Unpaid wages in Romania: first steps for a foreign worker

Identify who owes the money

Start with the legal relationship, not just the app or brand used at work. An employee of a delivery fleet, an agency worker and an independent contractor may need different routes. Find the signed contract, the entity named as employer or contracting party, the agreed pay and the period of work.

A platform account does not, by itself, identify the employer or prove that an employment contract exists. A lawyer can assess the documents and actual working arrangement before choosing a procedure.

Build a clear record

Keep the employment agreement and amendments, payslips, bank records, attendance or shift information, original messages and a month-by-month calculation of what remains unpaid. Ask the employer in writing for clarification and retain the reply.

Do not sign a statement that you received money if you did not receive it. If asked to sign an agreement, resignation or settlement, have its effect explained before deciding. Preserve only material you may lawfully hold; do not publish other workers’ personal details.

Use the appropriate institutional route

The Romanian Labour Inspectorate directs workers with unpaid salaries to the territorial labour inspectorate for the employer’s registered office. Its official guidance explains that recovery may require proceedings before the competent tribunal if the employer still does not pay.

An ITM complaint is not the same procedural step as a court action for payment. Do not assume that administrative correspondence automatically preserves every judicial deadline.

Romanian Labour Inspectorate — unpaid salary FAQ

Check time limits and costs for the actual claim

The Inspectorate’s guidance states a general three-year limitation period for claiming outstanding salary rights and an exemption from judicial stamp fees for that employment dispute. Other matters, such as challenging a dismissal, can have different and shorter periods.

The rule for salary claims should not be applied automatically to unpaid contractor invoices. Jurisdiction, entitlement, limitation and any available remedies depend on the relationship and claim. Arrange Romanian submissions and language assistance where required.

Romanian Labour Inspectorate — unpaid salary FAQ · Romanian Code of Civil Procedure — articles 18, 150, 181–183 and 194

What to bring to a consultation

Provide the contract, identity and contact details, employer’s legal name, the unpaid periods, payments actually received and any dismissal or other formal notice. A short initial inquiry is enough; agree an appropriate channel before sending confidential documents.

Legal assistance can clarify the amount claimed, the competent body, the evidence, the language arrangements and whether wage and immigration questions need to be handled separately.