Romania: New rules on internships
The internship contract serves as an alternative mechanism enabling companies to provide students and trainees with practical and theoretical experience in specific fields, potentially leading to employment opportunities post-internship. Romania’s updated internship legislation, which took effect in August 2018, includes approved template documents now available for companies operating within the country.
Legislative Framework
Law no. 176 of 17 July 2018 concerning internships became effective on 18 August 2018. Subsequently, the Order of the Minister of Labour and Social Justice no. 2004, published on 12 October 2018, approved standardized templates for internship certificates, internship contracts, and employment promotion premium requests.
Main Provisions of the Internship Relationship
Parties to the contract:
Interns must typically be at least 16 years old, with limited exceptions for 15-year-olds meeting specific conditions. Host companies are legal entities under public or private law.
Required formalities:
Host companies must establish internship programmes and conclude contracts following Order 2004/2018 templates. Companies may simultaneously engage interns up to 5% of their workforce, though those with 20 or fewer employees may have two interns. Contracts require electronic registration, and employers must issue evaluation reports and certificates upon completion.
The maximum contract duration is 720 hours over six consecutive months.
Working Time Restrictions
Interns aged 18 and above may work up to 40 hours weekly. Those under 18 are limited to 30 hours per week, not exceeding 6 daily hours. Overtime beyond these thresholds is prohibited.
Internship Allowance
Minimum compensation equals 50% of the national gross minimum base salary, calculated proportionally based on hours worked.
Additional Provisions
Employers receive a RON 4,586 employment promotion premium when hiring interns within 60 days of programme completion and maintaining employment for at least 24 uninterrupted months. Either party may terminate contracts with 15 days’ prior notice in justified circumstances. Noncompliance penalties range from RON 300 to RON 20,000.