In brief

  • The list of universities that run the preparatory year of Romanian language for foreign nationals has been replaced in full: it now has 36 entries and a total of 4,025 places.
  • The largest allocations go to the University of Bucharest and Universitatea „Ștefan cel Mare” din Suceava, with 300 each, followed by „Babeș-Bolyai”, Galați and the West University of Timișoara, with 200 each.
  • The list also includes a centre outside the country: Universitatea „Dunărea de Jos” din Galați, at Comrat, in the Republic of Moldova, with 150 places.
Act: MEC Order no. 4.689/2026
Published: Official Gazette of Romania (Monitorul Oficial) no. 696 of 21 August 2026
Issued: 18 August 2026

A foreign national who wants to study in Romania must first go through a year of Romanian language, and the list of places where that can be done has just grown, including across the Prut. Order no. 4.689 of 18 August 2026 of the minister of education and research, published in Official Gazette of Romania no. 696 of 21 August 2026, replaces in full the annex to Order no. 5.516/2024 of the minister of education, that is, the list of institutions that run the preparatory year. It is the second intervention this year in the rules on the Romanian language for foreign nationals, after the one in which the ministry set out that the induction course costs 5,217 lei and the examination on its own 522 lei.

The annex has three columns: the higher education institution, the fundamental fields of study in which the preparation is organised, and the maximum number of students that may be enrolled. It was approved by the Romanian Agency for Quality Assurance in Higher Education, in letter no. 3.807 of 5 August 2026.

The legal basis is given by Articles 4 and 150 and by Title IV of Higher Education Law no. 199/2023, the title devoted to quality assurance.

What it changes in practice

The first effect is the overall size. Adding up the ceilings in the annex gives 4,025 places, spread over 36 entries, several of which are separate centres of the same university.

The second effect is the geographical map. The large university centres are covered, from Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca, Iași and Timișoara through to Suceava, Galați, Constanța and Craiova, but so are smaller universities, such as those in Petroșani and Târgu Jiu, with 25 and 50 places respectively.

The third effect is the appearance of a centre outside Romania. Universitatea „Dunărea de Jos” din Galați appears twice: once with its seat in Galați, with 200 places, and once with the centre at Comrat, in the Republic of Moldova, with 150 places.

The fourth effect concerns private universities. The list also includes private higher education institutions, such as Universitatea Creștină „Dimitrie Cantemir”, „Titu Maiorescu”, Româno-Americană, „Hyperion” and „Spiru Haret” in Bucharest, „Vasile Goldiș” in Arad, Universitatea Internațională „Danubius”, for which the annex gives no town, and Universitatea „Dimitrie Cantemir” din Târgu Mureș, with 50 or 100 places each.

The fifth effect is the limitation by field. Not every university may prepare students for every fundamental field of study. The University of Petroșani, for instance, is listed only for engineering sciences and social sciences, while the University of Bucharest covers all six fields, including sport and physical education science.

The sixth effect is the ceiling itself. The figure in the third column is the maximum that may be enrolled, not a guaranteed number. How many students actually sign up depends on demand and on how each university organises itself.

What has changed compared with the previous situation

A comparison with the initial version of the list, published in Official Gazette of Romania no. 733 of 26 July 2024, shows a clear increase. Back then the annex had 30 entries and added up to 3,575 places. It now has 36 entries and 4,025 places, that is, six entries and 450 places more.

The second difference from the 2024 version is the centre at Comrat. It did not appear at all in the initial list, so the presence on this list of a centre of a Romanian university located in the Republic of Moldova is new compared with the version the order started from.

One necessary caveat: the 2024 order had already been amended before, and the present act expressly refers to the „subsequent amendments”. The version immediately preceding this replacement may therefore have differed from the one published in 2024. What can be stated with certainty is the current content, the 36 entries and 4,025 places, and the fact that it differs from the initial version.

What does not change is the mechanism. The preparatory year remains the route through which foreign nationals acquire the language skills needed to study in Romania, and the list of authorised institutions continues to be approved by ministerial order, with the opinion of the quality assurance agency.

Advantages and disadvantages

What it improves

  • It raises the total number of places by 450 compared with the initial version, so more foreign nationals can start their preparation in the same year.
  • It sets out in a single table who may run the preparatory year, in which fields and with what ceiling, information of direct use to applicants.
  • It includes a centre at Comrat, in the Republic of Moldova, which brings the preparation closer to a Romanian-speaking community outside the country.
  • It covers both state and private universities, so the offer does not depend on a single type of institution.
  • It states the fundamental fields of study for each institution, so applicants know in advance whether the university they have chosen covers their field.

What remains a problem

  • The order does not say what has changed compared with the previous version, so a line-by-line comparison is left to the reader.
  • The list is published on 21 August, close to the start of the academic year, which leaves little time for planning.
  • The criteria used to set the ceilings, ranging from 25 to 300 places, are not stated.
  • The geographical spread remains uneven: Bucharest and the large centres hold most of the places, while universities in small towns get 25 or 50.
  • No explanatory memorandum was published together with the order to account for the addition of the centre in the Republic of Moldova.

Practical advice

  1. If you are a foreign national and want to study in Romania, first check whether the university you have in mind appears on this list. The preparatory year cannot be taken just anywhere.
  2. Look at the column of fundamental fields of study, not just at the name of the university. An institution may be on the list without covering the field you are interested in.
  3. Bear in mind that the figure in the table is a maximum, not a reservation. Places are filled through the admission process run by each university.
  4. If you are from the Republic of Moldova, check the option at Comrat. Universitatea „Dunărea de Jos” din Galați has 150 places there.
  5. Contact the university directly for the timetable, fees and paperwork. The order sets out who may run the preparation, not how you enrol.
  6. For the full list, with all 36 entries and their fields, open the official PDF edition attached to this article.

Frequently asked questions

What is the preparatory year of Romanian language?
It is the year of study through which foreign nationals acquire the Romanian language skills they need in order to pursue studies in Romania. Its organisation and conduct are governed by Order no. 5.516/2024 of the minister of education.
How many places are there in total?
4,025, spread over the 36 entries in the annex. Several entries are separate centres of the same university.
Which universities have the most places?
The University of Bucharest and Universitatea „Ștefan cel Mare” din Suceava, with 300 places each. They are followed by Universitatea „Babeș-Bolyai” din Cluj-Napoca, Universitatea „Dunărea de Jos” din Galați and the West University of Timișoara, with 200 each.
Can the preparatory year be taken outside Romania?
Yes, in one case. Universitatea „Dunărea de Jos” din Galați also appears on the list with its centre at Comrat, in the Republic of Moldova, with 150 places.
May private universities run the preparatory year?
Yes. The list includes several private higher education institutions, among them five in Bucharest, one in Arad and one in Târgu Mureș, with ceilings of 50 or 100 places.
When does the new list apply from?
From its publication in the Official Gazette of Romania, Part I, that is, from 21 August 2026. The order does not provide for any other date of entry into force.

Original text of the legal act

The text below is reproduced in Romanian, the official form of publication.

The full text, as published in the Official Gazette of Romania

Official Gazette of Romania no. 696 of 21 August 2026 32 pages PDF, 201 KB the act starts on page 28

Open the official PDFDownload the PDF

The viewer is not shown on small screens. Use the buttons above to open or download the file.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For specific situations, consult a licensed attorney or tax advisor.