In a labor market where quick employment is not always easy, the Romanian state tries to stimulate professional reintegration through a little-known but relatively simple mechanism: the activation bonus.
Romanians can receive an activation bonus of 1,000 lei. Archive photo
In 2026, this financial support of 1,000 lei continues to be granted to certain people who are employed after a period of unemployment, but only if the conditions laid down by law are met. The measure is regulated by Law no. 76/2002 regarding the unemployment insurance system and is managed by the National Employment Agency (ANOFM).
What is the activation bonus and to whom it is awarded
The activation premium is a financial incentive given to people registered as unemployed with employment agencies, with the aim of encouraging a quick return to the labor market. According to official ANOFM data, the amount granted is 1,000 lei, non-taxable, and is paid in two equal installments: half at the time of employment and the other half after completing three months of activity at the new job.
To benefit from this support, the person must be registered in the ANOFM records for at least 30 days, not receive unemployment benefits and be employed full-time for more than three months. It is also necessary that in the last 12 months the applicant has not worked for the same employer and has not benefited from another activation premium in the last year.
In other words, the state directly encourages the rapid transition from unemployment to stable work, but conditions this support on a series of criteria designed to avoid abusive use of the program.
What you need to do to collect the activation premium in 2026
The process of obtaining the activation bonus is not complicated, but requires compliance with strict deadlines. First of all, the person concerned must be registered with the territorial employment agency as unemployed looking for a job. After a minimum of 30 days from this registration, if full-time employment occurs and for a period of more than three months, the premium can be claimed.
An essential element is the deadline for submitting documents: they must be sent to ANOFM within 30 days from the date of employment. The file mainly includes the standard application, copy of the employment contract or proof of employment, an affidavit of the employee and a statement of the employer certifying that there has been no previous employment relationship in the last 12 months between the two parties.
In practice, the payment is made in two stages, which means that the beneficiary must remain employed for at least three months to collect the full amount. If the employment relationship ends earlier, there are situations in which the right may be lost or suspended, depending on the legal conditions.
Beyond the administrative side, the measure has a role in reducing unemployment and stimulating rapid employment, especially among people who have difficulty returning to the labor market.
Does not benefit from the activation premium:
a) persons who are employed, according to the law, for a fixed period of no more than 3 months, and after being employed, the duration of the employment is changed to a fixed period of more than 3 months or indefinite;
b) persons who are employed, according to the law, for a period longer than 3 months, within 30 days from the date of termination of the unemployment allowance payment according to art. 44 letter l) of Law 76/2002.
Required documents
For the granting of the activation premium, the persons shall submit the following documents to the county employment agency, respectively of the Bucharest municipality, where they are on record, within a maximum of 30 days from the date of employment: :
1. Application – according to the model – Annex no. 32 to the rules
2. The act on the basis of which the person was employed or the proof issued by the employer – copy
3. Commitment
4. Declaration on the employer's own responsibility stating that in the last 12 months prior to employment, he was no longer in work or service relations with the person in question
5. Self-responsibility statement stating that the applicant has not benefited from the activation premium in the last 12 months prior to employment
The submission of documents can be done in person at the agency's headquarters, by registered letter or e-mail.
