A home with a clear rental agreement, residence paperwork prepared on time and a manageable commute are the priorities during your first month in Bucharest. Finding a family doctor and checking your health insurance are also worth addressing now, before you need an appointment.

Moving becomes easier to manage when you break it down into practical steps. The timeline below is a suggested plan: the 30 days are an organisational framework, not a legal deadline that applies to all foreign citizens. Your obligations depend on your citizenship, the purpose of your stay and the documents you used to enter Romania.

During the first few days, check the property and your daily commute

If you are unfamiliar with Bucharest, temporary accommodation can give you time to view properties. Before signing a long-term rental agreement, travel between the apartment and your workplace at your usual commuting time. Include the walk to the station, any changes and the distance from your final stop to the office.

A situation described on Reddit illustrates this decision: someone moving from Constanța for a job near Pipera metro station asked which areas they should consider renting in. Their starting point was the office address. This is an individual example, but the question is useful for anyone relocating: how much time are you willing to spend commuting each day?

During a viewing, check the hot water, heating, windows, any signs of damp and noise levels inside the apartment. Ask to see winter utility bills and find out which expenses are charged separately. If you work from home, clarify the internet arrangements too: a socket or router does not confirm that an active subscription is in place.

Ask to see the rental agreement before paying the deposit. Check the identity of the person renting out the property and their authority to do so. The agreement should specify the rent, currency and payment method, deposit, refund conditions, notice period and responsibility for repairs. At handover, record the condition of the contents and meter readings, ideally with photographs.

Your first month’s budget needs to cover the cost of settling in

The monthly rent is not the full amount you will need when moving. Other expenses may include the deposit, an agency fee, temporary accommodation, transporting your belongings and household purchases. Ask for all costs in writing before accepting an offer, including when the agency fee becomes payable.

On Reddit, someone preparing to move to Bucharest asked how estate agents’ fees were calculated, having already discussed the first month’s rent and deposit. The same person mentioned needing a rental agreement to prove they had somewhere to live. This is a personal account, not evidence of a standard agency fee across the market.

Keep your moving costs separate from your monthly budget. For example, if the offer you accept requires rent of €600 and a deposit equal to one month’s rent, these two payments alone add up to €1,200. This is an illustrative calculation, not an estimate of average rents in Bucharest.

Set aside some money for unexpected expenses too. An apparently fully equipped apartment may still need numerous small purchases, while the first few weeks will reveal how much you consume and which services you actually use.

Start your residence paperwork during the first week

Citizens of the EU, EEA and Switzerland who stay in Romania for more than three months must register their residence with the relevant territorial office of the General Inspectorate for Immigration. European citizens receive a registration certificate. Supporting documents vary according to circumstances, such as employment, studies, or sufficient financial resources and health insurance. Check the applicable requirements with the General Inspectorate for Immigration.

For non-EU citizens, the procedure depends on the legal basis for their stay. If you entered on a long-stay visa and intend to remain, check the requirements for the appropriate residence permit immediately. For extensions associated with long-stay visas, IGI specifies that documents must be submitted at least 30 days before the right of stay granted by the visa expires. Do not leave preparation until the final days.

Prepare a folder containing your identity document, the documents supporting the purpose of your stay and the housing documents required for your procedure. Check whether translations are needed and in what form documents must be submitted. If you are moving with family, consider each person’s situation separately, especially if you hold different citizenships.

READ ALSO: Bucharest Immigration Office: what it does and when foreign citizens should contact it

Choose transport options around your regular journeys

Before buying a pass, establish whether you will use surface transport, the metro or both. A bus, tram and trolleybus pass does not automatically include the metro. This distinction matters when comparing prices and choosing a ticket.

When checked on 6 October 2026, the official STB fares page listed the following options:

Check prices and coverage when purchasing.

For the first few days, a short-term ticket or pass allows you to test your routes. The Bilet TB app offers tickets and passes; check when your chosen product becomes active and the rules that apply. For journeys loaded onto a transport card, follow the validation instructions on board.

Check your health insurance and find a family doctor

If you are starting a job, speak to HR about registration in the health insurance system and the medical benefits offered. Clarify what each benefit means: public health insurance, a private insurance policy and a clinic subscription have different conditions and coverage. Ask for a list of included services and those charged separately.

You can check your insured status through the online service indicated by CNAS, Romania’s National Health Insurance House. Then contact a family doctor’s practice that has a contract with the health insurance house and ask whether it accepts new patients, which documents it requires and which languages are spoken. Prepare relevant medical records, particularly if you are receiving ongoing treatment.

If you are arriving from another European country, do not confuse the European Health Insurance Card with health coverage for a permanent move. It covers medically necessary care during temporary stays. When establishing residence, check with the relevant health insurance institution how to maintain or obtain coverage; an S1 form is used in certain circumstances.

Do not wait for your Romanian health card to be issued before asking about access to services. CNAS states that insured people whose cards have not yet been issued can receive medical services without presenting one, subject to the applicable conditions.

READ ALSO: How to choose a family doctor in Bucharest as an expat. The real steps, useful documents and what to do if you are not insured

By the end of the month, organise your payments and daily routine

Once the priorities are addressed, establish how you will pay the rent and bills, who submits meter readings and whom to contact about repairs. If you need a bank account, ask the bank directly which documents it requires in your circumstances. Check currency conversion costs too if your income and expenses are in different currencies.

Use the first month to discover what works in everyday life: the best time to leave for work, where to shop and how much you actually spend. A regular activity — a Romanian language course, a sport or a professional group — can also be a natural way to meet people.

By the end of the 30 days, a realistic goal is to have a home with clear rental terms, residence formalities started within the relevant deadlines, your healthcare arrangements clarified and a budget based on your own spending. Some documents may still be pending. What matters is knowing what happens next, whom to contact and when the next deadline falls.