Before you start

Passport for a prepaid SIM
Residence permit and CNP for a postpaid contract
A Romanian bank account for direct debit on most contracts
A lease or owner's permission for a fibre installation

Step-by-step

1
Buy a prepaid SIM on arrival
Digi, Orange, Vodafone and Telekom all sell prepaid packs at the airport, in malls and in kiosks. Identification is required at registration. Data allowances on Romanian prepaid are large by European standards and the whole thing costs very little.
In personWho: YouDay 1
2
Switch to postpaid once the permit and account exist
Postpaid plans need the residence permit, a CNP and usually a Romanian bank account for direct debit. They are cheaper per gigabyte and bundle handset financing. Digi is consistently the price leader; the others compete on coverage and roaming.
In personWho: You
3
Order fibre before you need it, but ask what is already in the block
Most Bucharest apartment blocks are already wired by two or three operators and installation is a matter of days. Ask the landlord or the building administrator which operators have equipment in the block — that answer determines your realistic choice far more than the marketing does.
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4
Expect gigabit as the default rather than the premium tier
Romanian fibre packages routinely start at speeds that would be a premium product elsewhere, at a fraction of Western European prices. Do not pay for an upgrade to something you would get as standard.
OnlineWho: You
5
Check mobile coverage in the metro
The Bucharest metro has mobile coverage on the network, which matters if you commute by it. Coverage quality differs by operator and by line, and it is worth asking colleagues who use your line rather than trusting a coverage map.
In personWho: You
6
Keep your number when switching
Romania operates mobile number portability and the process is quick. Never cancel the old contract before the port completes — the number is released and cannot be recovered.
In personWho: You

Documents you’ll need

Passport for prepaid registration
Residence permit and CNP for postpaid
Romanian bank details for direct debit
Lease or landlord permission for fibre installation

Things most newcomers don’t know

Romania's internet is genuinely world-class, and it is the single strongest practical argument for basing remote work here.

Romania consistently ranks at or near the top of global fixed broadband speed rankings, and the reason is historical: the country built its networks late, in dense apartment blocks, using fibre from the start, with fierce competition between operators. A gigabit connection in an ordinary Bucharest block costs less than a basic ADSL line did in Western Europe a decade ago. For anyone whose income depends on a connection, this is not a minor amenity.

Source: community-reported; operator tariffs

Which operators are already in your block decides your real choice.

Romanian buildings are wired by operators who install equipment in the block. If Digi is not present in yours, getting Digi means a construction job the building administrator has to approve, which can take months or simply not happen. Asking 'which operators are in the block' before signing a lease takes thirty seconds and prevents the most common broadband disappointment here.

Source: community-reported

Prepaid SIM registration requires identification, so the anonymous SIM does not exist.

Romanian operators register prepaid SIMs against identity documents. A passport is sufficient for a visitor, so this is not an obstacle on arrival, but it does mean you cannot buy a working SIM without showing something. Newcomers occasionally plan around a purely anonymous prepaid option that has not existed here for years.

Source: ANCOM

Mobile is cheap enough that tethering is a viable fallback, which changes your risk profile.

Because Romanian mobile data allowances are so large and so cheap, a second SIM on a different operator is an inexpensive redundancy for anyone working from home. In a country where fibre is excellent but a single building fault can still take you offline for a day, this is a cheaper insurance policy than it would be almost anywhere else.

Source: community-reported

Common mistakes to avoid

Signing a lease without asking which broadband operators have equipment in the block.
Paying for a premium speed tier that is the standard offering here.
Trying to take a postpaid contract before the residence permit and CNP exist.
Cancelling an old mobile contract before the number port completes.
Assuming an unregistered prepaid SIM is available.

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.