Romania adopts new rules for the disability certificate, aligning with international standards, with variable validity depending on the severity of the illness.

The purpose of the new regulations is to align Romania with international standards and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. According to these rules, the disability certificate can become permanent for irreversible diseases, but the duration will be limited for other conditions, depending on severity. The Ministry of Labor emphasizes that this is the biggest change in the social protection system in recent years, placing the person at the center of the process. The certificate will remain valid until expiration for those who already hold it, but new criteria will apply upon reevaluation. For diseases with the possibility of improvement, the validity period will be 24 months, and for reversible conditions, 12 months. For example, the certificate for epilepsy will be granted only in cases of frequent and treatment-resistant seizures. In the case of diabetes, the existence of complications will be taken into account. Mild respiratory conditions will receive a medium grade, while severe ones will receive a severity grade. Severe mental disorders, autism spectrum disorders, and congenital deafblindness can receive a permanent certificate from the first evaluation. Additionally, dementia and major psychoses can benefit from a permanent certificate after two evaluations. Affected motor functions, such as amputations, can lead to the issuance of a definitive certificate two years after diagnosis.