LIFE IN CLUJ

1. Arrival in Cluj

Cluj airport – www.airportcluj.ro

AIRPLANE

• TAROM – it is the national Romanian Flying Company, which operates several external flights
• WIZZ AIR
  You can take the “Wizz Discount Club” card, which you will appreciate quickly. It costs 30 euros/year during the first year and 20 euros/year after the first year. This allows you to have discounts on your flights.
• Lufthansa
• EasyJet
• Vueling

 

TAXI

• The average cost of a cab commission from the airport to the city center is up to 30 lei.
• Make sure the driver starts the meter in the beginning of the drive.
• If you can’t find a taxi, you can call one to come to your place (see Transport)

2. Installation

a. Accommodation

Dorms
Student dorms

 Since we know it is difficult to find accommodation when you move to a new country, especially at a good quality-price ratio, our university offers students in the first year the possibility to be housed in one of our student dorms.

Student housing is one of the best experiences of the university years; you have the possibility to meet people from various different countries and to immediately make friends with people who might be your friends for a lifetime.

Accommodation for first year students ENGLISH and FRENCH section

To the attention of FIRST YEAR students from the English and French section who want to apply for accommodation in the dorms of UMF “Iuliu Haţieganu” Cluj-Napoca. In order to apply for the dorms it is mandatory to have the following papers:

• Copy of the student card for those admitted in the first year of study. The student card will be given to you at the beginning of the studying year and you have to present a copy of it no later than 3 days after receiving.
• Copy of the ID card or passport.
• Copy of the country residence permit.
• Epidemiologic notice, released by the general practitioner. There is also the possibility to obtain it from the medical point located in Căminul VII – Complex Haşdeu (Dorm VII – Haşdeu Complex).
• Certificate that you are a Scholar of the Romanian State (Bursier al Statului Român), which can be obtained from the secretary of the year in the Dean’s Office of the faculty you belong to.

It is also mandatory to complete the registration form: https://goo.gl/forms/gT5Li1YYMYTDIvg03 before 10 of September, after this date you will be contacted via email for confirmation of your stay in the student dorms.

 Dorm Life

• In order to live in the dorms and enjoy “dorm life” there are a few basic rules of conduct and responsibilities which you should fulfill:
• Respect your roommates – fortunately, we are all very different; accept you roommates and admire them for who they are. Don’t focus on their flaws, but look at their good qualities.
• Respect quiet hours - your schedules might not coincide, and each person has the right to his/her own way of life, so be discreet and don’t be so loud that you make yourself heard on other floors.
• Try to be tidy, clean up after yourself and stay organized - you will stay in a small space in which there won’t be enough room for too many things. Bring along only things that meet your bare necessities.
• Don’t eat your roommate’s food if they do not offer and don’t go through their things without permission.
• Keep the rooms clean – we recommend that you make a cleaning schedule with your roommates in which you split up the chores every week.
• Keep commonly shared spaces clean – such as the bathrooms and the kitchen. It’s quite simple – leave the space the way you would like to find it!
• Follow the washing machine schedules.
• Pay your dorm fees in due time.
• Respect the staff that work in the dorms and comply with the rules, which they do also.
• Follow the exam session period; all other activities in the dorms are to be stopped in order to have proper studying conditions.

How can I be accommodated in a dorm?

The dorm available for you is student dorm Observator 1/6. It is a modern, recently renovated one, and provides very good living conditions. The dorm is located in the Observatory campus, a true student life symbol in Cluj. Supermarkets, gyms, and restaurants surround it. Furthermore, it is situated just 10-15 minutes from the university’s academic center, and 15 minutes from the city center. Public transportation stops are just a few steps away from the dorms. If you choose to live in one of our university’s dormitories, you will have the opportunity to live with colleagues from the faculty and you will always be in the middle of student life here in Cluj.

The rooms at Observator 1/6 are spacious, fit for 3 people, and have their own bathroom. Each student has his/her own desk and access to the Internet. Students also have access to commonly shared rooms available on every floor, which include a kitchen, a dining room, and a laundry room equipped with a washing and drying machines. Also, each dorm has a study hall, equipped with computers and Internet access.

Housing rates depend on dorm.

Real Estate Agency

Other options for finding a residence

If you do not wish to live in a student dorm and you prefer having your own apartment or room, this is not an issue, as Cluj-Napoca offers a great variety of rental places at a good price. The rent prices may vary depending on the neighborhood and facilities offered. For instance, a one-room apartment may cost between 100-200 euro/month, and a two-room apartment with will be between 250-500 euro/month.

The best areas for a medical student in Cluj-Napoca are the following: Pasteur Street, Clinicilor Street, neighborhoods of Zorilor, Centru, Plopilor, Mihai Viteazu Square, Gradini Manastur, Grigorescu, Gheorgheni, etc.

Below you will find a list of real estate agencies in Cluj and their e-mail addresses, which can offer counseling in finding the best living option for you:

• Blitz Imobiliare – 20 Avram Iancu St. / Phone: 0264 333 777 / blitz-imobiliare.ro
• Eden Imobiliare – 42 Calea Dorobanţilor St./ Phone: 0733 980 081 / edenimobiliare.ro
• Edil Imobiliare – 17 Iuliu Maniu St. / Phone: 0264 590 677 / edil.ro
• RBC Imobiliare – Iazului St./ Phone: 0364 147 538

Also, you can find renting offers online on piata-az.ro, tocmai.ro and olx.ro.

Important: If you decide to rent/buy an apartment, ask the real estate agent about insuring the place. Some apartments are already insured, but other places might require that you purchase rental insurance separately after you have signed the rental contract. We advise you to opt for a quality insurance plan in order to protect yourself against any harm. Your real estate agent can guide you to an insurance agency upon request.

Finance

Now that you have decided to attend university in a foreign country, it is important to realize that you have left home and you are responsible for your own actions, including managing your financial resources. Budgeting your money is a difficult thing every student must cope with, but after the first few months and more so, after your first year, doing your calculations and adapting your budget to different needs will become much easier.

We recommend these simple tips for balancing your budget:

• Calculate your overall monthly INCOME (money from parents, scholarships, jobs, etc.)
• Establish your main EXPENSES (rent, utilities, food, books, etc.)
• Set aside a certain amount every week for going out, fun activities, etc.
• Keep track of all of your expenses, receipts, bills, etc.

Utility bills will vary based on individual necessity and will fluctuate depending on the month and time of year.
Tip - In the first month of university you will generally spend more money, so do not panic if in the beginning it seems that you slightly surpass your budget.

Generally speaking, your list of expenses should look something like this:

Essential expenses:
Rent + utilities (dorm)
Food
Household products
Books + school supplies
Phone + internet
Transportation

Auxiliary expenses:
Going out
Clothing
Miscellaneous

On average, a student spends about 600-800 euro/month (this varies based on your apartment/dorm).

In Romania, the national currency is the “Leu” (RON). For a simple calculation, you can use the following conversion rate 1 Euro = 4.5 lei.

Insurance

Flat insurance

When you rent a flat in Romania, it is not necessary to have insurance. However, we highly recommend it. Your property owner might tell you (s) he already has one, but it only covers accidents. You would not be covered if you forgot to turn off the gas!

Services

Banks

The money used in Cluj Napoca is the RON (or “leu; plural “lei”).

There are lots of different banks in Cluj-Napoca. As a student, it is highly recommended to create an account in lei and transfer money from your home country to Romania, rather than using a credit card.

However, if you need to use your foreign account, here is some advice:

• It is, of course, possible to use a credit card from your country, but additional fees with ATM will be considered (which will be less in the office). Withdrawing cash directly from the office is always cheaper.
• As an example, let’s imagine you come from Germany. Your account is in euro and you need cash for your life here. On the day I am writing this text, you could get 4.12 lei for 1 euro using an ATM, whereas if you go directly to the bank to make a withdrawal you would get 4.42 lei for 1 euro. This small change rate makes the same action 7% cheaper. (An ID is almost always required when you withdraw/change money in a bank office in Cluj)

For most banks, additional fees are applied when you are abroad. For this reason, we recommend you to open a bank account in Cluj and transfer your money to this account.

Lots of bank offices are all over the city.

Please note that these banks allow you to make withdrawals directly in euros from a foreign bank account in euro (such as for your rent). Thus, you only pay the card fees and not the change rate twice.

Other available financial services are Western Union and Moneygram. They allow the transfer of money from your country to Romania within several minutes. Using the number provided by the emitter, you can withdraw the money with a simple ID. It allows a quick transfer, but it is more expensive than the other one (5% of the total amount is to be paid as a fee).

Utilities

Other utility services, which include water, gas, sanitation and building maintenance, will usually be paid directly to the building administrators, who comes once or twice a month to collect the fees, or may be paid directly to your landlord or to the administration office in the case you are not at home on the established date. This depends on how each landlord decides to do it. Depending on each service supplier, you can pay the bills directly at their office or online. Many banks and grocery stores also have electronic machines where you can scan and directly pay your bills.

Telephone

Upon arrival, you will want to visit a mobile phone service provider shop. The three most commonly used networks by students in Cluj are Orange, Telekom and Vodafone. These companies offer you a pre-pay option (select an option with various national minutes, international minutes and data, and just refill your credit every month) or sign a contract for a set amount of minutes and data. Monthly credit options vary greatly in price depending on what you choose, but 6-10 € is the average price. Contract prices also depend on the amount, and are usually signed for 6 months to 1 year.

Romania’s country code for telephone numbers is +40 and anybody outside Romania can call by dialing this code. If you are in Romania and you dial a Romanian number, you simply leave off the 4 and start dialing the number starting with 0.

Internet

You will be happy to know that Romania has one of the highest Internet speeds of all the countries in the world, and the service is relatively inexpensive. Your property owner may or may not leave you an Internet router, but you can easily purchase one from any electronic store or supermarket. For Internet service you can get in touch with Digi Mobil Company (RCS & RDS) in order to open an account with them, or other Internet providers. Many companies offer packages including telephone, Internet and television services at various prices. On average, just for Internet service at home you will pay around 10 € per month and the connection is very good.

Weather

Cluj has a continental climate, characterized by cold winters and warm summers. Commonly seasons change from winter to spring around March, and from autumn to winter around November.

During the past years, we have noticed that winters are with temperatures as low as -20°C and less and less snow. However, summers are warmer every year and temperatures often exceed 30°C.

Potable Water

Still tap water is drinkable. However, you can have some problems due to the change of water from your native country. You may feel dizzy and need some time to adapt your body to it. This is something completely normal. If your condition does not improve, try filtered or bottled water.

Residence Permit
Please read carefully!

The Romanian law requires you to register to the Immigration Services once you are settled in Cluj. As an immigrant person, you need to have an Immigration Number (called CNP – or PIN). In order to get it, you need to go to the City Hall (Eroilor Street) where you will have to pay an immigration tax of 2 lei. As you arrive there, take the first stairs on your right and go up to the first floor, where you will get the payment proof and be able to make the payment. It might take a lot of time (up to 5 hours) to queue, so, this is why we recommend you get there early in the morning.

After making the payment, you have to go to Iulius Mall, then to the Immigration Services (add photo). You will receive a form to fill in. With the proof of payment, you have to go to Iulius Mall, with the Form, the Attestation of Enrollment (you will get it from the secretary at the university), the proof of payment. You will have to return there in the 24 next hours in order to get your CNP. For students aged over 26, a social security attestation is also required.

You have 3 months after your arrival to register and you need to come back to the immigration service every time you change of address to update your file.

You should always have a photocopy of your CNP with you.

Iulius Mall immigration service is opened between 8:30-10:00 for EU-citizens and between 14:00 - 16:30 for non-EU citizens.

Transport

Taxi

Taxis are a very fast means of transportation; after ordering one, it usually takes about 2-3 minutes to arrive at your place and the prices are quite affordable. The usual taxi fares with major taxi companies in Cluj are the following:

Start: 2.5 Lei

Price/km: 2.25 Lei/during the day, and 2.5 Lei/during the night.

Some general prices: Taxi from the airport – city center 30-40 Lei, Taxi from the Center to the mall: 20-25 Lei

• Taxi Diesel – Tel: *9946
• Taxi Napoca – Tel: *9953
• Taxi Clima&Confort – Tel: *9943

There is also a mobile app allowing you to order a taxi to your exact location. You can download it from the App Store or on Google Play => Clever Taxi.

Public Bus and Tram Transportation

The public transportation network in Cluj consists of buses and trams. The stations are strategically placed throughout the city and they are the most common means of transportation for Cluj residents. A 2-ride ticket costs 4 lei and it can be purchased at the bus stations or ticket machines. You may also purchase a ticket via text message. Send the BUS LINE NUMBER in a text to 7479 (for example: 6, 25, 3) and after receiving a confirmation text, you will benefit of 1 valid ride on the indicated line for 45 minutes starting with the time when you received your confirmation text message. The total cost of the text: 0.5 Euro + VAT. The bus/tram schedule and maps may be found on the following website: www.ctp.ro

Bikes

Clujbike is the bike-sharing system in our city. Every resident can pick up a bike from one of the stations found throughout the city for free, and then leave it at any other station. This system facilitates an ecologic and healthy means of transportation throughout the city. In order to use this system, you need to have an access card, which can be obtained by following the steps indicated on www.clujbike.ro.

Coaches

In order to travel from one city to another within Romania (and to other countries) you may choose to take a coach. The maps and connections for the different cities can be found at www.autogari.ro. The tickets are very reasonably priced, and most coaches’ leave from the bus station called “Autogara Beta” or “Autogara Fany” (the two are right next to each other) located on 1-3 Giordano Bruno Street.

Train

In Romania, the trains are an efficient and inexpensive way to travel within the country, and also offer the possibility to see some incredible scenery in the mountainous regions and the countryside. The train schedules and ticket prices can be found on www.infofer.ro.

Car Rental

If you wish to move freely through Cluj or anywhere in Romania and beyond, you may opt to rent a car. Prices vary based on the company and the car chosen, but are usually between 20-80 euro/day. Some companies offer services to bring the car to your place and pick it up from your residence.

2. Daily Life

a. Shopping

 

Iulius Mall

• Large shopping center (clothing, Auchan supermarket, electronics, Food Court, gym, pool, cinema…)
• Open: 10:00 - 22:00
• Taxi fare is about 13 lei from “Casa De Cultura”
• Bus: 24, 24B, 25

 

Polus Center

• Large shopping center (clothing, Carrefour supermarket, electronics, Décathlon, Food Court)
• Open: 10:00 - 22:00
• Taxi fare is about 15 lei from “Casa De Cultura”
• Bus: 24B, 43P

 

Manastur neighborhood

Kaufland

• Supermarket
• Câmpului Street / Fabricii Street
• 8:00 - 22:00

 

Center

Billa

• Supermarket
• 8:00 - 22:00 Mon. - Sat. and 8:00 - 20:00 Sun.
• Regele Ferdinand Street

Sora Shopping Center

• Small shopping center with a 24 hr supermarket
• 21 Decembrie 1989 Boulevard, No. 5

 

DM:

• Beauty and hygiene products (males, females), cosmetics, cleaning and household products, and a small aisle of organic foods.
• Calea Motilor

 

Farmer’s Market

• Vegetables, fruits, and other inexpensive products from small local producers
• Mihai Viteazu Square (Multiplex Leul)

 

Zorilor neighborhood

Billa

• Supermarket
• 8:00 - 22:00 from Mon. to Sat. and 8:00 - 20:00 Sun.
• Zorilor Street

Profi:

• Supermarket
• 8:00 - 22:00 from Mon. to Sat. and 8:00 - 20:00 Sun.
• Observatorului Street

 

Lidl:

• Supermarket
• 8:00 - 22:00 from Mon. to Sat. and 8:00 - 20:00 Sun.
• Observatorului Street

 

Farmer’s Market

• Vegetables, fruits, and other inexpensive products from small local producers
• Zorilor Market (Zorilor Street)

b. Restaurant and Snacks

SNACK - Eating not far from the faculty

• Sandwicherie Customizable sandwich (you can choose the meat, vegetables and sauces) at the entrance of Haşdeu Street
• New Croco Restaurant with a good variety of food and affordable prices, on Babeş Street.
• La Tina Pizza Cheap with a nice Price/Quality ratio at the entrance of Haşdeu Street
• Pizzeria Di Salvio Full or sliced pizza in the down the Babeş Street
• Placinta Babeş Street, in the small grocery down the street.
• Piadina Potaissa Street, at the first perpendicular street to Napoca Street
• Litchi Waffles and fresh juices
• Panamiam Oriental sandwiches Petru Maior Street
• Restaurant of the University of Medicine and Pharmacy
  The restaurant is located on Str. Victor Babeş nr. 17 and is the ideal place to have a meal, a quick lunch or a snack at a student price, during your breaks between classes. The opening hours are from 12:00 to 17:00 from Monday to Friday. It is a self-service restaurant and offers a quality and diverse menu with both vegetarian and non-vegetarian options. Depending on your selections, the price of a lunch varies between 10 and 18 lei.

 

Hobbies

I. With the CMC (French Association)

 

• Basket
  Tournaments often and training every week.
• Handball

Training each week and friendly matches.

• Rugby
  Training each week.
• Running
  A Facebook Group allowing you to find students to jog with.
• Rock
• Theater

Practicing a sport with the CMC allows you to validate your presence in Sport if you come often.

II. Outside CMC

Several gyms have affordable offers for students

Gym

Bamboo

• Location: Multiplex Leul, piata Mihai Viteazu
• Price: 110 lei /month

 

Olympus

• Location: Strada Victor Babes, Nr 33
• Price: 100 lei / month

 

Good Sport

• Location: Strada Observatorului , Nr 82-86
• Price: 80 lei / month

 

UMF Football court

Price: 80 lei for 1h30.

Synthetic courts for 12 players require booking by calling 0749 426 659

Tennis courts

Location: Parc Babeş

Price: 120 lei / court (covered or not). Open until 22:00

Golf

Location: Sun Garden, Strada Poiana Cerbului, nr 1000 (25 minutes away from Cluj)

Price: 30 lei to play (Practice + 9-hole)

Swimming pool

Location: Parc Babeş

Price: 120 lei, open until 22:00

Central Park

A nice place to jog or use the different public exercise machines.

Cluj Arena

Box training and gym room.

Cinema

The movies are in Original Version, Romanian subtitled. Schedules programmation can be found on the Internet.

• Iulius Mall, last floor
• Polus Center, 4th entrance
• Cinema Victoria, Eroilor Boulevard, No. 51
• Cinema Florin Piersic, piata Mihai Viteazu

 

Paintball

• War Zone
• Website: http://paintball-airsoft.ro/ce-este-paintballul/
• Telephone: 0740 249 225
• Location: Livada Steluta, Colonia Breaza, Cluj-Napoca

 

Bowling

• Website: http://www.bowlingclubcluj.ro
• Telephone: 0264 450 561; 0740 780 184
• Location: Calea Dorobantilor, Nr 30-32
• Mon.-Sun. from 11:00-03:00

Pets

Although lots of Romanians do it, you are not allowed to go with your pet in parks, children playgrounds, or public transportation.

Remember to vaccinate your pet. There are several places where you can adopt an animal in Cluj and the veterinary students often propose lost animals. Please note that taking your animal with you back home or finding a foster will be a recurrent problem, mainly during the summer holiday.

Post offices

Post offices will have a red sign that reads “Poşta”. You may go to any of these in order to send or receive packages or letters.

The Main Post Office is located in 33 Regele Ferdinand Street
Open: Mon. - Fri. 07:00 - 20:30
Sat. 08:00 - 13:00
Sun. Closed.

Near the university, there is the Post Office Nr. 4, on 6-8 Petru Maior Street
Open: Mon. - Fri. 10:00-16:30
Closed Sat. and Sun.