Up to 90 days in any rolling 180-day period, with one counter for the whole Schengen area. Owning a home does not add days.
In two 90-day windows with a 90-day break between them, and no days in another Schengen country.
Since 10 April 2026, the EES system digitally records every entry and exit. An overstay is detected automatically.
In Romania, more than 183 days in 12 months may create tax residence. 180 days a year stays below the threshold.
A residence permit, a digital nomad visa, or a passport of an EU country. Buying property on its own is not a route.
The 90/180 rule for homeowners in Romania: the short answer
An Israeli without a European passport can stay in Romania for up to 90 days in any rolling 180-day period, as anywhere in the Schengen area. Owning a home does not change the allowance. In practice, someone who plans well can live in their own home for up to about 180 days a year, in two 90-day windows with a 90-day break between them, provided they did not stay in another Schengen country during those periods. Anyone who wants more needs a residence permit.
I am asked this question mainly by couples planning a "second home" in Europe: a long summer, the holidays, perhaps a whole winter. In the article on Romania in Schengen we explained what changed at the borders. Here I want to help you plan a real calendar.
The rule, in one sentence
On every day you are in Romania, you look back 180 days and count all the days you spent in the Schengen area as a whole. The total cannot exceed 90.
According to the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, since 31 March 2024 a stay in Romania counts as a stay in Schengen. This means three things:
- The counter is shared. A week in Rome in February comes off the allowance for the house in Balotești in March.
- Arrival and departure days count. Landing on a Thursday and flying home on a Sunday is four days.
- There is no "reset" in January. The window rolls; it is not a calendar year.
The house gives you an address in Europe, not extra days in Schengen.
Four sample calendars
The examples assume you did not stay in another Schengen country during those periods:
| The pattern | What it looks like | Days in Romania per year | Within the rule? |
|---|---|---|---|
| A holiday home | Four two-week visits | about 56 | Yes, with a wide margin |
| A long summer | 1 June to 29 August in one stretch | 90 | Yes, then you leave for about 90 days |
| Half and half | 1 January to 31 March, and 30 June to 27 September | 180 | Yes, at the upper limit |
| Permanent residence | Most of the year in Romania | more than 180 | No, not without a residence permit |
The "half and half" pattern is the maximum you can get out of the rule. It works only if for the rest of the year you are in Israel or outside Schengen. A week's trip to Greece in April will push your return to the house back by a week.
To check specific dates, the European Commission publishes a short-stay calculator. Use it before you book every ticket, not after.
The border already counts for you
Until recently, counting relied on passport stamps. Since 10 April 2026, the EU's Entry/Exit System (EES) has been fully operational, digitally recording every entry and exit of a traveller from outside the EU. What this means: overstaying the allowance is detected automatically on exit.
An overstay is a breach of the entry rules, and may lead to a fine and even a ban on entering the Schengen area. That is too high a price for someone who owns a home in the area.
The house gives you an address in Europe, not extra days in Schengen.
And what about ETIAS? The online travel authorisation is not yet operating as of October 2026. According to the EU's official website, the start date will be announced in advance. Once it starts, an authorisation will be required before the flight, but it will not change the 90/180 rule.
What about tax: 183 days in both countries
Here is a point that surprises many people. The 90/180 rule keeps you, almost without your noticing, out of tax residence in Romania.
- In Romania, under the Tax Code and according to ANAF, someone present in the country for more than 183 days within 12 months, or whose centre of vital interests is there, may be treated as a tax resident. With 180 days a year at most, and without moving your centre of life there, you are below the day threshold.
- In Israel, the Income Tax Ordinance (in Hebrew) sets a presumption of residence if you were in Israel for 183 days or more in the tax year, or 30 days or more in the year and 425 days or more over the three years together. Someone who lives half the year in Romania usually still remains an Israeli resident.
Anyone who moves to a long stay with a permit leaves this framework, and that is where real tax planning is needed. More on this in the article on the Israel-Romania tax treaty.
When you want more than 90 days: three routes
- A residence permit. Based on work, business, family, study or remote work. We set out the five routes in the guide to a residence permit in Romania. Buying property, on its own, is not one of them.
- A digital nomad visa. For people working remotely for a company outside Romania who meet a high income threshold. We explained it in the article on the digital nomad visa.
- A European passport. An Israeli with citizenship of an EU country is not subject to the 90/180 rule. For those with Romanian roots, it is worth checking the Romanian citizenship route.
The house when you are not there
Someone who lives in the house for half the year leaves it empty for half the year. That is part of the planning: someone who checks the house, heats it in winter to prevent frost damage, looks after the garden and opens the door for a technician.
I will mention it once: in our own project in Balotești, 29 villas on a private street by a lake, this is one of the first questions worth asking us too. And for any house, check before buying who will look after it during the periods you are in Israel.
Frequently asked questions
How long a year can an Israeli live in their own home in Romania?
Up to 90 days in any rolling 180 days, which means up to about 180 days a year in two windows, if you do not stay in another Schengen country during those periods. Owning the house does not add days.
Do days in Greece or Italy count towards the Romania allowance?
Yes. Romania is part of the Schengen area, and there is one counter for the whole area. Every day in any Schengen country counts towards the same 90 days.
What happens if you stay in Romania for more than 90 days?
It is a breach of the entry rules, which the EES system detects on exit. It may lead to a fine and even a ban on entering the Schengen area, so it is worth planning with a safety margin.
If I live in Romania for half the year, will I be a Romanian tax resident?
On the day threshold, no, because 180 days is less than 183. But tax residence is also determined by your centre of life, so anyone moving family, work and assets to Romania should check this with a tax adviser.
How can you live in Romania all year round?
With a residence permit under a recognised route, such as work, business, family, study or a digital nomad visa, or with a passport of an EU country.
The bottom line
The 90/180 rule does not stop you enjoying a home in Romania. It requires you to plan: up to about 180 days a year, in two windows, with a shared count across all of Schengen. For those for whom that is not enough, there are proper residence routes.
If you are planning a second home and want to build a calendar that works, covering the travel, the tax and the house during the periods you are away, book a 30-minute call with me. We will sit down with the calendar together, before you buy a ticket.
Moti Azulay, Compass Group Romania
Sources and data: Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, entry rules · European Commission, short-stay calculator · European Commission, the Entry/Exit System (EES) · ETIAS, the EU's official website · Council of the EU, Romania and Bulgaria in Schengen · Romanian tax authority (ANAF) · Israel's Income Tax Ordinance, Nevo (in Hebrew) · Romanian General Inspectorate for Immigration (IGI).
This article is for general information only and is not legal, immigration or tax advice. Schengen entry rules and tax residence tests may change. Correct as of October 2026; before planning a long stay, check with the authorities or a lawyer.
Now you know more.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult local professionals before any transaction.
