal provides relevant details.

What should expats know about language barriers and finding a doctor who consults in English?

For expats prioritising both quality and ease of communication, private clinics and hospitals in major cities — Bucharest in particular — are generally the best starting point. The private sector typically employs English-speaking staff and maintains service standards that are broadly comparable to those found in Western Europe. The picture in the public system is considerably more inconsistent, especially beyond the main urban areas.

Major Romanian cities generally benefit from well-equipped public health facilities staffed by trained and experienced professionals. However, many public hospitals — particularly in rural regions — continue to struggle with staff shortages, budget constraints, and outdated infrastructure. In smaller towns and villages, finding a doctor willing and able to consult in any language other than Romanian can be genuinely difficult, and forward planning is advisable.

A number of private clinics and medical centres across Romania have developed a reputation for catering to the international community, with multilingual staff and services tailored to the needs of foreign patients. Major private healthcare networks operating across key cities include Regina Maria, MedLife, Medicover, and Sanador.

To locate a doctor who consults in English or another language, the following resources may be useful:

• Private hospital and clinic websites — networks such as Regina Maria, Medicover, and MedLife publish doctor profiles and specialisms online, often with language information included.
• Embassy and consulate resources — embassies based in Bucharest frequently maintain lists of local doctors and hospitals experienced with international patients. These can usually be found in the consular or health services section of your national embassy’s Romania webpage.
• Expat community networks — online forums and social media groups for expats living in Bucharest and other Romanian cities are valuable sources of personal recommendations for English-speaking doctors and clinics.
• Your employer or HR department — your workplace may have an existing arrangement with a nearby clinic, which could include staff with multilingual capabilities.

The public system does not routinely provide interpreter services for outpatient consultations. If you need to attend a public facility and are not comfortable in Romanian, taking a Romanian-speaking companion is a sensible precaution. While many younger doctors in urban public hospitals have a working knowledge of English, this cannot be counted on as a given.

What do expats need to know about prescriptions and medication in Romania?

The majority of common prescription and over-the-counter medications are available in Romania, though if you rely on a particular brand, it is worth bringing a supply with you, as only the generic equivalent may be stocked locally. It is also worth noting that the prescription status of certain medicines can differ between countries — some treatments available without a prescription elsewhere may require one in Romania, and vice versa.

As of 2024, all antibiotics now require a prescription in Romania, and some analgesics available in stronger doses over the counter in other countries may also be prescription-only here. This change was introduced by the Ministry of Health through Order no. 63/2024, which restricts antibiotics and systemic antifungal medications to prescription-only status as part of a broader strategy to curb overuse.

Only doctors holding a contractual arrangement with a health insurance company may issue prescriptions for medicines subsidised by the public health insurance system. This has direct implications for expats: if you consult a private doctor who is not contracted with CNAS, their prescription may not qualify you for the discounted pharmacy price. Always check whether your doctor has CNAS contractor status if managing costs is a priority.

Romania operates a national reimbursement list governing which medicines are covered by the public insurance system. This framework was established under Government Decision No. 720/2008, which sets out the list of international non-proprietary names for medicines that insured persons may receive with or without a personal contribution, on the basis of a medical prescription, within the social health insurance system. The decision also covers medicines distributed under national health programmes. The list is updated periodically — the current version can be found on the CNAS website or via the National Agency for Medicines and Medical Devices (ANMDMR).

At the end of a consultation, or upon leaving hospital, your doctor may issue an electronic prescription for reimbursed medicines, which are dispensed through community pharmacies. For chronic conditions, medicines listed on an electronic prescription can be collected from a pharmacy within 30 days, and no personal contribution is owed at the point of dispensing.

Pharmacies (farmacii) are widely distributed throughout Romania, and many operate around the clock. A valid prescription must be presented when collecting prescription medication. If you pay for medicines in full or in part during a temporary visit to Romania and hold a reciprocal healthcare arrangement with your home country, you may be able to claim reimbursement upon your return. If you take regular medication, bringing a three-month supply when you relocate will give you adequate time to establish a relationship with a local doctor and obtain appropriate Romanian prescriptions.

For current subsidy thresholds, co-payment levels, and the approved medicines list, consult the CNAS website and the ANMDMR (National Agency for Medicines and Medical Devices in Romania).

Frequently asked questions

What should I do in a medical emergency in Romania?

Romania’s single emergency number is 112, which connects callers to all emergency services including police, fire brigade, and ambulance. County ambulance services operate free of charge to patients. Emergency treatment is available to everyone regardless of insurance status. If a private hospital is accessible, it may be able to provide faster emergency care, though charges will apply unless you have appropriate insurance in place.

Will my pre-existing conditions be covered under the Romanian public system?

Family doctors provide scheduled consultations for insured patients with chronic conditions, for the purposes of monitoring treatment, disease progression, and complications — up to once per month, either in person or remotely. Once you are registered with CNAS, pre-existing and chronic conditions are generally covered within the public framework, with no exclusion period of the kind that might apply under certain private insurance policies. It is advisable, however, to confirm the specifics with your local CNAS office or insurer.

How long does it take to complete the registration process with CNAS and a family doctor?

How quickly the process concludes depends on your employment status and whether your documents are all in order. Employees should be registered by their employer shortly after a tax ID is issued. Independent registration at a CNAS office may take several weeks if documentation requires verification. Signing up with a family doctor is usually quicker once your insurance status has been confirmed. As a general rule, allow four to six weeks from your date of arrival for the entire process to complete, and keep your adeverință (proof of insurance) on hand throughout.

Can I use the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) in Romania?

Yes. EU residents holding a valid EHIC are entitled to access the same range of necessary care as those insured under the Romanian public health insurance system during temporary stays in Romania. Treatment costs are reimbursed to the healthcare provider directly by the local health insurance house on the basis of the EHIC. That said, the EHIC is designed for short-term visits and does not substitute for full CNAS registration once you are living in Romania on a long-term basis.

What happens to my healthcare access if I change jobs or become self-employed?

Employees in Romania have health insurance contributions deducted automatically through payroll, while self-employed individuals and retirees must register for voluntary contributions. If you move to a new employer, contributions should continue uninterrupted. If you leave employment or become self-employed, you must arrange voluntary contributions directly with CNAS to preserve your insured status. A lapse in contributions can affect your entitlement to non-emergency care, so it is important to notify your local CNAS office promptly whenever your employment status changes.

Are dental and optical care covered by the public health system?

Basic dental care is available within the CNAS framework, though provision is limited and waiting times can be considerable. Emergency dental treatment is covered, including for EHIC holders. Routine dental and optical services are largely funded privately by patients, and most expats find it more convenient to use private providers for these needs. Costs at private dental and optical practices, while out of pocket, remain comparatively reasonable relative to many other European countries.

Do I need a referral to see a specialist?

In the public system, a referral from your family doctor (bilet de trimitere) is normally required for specialist consultations to be covered under CNAS. However, follow-up appointments for chronic conditions may be conducted remotely and are exempt from the referral requirement. In the private healthcare sector, specialist appointments can generally be booked directly without a referral, though the terms of your insurance policy may vary.

Is it safe to drink tap water and are vaccinations recommended before moving to Romania?

While Romanian tap water meets EU quality standards, many residents prefer bottled water for reasons of taste and concerns about local infrastructure. From a health perspective, Romania has a tuberculosis rate approximately six times the EU average, making avoidance of close contact with infected individuals an important precaution. Measles has also seen significant resurgence — between January and May 2024, more than 15,000 cases were recorded — underlining the need to ensure routine vaccinations are fully up to date before relocating. Consult your doctor in advance for personalised vaccination and health advice.