Bucharest

A capital-city base that rewards a short daily journey

Bucharest makes sense when your Romanian life needs several things at once: a business base, a wide choice of cultural activities, frequent flights and different schooling or medical options to investigate. The central area around the Athenaeum and Calea Victoriei feels very different from the office districts in the north or the residential streets around Tineretului. Choose the version of the city you will actually use on an ordinary Tuesday.

The most consequential decision is often the relationship between home, school and work. A polished apartment on the other side of town can leave you managing two difficult journeys every day. Start with those fixed destinations, then shortlist homes within a realistic walk or a simple public-transport connection. A first visit should include a working day, an evening and a grocery trip—not only the historic centre.

Build the budget around the actual household

Compare properties on total recurring cost and the cash needed before the first normal month. Keep an agent’s fee separate from a refundable deposit and from advance rent. If the quotation is in euros but you pay in lei, agree the exchange-rate mechanism in the contract. None of these numbers should be inferred from a citywide “expat budget”.

A family using private education, a self-employed person arranging their own insurance and an employee with an agreed benefits package will have different spending patterns. Ask each provider for an itemised written quotation. For a business owner, company accounting, residence applications and tax advice belong in a separate operating and relocation budget so the apartment comparison remains intelligible.

Five areas to test against your routine

These are starting areas for viewings, not a ranking of safety or a claim that every property has the same character. Walk from the actual entrance to the transport stop: a neighbourhood name can cover a much larger area than an agent’s description suggests.

Check the building before negotiating the furniture

Bucharest’s AMCCRS register records technically assessed buildings. Use the exact address and ask for the actual assessment and any completion evidence for strengthening work. Absence from a published list is not a structural inspection. A renovated kitchen or a recent façade does not establish the condition of the whole building.

Article 5 of Law 212/2022 restricts residential letting and granting residential use in buildings formally classified RsI until completion acceptance of the relevant safety works. Do not treat this as a restriction on every older building or as proof that all other buildings are safe. An uncertain or conflicting classification needs independent professional clarification before money changes hands.

For the tenancy itself, record the permitted occupants, currency and payment method, deposit deductions, notice, repairs and inventory. Ask for recent winter utility statements and identify the heating/hot-water arrangement. Inspect pressure, ventilation, damp, lift condition and access after dark. Agree who arranges internet and whether the owner will supply the housing evidence required for your specific residence application.

Let the school decision shape the address

For 2026–27, the Ministry’s preparatory-class guidance uses age six by 31 August 2026; children turning six from September through December have the recommendation/evaluation route. The same guidance distinguishes the relevant assessments for children returning from abroad. These are school-year rules, not permission to enrol every child on arrival at any chosen school.

For older pupils, CNRED directs recognition of school periods abroad to the county inspectorates or Bucharest inspectorate. Contact the school and inspectorate before signing a long lease. Send the child’s age, completed years, transcripts, language background and support needs; obtain the correct current document list. If comparing international schools, ask which curriculum and qualification the particular campus delivers, whether a place is confirmed, and what the full daily transport and after-school arrangements cost.

The county equivalence methodology covers Romanian, EU/EEA/Swiss citizens and people seeking or holding international protection. Other third-country families should confirm the applicable admission and recognition procedure with the school and education authorities; do not assume every nationality follows the same route.

Arrange access before you need an appointment

Confirm insured status and enrolment with a family doctor; a Romanian address alone does not establish funded care. CNAS distinguishes services by coverage and provider contract. A private clinic subscription is a separate product.

Before moving, list ongoing treatment, prescriptions and any specialist appointments that cannot wait. Ask prospective practices about language, records transfer, appointment booking and how referrals work. For private cover, read hospitalisation, maternity, pre-existing-condition and reimbursement terms. Keep transition cover until the relevant insurer confirms when the new arrangement actually starts, including for each family member.

Use the metro as an anchor, then check the surface journey

Metrorex is the source for the operational network and service notices. Put the nearest usable station—not simply the nearest station on a diagram—into your housing comparison. Stairs, interchange walks and the final street crossing matter when travelling with children, shopping or limited mobility. Ask the station operator about the access you need instead of inferring step-free travel from a map symbol.

For a route involving buses or trams, test it at the time you would commute. Keep an alternative for maintenance or disruption. If you plan to drive, identify a lawful parking arrangement in the lease and its exact location; space visible on the street during a viewing is not a reserved parking right. A car can be useful for trips outside the city without being the simplest solution for the everyday school run.

OTP is an airport trip, not a city-centre address

Henri Coandă Airport is in Otopeni. STB lists bus 100 between Piața Unirii 2 and Henri Coandă, while rail connects the airport with București Nord. CFR confirmed restoration of the airport railway on 7 September 2026 after a temporary interruption. STB also announced airport stop changes from 22 April 2026 during terminal works. Check both the current timetable and boarding point before travelling.

Compare the whole chain: flight arrival, baggage, transfer to your neighbourhood and access to the apartment. A railway connection can work particularly well if Nord is convenient to your destination; a central bus may involve less onward travel elsewhere. For late arrivals, agree a lawful backup transfer and a key handover that does not depend on the last advertised connection. Check the airport code on every ticket because Bucharest also has Băneasa Airport.

Plan for summer heat and a real heating season

WMO’s published Bucharest 1981–2010 normals give January mean daily high/low temperatures of 2.8/−4.8°C and July 29.8/15.4°C. They are historical climate averages, not maximum possible temperatures or a 2026 forecast. The monthly series also includes precipitation through the year, so “summer” does not mean rain-free.

At a viewing, ask how the bedroom performs in hot weather and whether cooling is installed, working and authorised. Test shading and ventilation as well as heating. A top-floor home, a shaded courtyard and a street-facing apartment can feel very different. Keep a rainy-day and cold-weather version of your planned commute; a route that is pleasant during a spring visit may be less comfortable with luggage in winter.

Make the first month about ordinary life

ARCUB’s 2026 Străzi Deschise programme brings pedestrian and cultural activity to Calea Victoriei on designated weekends. It offers a useful way to see public life beyond offices and apartment listings, but an event closure is not a promise that the street is permanently pedestrianised. Check the current calendar before arranging access or parking.

Build repeatable habits close to home: a grocery shop, a language class, a regular activity and a route to a park. For a remote business owner, test the actual home connection, a backup mobile connection and a place for confidential calls. Keep Romanian residence planning connected to where you work and make company decisions; neither an overseas customer base nor a foreign bank account determines the tax outcome.