Czechia or Romania
Two countries side by side across the same rows as the full comparison. A dash means the value is missing: fields are not filled with guesses. about the data
| Czechia | Romania | |
|---|---|---|
| Salary in IT | $ 62 590 | — |
| Citizenship | 5 years | 8 years |
| Partner can work | yes | yes |
| Parents | difficult | difficult |
| Pets | difficult | no trouble |
| Pet limit | 5 | 5 |
| Quarantine | no | no |
| Residence permit fee | $ 118 | — |
| Rent, 2 bedrooms | $ 1 536 | $ 899 · estimate |
| Basket | $ 35,9 | $ 26,8 |
| Life expectancy | 79.98 | 76.46 |
| Homicides/100k | 0.61 | 1.12 |
| Natural hazards, 0–10 | 1.6 | 3.5 |
How the two sets of routes differ
Long-stay routes in this reference: Czechia — 68, Romania — 95. Types present in both: work, remote work, study, family, investment, talent, repatriation, job seeking and working holiday. The set of types is identical — the difference is in how many routes there are and on what terms, not in the types themselves.
Fees, thresholds and deadlines
Czechia: fees range from 200 to 5,000 CZK. Routes with no fee: 3. Routes with a published decision deadline: 52; the shortest is 30 days. Romania: the fee is 300 EUR wherever it is published. Routes stating an income threshold: 1; the lowest is 500 EUR a month. Routes with a published decision deadline: 91; the shortest is 30 days.
Beyond the first permit
Permanent status: both after 5 years. Citizenship: Czechia after 5 years, Romania after 8 years. Both allow a second citizenship.
Czechia in brief
A developed tech market (Prague, Brno) with large international employers, low violence and a moderate cost of living; permanent residence after 5 years, dual citizenship recognised. Held back by a selective visa policy — checks on applicants from some countries have been markedly tougher since 2022 — compulsory Czech at B1 for citizenship, an antibody titre test for pets from countries outside the EU rabies list, and narrow grounds for parent reunification.
Romania in brief
An EU and Schengen country with a large tech sector and a low cost of living; held back by high seismic risk (Bucharest especially), an 8-year route to citizenship with a language requirement, and systemic corruption.
Other comparisons
More on each: Czechia · Romania. Build your own comparison — up to four countries
This material is for reference and is not legal, tax or immigration advice. Visa rules, tax thresholds and prices change. Before deciding anything, check the official sources and consult a licensed professional in the relevant country.