The simple answer here is that you become insured - mandatorily - when you start working, either for an employer, or on your own, as a freelancer. Basically, a part of your gross income must be paid to the Romanian state pension system, a contribution also known as the mandatory contribution to the social insurance fund (in Romanian: Contribuția de Asigurări Sociale, or simply CAS). Currently, according to the provisions of the Romanian Tax Code, the pension contribution rate is 25% of the gross monthly salary, and is being withheld by your employer, if you generate income as an employee (this includes not only the salary, but also other income provided by the employer as appropriate, such as, for example, any monthly allowances). You also have an obligation to pay this contribution (in certain conditions) if you earn income independently, as a freelancer (self-employed individual). There are also certain special situations for atypical working conditions, in which case, in addition to the above percentage due by the individual who earns the taxable income, the employer (we speak of these exceptions only in the case of employees) must pay an additional contribution, according to Law no. 263/2010 on the Romanian unitary public pension system. We will not go into more detail here. For the moment it is enough to mention that these exceptions apply if we are talking about special or exceptional working conditions, where the additional share can reach a percentage of up to 8% of the gross income, considered as a basis for calculation.