Employing a Nanny, Housekeeper or Gardener in Romania: What the Law Requires of Homeowners

Anyone who moves into a home in Romania, or owns a home there that the family uses for part of the year, quickly faces a practical question: who will clean, who will look after the garden, and sometimes who will look after the children. The legal question behind it is simpler than it seems: who is the employer.

In this guide we explain the two lawful routes, the route that seems easy but is not lawful for a household, and what needs to be arranged before the worker's first day.

1Who can employ a household worker in Romania?

A private individual as well. The guidance of the Romanian Labour Inspectorate on undeclared work refers to employers who are "a natural or legal person". In other words, a family can employ a nanny or a housekeeper directly, provided it meets the obligations of any employer.

The alternative is not to be an employer at all, but to buy a service from a company. The table summarises the differences:

2Why can you not simply pay the gardener as a day labourer?

Because the law does not allow it for a household. Law 52/2011 regulates occasional unskilled work paid by the day. According to its consolidated text, the beneficiary of the work can be a local authority, a legal entity, a registered self-employed person (PFA) or a sole or family enterprise. A private household is not on the list.

The gardening field in the law (classification 8130, landscape maintenance) is also defined as planting and maintenance of parks and gardens, except for private residential buildings. So even a business owner could not use this law for the garden of their own home.

3What is needed to employ a worker directly?

An individual employment contract (CIM, contract individual de muncă) and registration in the register before the first day. According to the Labour Inspectorate's register portal, the contract must meet the following conditions:

• It is signed in writing and in Romanian, no later than one day before the worker starts.
• It is registered in the national employee register REGES-ONLINE, also no later than one day before work begins.
• It relies on a medical certificate that the worker is fit for work. Without the certificate the contract is void.
• The employer gives the worker a signed copy.

The REGES-ONLINE register replaced the previous system, REVISAL. The deadline for the transition was extended to 31 December 2025, so every new hire, change or termination is now recorded only in the new register.

4Living abroad without a CNP: how do you register?

This is the main practical obstacle for Israeli homeowners. According to the Labour Inspectorate, opening an account in the register requires a valid Romanian personal identification number (CNP), through the ROeID digital identity or a qualified digital signature linked to that number.

For a non-resident employer that has a tax identification number from the Romanian tax authority (ANAF), the Inspectorate describes access through a representative holding a notarial power of attorney. In practice, most families living abroad appoint a Romanian accountant who handles the registration and the monthly reporting, or choose a service company.

5How much does a worker on the minimum wage cost?

The gross minimum wage from 1 July 2026 is 4,325 lei per month for full-time work (Government Decision 146/2026), that is, 25.949 lei per hour. It applies to household workers as to any other worker. According to a calculation published in the Romanian business press, the net minimum wage is about 2,699 lei, and the total cost to the employer about 4,418 lei, including a tax-exempt amount of 200 lei that applies to the minimum wage from that date.

Two points to check with the accountant before signing. Under a part-time contract, contributions are usually paid at least on the basis of the minimum wage, with exceptions for certain groups such as students and pensioners. In addition, the employer reports and pays the amounts to the tax authority every month.

Beyond pay, the Labour Inspectorate lists the basic obligations of every employer: at least the minimum wage, working hours and rest days, paid leave and sick days according to the law, and safety training. A live-in nanny also needs written terms on hours, rest and accommodation.

6When is it better to work with a service company?

For cleaning, gardening or pool maintenance, and especially when you live abroad and come a few times a year. The company employs the workers, pays the contributions and sends an invoice, and you do not appear in the employee register at all. There are two common models:

• A service company for cleaning or gardening: you buy a service, not a worker. The company decides who comes, but many companies will keep the same worker at your request.
• A temporary work agency (agent de muncă temporară), regulated by Government Decision 1256/2011: the agency is the employer, and it places a worker with you. Make sure the agency is licensed.

7What is the risk of undeclared work?

High fines, and exposure in the event of an accident. According to a Labour Inspectorate notice from February 2026, the rules on undeclared work apply to an employer that is a natural or legal person, and the fines are:

Beyond the fine, an undeclared worker has no pension or health insurance record, and a work accident in your home becomes a far more complex legal problem.

8Checklist before the first day

1. Decide: direct employment or a service company.
2. For direct employment, agree in writing the hours, the gross wage and the start date.
3. Obtain the medical certificate before the first day.
4. Prepare a contract in Romanian based on the standard form.
5. Register the contract in REGES-ONLINE no later than one day before the start, yourselves or through the accountant.
6. Set up a monthly payroll: wage, deductions, reporting and payment to the tax authority.
7. Keep the signed contract, timesheets and payslips, and update the register on every change or termination.

9Before you employ: how we help

We help families decide between direct employment and a service company according to how the home is used, review the employment contract or the service agreement, and connect them with an employment lawyer and an accountant licensed in Romania, who handle the registration and the payroll under local law.

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The information in this guide is general in nature and does not constitute legal or tax advice on any specific transaction. Every transaction is assessed on its own facts.