Netherlands 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
| Netherlands | Romania | |
|---|---|---|
| Salary in IT | $ 106 972 | — |
| Citizenship | 5 years | 8 years |
| Partner can work | yes | yes |
| Parents | no | difficult |
| Pets | no trouble | no trouble |
| Pet limit | 5 | 5 |
| Quarantine | no | no |
| Residence permit fee | $ 481 | — |
| Rent, 2 bedrooms | $ 2 390 | $ 899 · estimate |
| Basket | $ 49,1 | $ 26,8 |
| Life expectancy | 81.97 | 76.46 |
| Homicides/100k | 0.66 | 1.12 |
| Natural hazards, 0–10 | 5.1 | 3.5 |
How the two sets of routes differ
Long-stay routes in this reference: Netherlands — 61, Romania — 95. Types present in both: work, study, family, repatriation, job seeking and working holiday. Netherlands adds: startup. Romania adds: remote work, investment and talent.
Fees, thresholds and deadlines
Netherlands: fees range from 85 to 1,337 EUR. Routes with no fee: 10. Routes stating an income threshold: 21; the lowest is 690 USD a month. Routes with a published decision deadline: 58; 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: Netherlands after 5 years, Romania after 8 years. Romania allows a second citizenship, Netherlands does not. Bringing your own parents: Romania — yes, Netherlands — no.
Netherlands in brief
High salaries and quality of life. Reuniting with a partner's parents is not provided for. The working language in tech is English.
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: Netherlands · 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.