Childcare / School

Education in Romania represents a national priority

Starting with the accession date of Romania to the European Union, citizens of the member states of the European Union, states of the European Economic Area and Swiss Confederation have access to all forms and levels of education, in similar conditions to those set by law for Romanian citizens, including tuition fees.

Foreign citizens who want to study in schools included in the Romanian education system have the opportunity to attend a preparatory year for studying Romanian language.

There is no tuition fee for the preparatory year and schooling takes place in education units set by the county / City of Bucharest directorate for undergraduate education.

Foreign pupils can be enrolled in the undergraduate education system without attending the preparatory year for studying Romanian language, at the parents or legal tutors’ request.

The enrollment of foreign pupils must be approved by the administrative council of the education unit, after the equivalence of previous studies, at the parents or legal tutors’ request.

Recognition and equivalence of studies is approved by the Ministry of National Education.

Foreign pupils can be enrolled in education units even if the maximum statutory limit for the number of pupils is exceeded.

Education is compulsory until the 10th grade. After the age of 18, full time compulsory education until the 10th grade is no longer required.

The national education system includes the following levels:

Preschool education

Preschool education is organized for children age 3 to 6 or 7, in kindergartens with full-day, extended-day and weekly programs.

Preschool education is structured on two stages: the first stage focuses on the child’s social life, age 3 to 5, and the second one on school preparation, age 5 to 7.

For further details, please visit the Preschool education website.

Primary school

Usually primary school is organized and held in the morning, within the education units for grades I - IV,I - VIII, I - X or I - XII/XIII.

In the first grade are enrolled children who are 6 years old before school starts.

Children who are 6 years old before the end of the calendar year, with adequate psychosomatic development, can be enrolled at the parents or legal tutors’ request.

The enrollment of children who are 6 years old before the school starts can be delayed a year at the parents or legal tutors’ request.

The Ministry of Education and Scientific Research can approve preparatory classes to graduate I - IV grades, for pupils who couldn't graduate primary school by the age of 14.

For further details, please visit the Primary school website.

Secondary school-Gymnasium

The gymnasium is organized and held within education units for the grades I - VIII, V - VIII, V - X, I - X, I - XII/XIII or V - XII/XIII.

The access of the VIII grade graduates to the IX grade of the lower high school or school of crafts and trades is made through the selection and repartition procedure, according to the methodology set by the Ministry of Education and Scientific Research and published before school starts.

The selection and repartition procedure is based on the evaluation of competences acquired in gymnasium. The evaluation of competences is made in line with national evaluation standard.

For further details, please visit the Secondary education website.

Secondary school- Lower high school

Lower high school is organized and held within education units for the grades I - X, V - X, I - XII/XIII, V - XII/XIII or IX - XII/XIII.

Evening high school, part-time high school and distance high school may be organized, according to law, in education units assigned by the county directorate.

Graduates of lower high school are granted a certificate, a personal portfolio of permanent education and the school transcript, on request.

Graduates of lower high school who attend and pass the exam for certification of professional competences receive a professional qualification certificate level 2.

The exam for the certification of professional competences is organized and developed according to the methodology set and approved by the Ministry of Education and Scientific Research and published before school starts.

High school studies last 4 or 5 years, the duration being established by the Ministry of Education and Scientific Research

For further details, please visit the High school website.

Higher education

University education and post-university education

There is no tuition fee for public schools. There could be taxes on some activities, in respect to the conditions set by law.

Teaching is in Romanian language, but can also bein minority languages and international languages, as providedby law.

Learning Romanian, as official language, is compulsory for all Romanian citizens, regardless of nationality. The curricula must include the required number of hours, and all conditions to allow the acquisition of the official language must be met.

Both in public and private education institutions, the official documents, nominated by order of the Minister of National Education, are elaborated in Romanian. Other documents can be drawn up in the teaching language.

The education system is organized on levels, ensuring the coherence and continuity of education and training, in accordance with age and individual characteristics.