Holiday Vouchers 2026: New Restrictive Rules for Public Sector Employees – Salary Cap Cut to 6,000 RON

From 1 January 2026, the rules governing the allocation of holiday vouchers to public sector employees have changed significantly. Under the new provisions of Law no. 141/2025, only public sector employees with a net monthly income of up to 6,000 RON will be eligible to receive this 800 RON annual financial benefit.

This represents a considerable reduction compared to last year, when the salary ceiling was set at 8,000 RON net per month — meaning thousands of public sector workers will be removed from the voucher scheme.

Who can still benefit from vouchers

Eligible beneficiaries include employees in central and local public administration, staff in the education, health, public order and defence sectors, as well as contracted personnel at public institutions who fall within the new salary threshold.

Vouchers are issued within the limits of budgets approved by each public institution, and the law does not set a fixed date for their distribution, allowing flexibility in planning when they are issued.

How the vouchers can be used

The 800 RON amounts are loaded onto electronic cards and may be used exclusively in Romania, at authorised tourist establishments. One positive change from previous years is the removal of the mandatory financial contribution from the employee.

Vouchers are valid for 12 months from the date they are loaded onto the card, and any unused amounts cannot be carried over to the following year or converted into cash.

Private sector employees remain excluded from this government scheme and may only receive holiday vouchers if their private employers choose to offer them as a voluntary non-salary benefit.