How to Start a Business in Romania as a Foreigner
Short answer
Starting a business in Romania means choosing a vehicle, signing the constitutive act and filing it at the Trade Register within 15 days of signing. A new SRL (societate cu răspundere limitată, limited liability company) needs at least 500 lei of capital. Then come the capital pay-in, a Romanian payment account and the VAT review.
Starting a business in Romania takes more than a registration certificate. This guide is for a founder new to Romanian authorities, whether abroad or in Romania, inside the EU or outside it. It treats residence as a separate decision. To have the filing prepared, see how to register a company in Romania with us.
What are the steps to start a business in Romania?
Seven steps take a founder from the first decision to the first deadlines. The sections below expand each one.
Choose the vehicle
Choose a company, a branch of a foreign company or a sole trader. Natural and legal persons, foreign ones included, may found a company (art. 1(1) Law 31/1990, January 2024 text).
Check and reserve the name
Check that the name is free and reserve it. You can also do this online through the trade register's portal (art. 50(1) Law 265/2022, 2022 text). The name comes first, before the act and the filing.
Settle the registered office
Declare a registered office (sediu social, the legal address of the company). You file proof of the declared seat with the application (art. 36(2)(c) Law 31/1990, January 2024 text).
Sign the constitutive act and declare the owners
The founders sign the constitutive act under private signature. Notarial form is needed in listed cases, such as real estate contributed to capital (art. 5(6) Law 31/1990, January 2024 text). Beneficial owners are declared (art. 56(1) Law 129/2019).
File within 15 days of signing
File the application within 15 days of signing (art. 36(1) Law 31/1990, January 2024 text). Sign it by hand, with a qualified e-signature or through an attorney (art. 82(1), 79(1) Law 265/2022, 2022 text).
Receive the certificate
The company is a legal person from registration (art. 41(1) Law 31/1990, January 2024 text). The registration certificate carries the identifiers: a J number, a CUI and an EUID (art. 110(1) Law 265/2022, 2022 text).
Meet the first deadlines
Pay in 30% of the subscribed capital not later than 3 months from registration. The pay-in must also come before the company starts operations in its name (art. 91(2) Law 31/1990, January 2024 text). Open a payment account within 60 working days. Expect the VAT review if VAT was requested. Keep the books through your own accounting department or under a contract with an authorised accountant (art. 10(2)-(3) Law 82/1991). That is a duty, not a dated deadline.
From decision to first deadlines
Choose the vehicle
A company, a branch of a foreign company or a sole trader
Who acts: Founder
Check and reserve the name
Check that the name is free and reserve it, also online through the trade register's portal
Who acts: RomaniaRegist
Settle the registered office
Declare a registered office; proof of the declared seat is filed with the application
Who acts: Founder
Sign the constitutive act and declare the owners
The founders sign the constitutive act; beneficial owners are declared
Who acts: Founder, partner lawyer or notary
File within 15 days of signing
The application is signed by hand, with a qualified e-signature or by an attorney
Who acts: Founder, or RomaniaRegist as attorney
Term: filing within 15 days of signing (art. 36(1) Law 31/1990)
Receive the certificate
The company is a legal person from registration; the certificate carries a J number, a CUI and an EUID
Who acts: Registrar
Term: registrar: one working day, a statutory term and not a promise (art. 105(1)); up to 15 calendar days to fix a file (art. 106(1) Law 265/2022, 2022 text)
Meet the first deadlines
Pay in the capital, open a payment account and expect the VAT review if VAT was requested
Who acts: Founder, ANAF
The Law 265/2022 terms come from its 2022 text and are terms, not promises.
Which kinds of business can a foreigner set up in Romania?
The table sets five vehicles side by side without choosing among them. The company law lets natural and legal persons, foreign ones included, found a company (art. 1(1) Law 31/1990, January 2024 text). For the company forms in depth, see the company types guide.
| Vehicle | Legal personality and liability | Capital and members | Who may found it | Text read |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SRL (societate cu răspundere limitată, limited liability company) | Members are liable only up to the subscribed capital (art. 3(3)) | One person may form it and then only the articles are drawn up (art. 5(2)); at most 50 members (art. 12); 500 lei minimum for a new SRL (Art. VI(2) Law 239/2025) | Natural and legal persons, foreign ones included (art. 1(1)); no residence or nationality condition in the law read (art. 81) | Law 31/1990, January 2024 text; capital from Law 239/2025 |
| SA (societate pe acțiuni, joint-stock company) | Shareholders are liable only up to the subscribed capital (art. 3(3)) | At least 90,000 lei (art. 10(1)); at least 2 shareholders (art. 10(3)) | As for the SRL (art. 1(1)) | Law 31/1990, January 2024 text |
| Subsidiary (filială) | A separate legal person (art. 42) | Formed in one of the company forms (art. 2, 42) | A foreign company, if its own law recognises that right (art. 44) | Law 31/1990, January 2024 text |
| Branch (sucursală) | No legal personality; registered before it starts trading (art. 43(1)); keeps its own Romanian accounts (art. 1(3) Law 82/1991) | Part of the foreign company that sets it up (art. 43(1), 44) | A foreign company, if its own law recognises that right (art. 44) | Law 31/1990, January 2024 text; Law 82/1991 |
| PFA (persoană fizică autorizată, authorised natural person, a sole trader) | Answers with business-allocated assets if set aside, then with all personal assets (art. 20(1) OUG 44/2008) | One individual; income from independent activities taxed at 10% (art. 64(1) Fiscal Code) | The original text names Romanian, EU and EEA citizens (art. 3(1) OUG 44/2008) | OUG 44/2008, original 2008 text; Fiscal Code, 2026 consolidation |
A branch has no legal personality. It is registered before it starts trading (art. 43(1) Law 31/1990, January 2024 text). It keeps its own Romanian accounts (art. 1(3) Law 82/1991). A foreign company may also set up a subsidiary if its own law recognises that right (art. 44). A subsidiary is a separate legal person formed in one of the company forms. Our page on the branch of a foreign company in Romania sets out the filing.
The PFA (sole trader) is different. The original 2008 text of OUG 44/2008 names Romanian, EU and EEA citizens (art. 3(1)). This guide does not say a non-EU founder can register one. A PFA answers with business assets, if set aside, and then with all personal assets (art. 20(1)). An SRL's members answer only up to the subscribed capital (art. 3(3) Law 31/1990, January 2024 text).
The choice of vehicle is for a lawyer or a tax adviser. For a freelancer, the freelancing page compares the two. We can also map the conditions with you.
Can a non-EU citizen or a non-resident start a business in Romania?
A foreigner starting a business first needs to know who may found a company. The company law we read sets no residence or nationality condition for the members or administrators. The constitutive act records each member's citizenship and passport (art. 81 Law 31/1990, January 2024 text).
Persons incapable by law cannot be founders. Nor can persons barred from acting as founders by a final court judgment, as an additional penalty. The bar follows a conviction for offences against property by breach of trust, corruption, embezzlement, forgery, tax evasion, money laundering or offences under the Company Law (art. 6(2) Law 31/1990, January 2024 text). An SRL is run by one or more administrators, who may or may not be members (art. 197(1)).
The Monitorul Oficial (official gazette) extract names founders and administrators with country, town and county (art. 16(2) Law 265/2022, 2022 text). Beneficial owners are declared at incorporation and on every change (art. 56(1) Law 129/2019). A non-resident founder or administrator gets a tax number (NIF) through the register filing (art. 83(1) Fiscal Procedure Code). No anonymity is offered. Residence is a separate decision, covered below.
How much share capital does a Romanian SRL need in 2026?
The minimum changed on 18 December 2025 (Law 239/2025). For the filing, see forming an SRL in Romania.
New SRL: at least 500 lei
A newly formed SRL needs a share capital of at least 500 lei, in force since 18 December 2025 (Art. VI(2) Law 239/2025).
SRL above 400,000 lei turnover: at least 5,000 lei
An SRL whose net turnover in the previous year exceeded 400,000 lei needs a share capital of at least 5,000 lei (Art. VI(1) Law 239/2025). When turnover crosses the line, the SRL must raise the capital. The deadline is the end of the financial year after the one in which the rise is found (Art. VI(3)).
Existing SRLs
SRLs must raise the capital set under paragraph (1), which is the 5,000 lei of an SRL above 400,000 lei turnover (Art. VI(6) Law 239/2025). No text we read obliges an SRL with low turnover to reach 500 lei.
Paying in the capital
You pay in 30% of the subscribed capital not later than 3 months from registration. The pay-in must also come before the company starts operations in its name. You pay the cash balance within 12 months (art. 91(2) Law 31/1990, January 2024 text).
How does registration at the Trade Register work?
Business registration means the ONRC (Oficiul Național al Registrului Comerțului, the National Trade Register Office) enters the company in the trade register. You check and reserve the name first (art. 50(1) Law 265/2022, 2022 text). All members sign the constitutive act (the founding document). The application is filed within 15 days of signing.
- ID documents of each founder and administrator. The act records citizenship and passport (art. 81 Law 31/1990, January 2024 text).
- The constitutive act, signed by all members (art. 5(6) Law 31/1990, January 2024 text).
- Proof of the declared registered office (art. 36(2)(c) Law 31/1990, January 2024 text).
- The name check and reservation (art. 50(1) Law 265/2022, 2022 text).
- The declaration of the beneficial owner (art. 56(1) Law 129/2019).
- NIF for each non-resident individual founder, member, shareholder or administrator: the register office sends the request to the Ministry of Finance (art. 83(1) Fiscal Procedure Code).
- Foreign official documents in the original. They need the apostille (unless a treaty or EU rule removes it) and a legalised Romanian translation (art. 76(1), (2) Law 265/2022, 2022 text).
- A notarised power of attorney, or a lawyer's mandate, if an agent files (art. 79(1) Law 265/2022, 2022 text).
We prepare the standard forms and file under your power of attorney. A partner Romanian lawyer prepares anything bespoke in the act (art. 3(1)(c), 3(2) Law 51/1995). The registered office address can be ours. We supply it as a trust and company service provider notified to ONPCSB, the anti-money-laundering supervisor. It is a regulated activity (art. 2(l)(3) Law 129/2019).
Do you have to travel to Romania, and what about apostilles?
The application is signed by hand or with a qualified electronic signature (art. 82(1) Law 265/2022, 2022 text). An attorney signs under a notarised power of attorney. A lawyer signs under a lawyer's mandate (art. 79(1)). These are the routes the law gives. This guide does not say whether your case needs a trip.
Foreign official documents go in the original. Each needs the apostille and a legalised Romanian translation (art. 76(1), (2) Law 265/2022, 2022 text). The apostille applies to Hague Convention states. For other states, the document needs superlegalisation. A treaty or EU rule can remove the requirement. A power of attorney notarised in another EU state still needs the apostille, unless a bilateral treaty removes it. The reason is that Regulation (EU) 2016/1191 covers only public documents in areas of civil status. An EU criminal record certificate needs none (EUR-Lex summary).
From our practice
In our practice, we assemble the file before anything is filed: the name check, the ID documents, and the apostilles and legalised translations. The order depends on where the founders live and which documents already exist.
How long does registration take, and why are files sent back?
The registrar decides within one working day of filing (art. 105(1) Law 265/2022, 2022 text). That is a statutory term for the registrar, not a promise from anyone preparing the file.
An incomplete file gets up to 15 calendar days to be fixed (art. 106(1) Law 265/2022, 2022 text). In 2024 the Government recorded major difficulties in trade register registration (preamble to OUG 109/2024).
This guide promises no time for the registrar's decision. The VAT code is a separate decision of ANAF. The EORI number is another, from the customs authority. The bank runs its own ID checks. None comes with a promised time.
Does your file match these steps? Tell us the basics and we prepare a filing plan.
What are a new company's first deadlines after registration?
The deadlines below start from different moments. The timeline keeps three tracks apart: months and days from registration, and working days from formation.
- Pay in 30% of the subscribed capital within 3 months of registration. The pay-in must also come before the company starts operations in its name (art. 91(2) Law 31/1990, January 2024 text).
- Open a payment account in Romania within 60 working days of formation (from 1 January 2026).
- Micro regime from year one: hire the required employee within 90 days of registration. This applies where the capital and single-micro conditions are met on the registration date. If you do not hire the employee in time, profit tax applies. It starts from the quarter after the one in which the 90 days end (art. 48(3), 51(4) Fiscal Code).
- Expect the risk analysis by ANAF (Agenția Națională de Administrare Fiscală, the tax administration) if VAT was requested (art. 316(9) Fiscal Code).
- Keep the books through your own accounting department. Or use a contract with a CECCAR member, the professional body of authorised accountants (art. 10(2)-(3) Law 82/1991). This is a duty with no dated deadline.
- Upload invoices to e-Factura within 5 working days of issue, from 1 January 2026 (OUG 89/2025).
- Pay in the cash balance of the capital within 12 months of registration (art. 91(2) Law 31/1990, January 2024 text).
A new company's first deadlines
Months from registration
- 3 months30% of the capital paid in, and before the company starts operations in its nameart. 91(2) Law 31/1990, January 2024 text
- 12 monthsThe cash balance of the capital paid inart. 91(2) Law 31/1990, January 2024 text
Days from registration
- 90 daysThe micro-regime employee, where the registration-date conditions are metart. 48(3), 51(4) Fiscal Code
Working days from formation
- 60 working daysA payment account in Romania; rule from 1 January 2026; a breach is fined 3,000 to 10,000 leiart. 1(12), 12(4) Law 70/2015; art. XI(2) Law 239/2025
Annual statements overdue by 5 months mean fiscal inactivity, and one year of inactivity means dissolutionart. 92(12)(b), 92(41) Fiscal Procedure Code
Months and days run from registration, working days from formation. The tracks are not converted into each other.
How do VAT and EORI work for a new company?
You can request VAT with the registration, and it then runs from the registration date (art. 316(11)(a) Fiscal Code). ANAF then runs a risk analysis on the newly VAT-registered company (art. 316(9)). We promise no VAT code. We file the application under your power of attorney. Answering ANAF in a procedure and filing appeals are tax consultancy (art. 3(1)(e) and (f) OG 71/2001). They go to a tax consultant of the CCF (the chamber of tax consultants). They can also go to a lawyer or to the CECCAR accountant under the company's accounting contract.
The ANAF VAT risk criteria in Annex 6 (2026) assess high fiscal risk when a VAT registration may be cancelled (art. 316(11)(h) Fiscal Code). The texts we read do not say how ANAF combines them. They also do not say whether the same list applies to the first analysis after registration. Three of them match a typical SRL with foreign owners:
- A foreign administrator without Romanian tax residence and capital under 45,000 lei (Annex 6, point 5.1).
- A seat used under a comodat (free-loan agreement) of one year or less, with no secondary premises (Annex 6, point 1.2).
- No person is designated to run the accounting. This includes having no service contract with an active CECCAR member where the books are outsourced (Annex 6, point 3.1).
The VAT exemption ceiling is 395,000 lei since 1 September 2025. The standard rate is 21% since 1 August 2025 (ANAF notices). A company that is not VAT-registered still obtains a special VAT code before intra-community acquisitions or services across borders (art. 317(1) Fiscal Code).
EORI is the number that registers and identifies economic operators. It is mandatory for the clearance of customs operations in the EU, such as import, export and transit. An operator established in the EU gets it from its national customs authority (European Commission). In Romania the customs authority registers and assigns it. The company applies to the regional customs directorate of its seat through the EORI-RO application. The customs page we read states no processing time.
Do you need a Romanian bank account, and by when?
A new legal person opens a payment account in Romania, or at the State Treasury. It does so within 60 working days of formation (art. 1(12) Law 70/2015, as amended). The rule applies from 1 January 2026 (art. XI(2) Law 239/2025).
A breach is fined 3,000 to 10,000 lei (art. 12(4) Law 70/2015). A company with no such account is declared fiscally inactive (art. 92(12)(a) Fiscal Procedure Code).
Payment service providers may not refuse the account. The exception is where opening it would breach the AML law or the sanctions ordinance (art. 1(14) Law 70/2015). The bank still applies its own ID checks. No account can be promised. The sources we read do not confirm whether a non-resident can open the account remotely.
Who keeps the books, and what happens if the company goes dormant?
Outsourced bookkeeping needs a contract with a person authorised by law, a CECCAR member (art. 10(3) Law 82/1991). The administrator answers for organising and keeping the accounts (art. 10(1)). Under such a contract, the provider answers for conducting the accounting, as the law and the contract provide (art. 10(4)). Unauthorised practice is an offence (art. 21(1), 43(1) OG 65/1994). We do not offer bookkeeping, payroll or tax returns. Having no person designated to run the accounting is also an Annex 6 VAT risk criterion (point 3.1).
A company that files no annual financial statements within 5 months after the legal deadline is declared fiscally inactive (art. 92(12)(b) Fiscal Procedure Code). If it is not reactivated within one year, it is dissolved (art. 92(41)).
The other route to inactivity is the missing payment account. A dormant company is therefore not a free company. Questions about a dormant company go to a tax consultant or the company's accountant.
What taxes does a new Romanian company meet?
Rates at company level for anyone weighing up doing business in Romania. This is not tax advice: regime choices go to a tax consultant or your accountant. VAT is covered above, and the PFA's 10% in the vehicles table.
Profit tax: 16%
A company outside the micro regime pays profit tax at 16% (art. 17 Fiscal Code).
Micro regime: 1% of revenue
The micro regime is optional (art. 48(1)). It taxes revenue at 1% (art. 51(1)) and applies up to revenue of EUR 100,000 (art. 47(1)(c)).
Opting from year one
A new company may opt from year one under two conditions. On the date of registration, the capital and single-micro conditions must be met. The company must also hire the required employee within 90 days of registration. An administrator under a mandate contract paid at least the minimum gross wage counts (art. 48(3), 51(4)). If the employee is not hired in time, profit tax applies. It starts from the quarter after the one in which the 90 days end (art. 48(3)).
Dividends: 16%
Dividends paid to individuals are taxed at 16%, final, for dividends distributed from 1 January 2026 (art. 97(7) Fiscal Code).
Does owning a Romanian company give you the right to live in Romania?
No, not by itself. A company gives no residence. The long-stay visa for commercial activity (D/AC) depends on three things: a technical opinion from ARICE (Agenția Română pentru Investiții și Comerț Exterior, the investment agency), a visa decision and the IGI conditions. The visa is for shareholders or members with management or administration duties. IGI (Inspectoratul General pentru Imigrări, the immigration authority) addresses it to non-EU and non-EEA citizens.
At the opinion stage, the statute asks for a business plan with a financial projection of at least 3 years (art. 43(2) OUG 194/2002). It also asks for a single statement from a Romanian bank. The statement must be in the founder's own name and show at least EUR 100,000 for an SRL member. Within 12 months of the permit come at least EUR 100,000 invested and 10 new jobs.
The IGI information note on art. 55 gives other figures. For a first permit it asks for means of EUR 500 a month (EUR 700 for an SA shareholder). For renewals it asks for EUR 50,000 of capital or technology and 10 full-time jobs (EUR 70,000 and 15 jobs for an SA shareholder). These are counted in proportion to the member's stake. The means must come from activity in Romania. This guide states both texts and does not reconcile them. No residence is promised. The 500 lei capital is far below these figures.
| Stage | Condition | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Route | D/AC visa for shareholders or members with management or administration duties, on an ARICE technical opinion; addressed to non-EU and non-EEA citizens | IGI page on commercial activity |
| Opinion stage | A business plan with a financial projection of at least 3 years | Art. 43(2) OUG 194/2002 |
| Opinion stage | A single statement from a bank in Romania in the founder's own name: at least EUR 100,000 for an SRL member, EUR 150,000 for an SA shareholder | Art. 43(2) OUG 194/2002 |
| Within 12 months of the permit | At least EUR 100,000 invested and at least 10 new jobs for an SRL (EUR 150,000 and 15 jobs for an SA) | Art. 43(2) OUG 194/2002 |
| First permit | Means of EUR 500 a month for an SRL member, EUR 700 for an SA shareholder | IGI information note on art. 55 |
| Renewals | EUR 50,000 of capital or technology and 10 full-time jobs for an SRL member (EUR 70,000 and 15 jobs for an SA shareholder), counted in proportion to the member's stake; means must come from activity in Romania | IGI information note on art. 55 |
The statute (art. 43(2)) and the IGI note (art. 55) are stated in their own words and are not reconciled.
What changed in 2025 and 2026?
A dated recap of the rules used on this page. Each row gives the date a change took effect.
| Date | Change | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 1 August 2025 | Standard VAT rate 21% | ANAF notice on VAT rates |
| 1 September 2025 | VAT exemption ceiling 395,000 lei | ANAF notice on the exemption ceiling |
| 18 December 2025 | Law 239/2025 in force (Monitorul Oficial no. 1160 of 15 December 2025); 500 lei minimum capital for a new SRL | Art. VI(2) Law 239/2025 |
| 1 January 2026 | Payment-account duty and the inactivity ground; e-Factura upload within 5 working days; single 1% micro rate; 16% on dividends distributed from this date | Law 239/2025; art. 92(12)(a) Fiscal Procedure Code; OUG 89/2025; art. 51(1), 97(7) Fiscal Code |
Sources
Official texts cited on this page, checked on 17 October 2026.
- Law 31/1990 on companies, republished text of January 2024
- OUG 44/2008 on sole traders and family enterprises, original 2008 text
- Law 239/2025 amending Law 31/1990: comparison table, minimum capital
- Law 239/2025: text, existing SRLs and the payment-account duty
- Law 265/2022 on the trade register, 2022 Senate text
- Fiscal Procedure Code, ANAF consolidation: NIF and fiscal inactivity
- EUR-Lex summary of Regulation (EU) 2016/1191 on public documents
- Fiscal Code, ANAF consolidation: micro regime, profit tax, dividends and VAT
- ANAF VAT risk criteria, Annex 6
- Law 82/1991 on accounting, Ministry of Finance text
- OUG 194/2002 on foreigners, IGI consolidation of April 2026
- IGI information note on art. 55 OUG 194/2002
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to travel to Romania to start a business there?
The sources we read give three ways to sign the application. The application can be signed by hand or with a qualified electronic signature (art. 82(1) Law 265/2022, 2022 text). An attorney can sign under a notarised power of attorney, and a lawyer under a mandate (art. 79(1)). Banks run their own ID checks. We can promise no bank account.
Can I register a company in Romania if I am not an EU citizen?
The company law we read sets no residence or nationality condition for the members or administrators. The constitutive act records each member's citizenship and passport (art. 81 Law 31/1990, January 2024 text). The PFA text we read, from 2008, names Romanian, EU and EEA citizens. Residence in Romania is a separate decision.
How long does it take to register a company in Romania, and why do files get sent back?
The registrar decides within one working day of filing. That is a statutory term, not a promise (art. 105(1) Law 265/2022, 2022 text). An incomplete file gets up to 15 calendar days to be fixed (art. 106(1)). In 2024 the Government recorded major registration difficulties (OUG 109/2024). We promise no time for the registrar's decision.
Will I get a VAT number straight away, and what does ANAF check?
You can request VAT with the registration, and it is then valid from the registration date (art. 316(11)(a) Fiscal Code). ANAF analyses the risk of a newly VAT-registered company (art. 316(9)). One criterion in Annex 6 is a foreign administrator without Romanian tax residence and capital under 45,000 lei. ANAF uses it when a registration may be cancelled. We promise no VAT code.
Do I need a Romanian bank account, and by when?
A new legal person opens a payment account in Romania within 60 working days of formation. The rule applies from 1 January 2026. A breach is fined 3,000 to 10,000 lei. A company with no such account is declared fiscally inactive. Providers may refuse only for AML or sanctions reasons. We promise no account.
Do my documents need an apostille and a translation?
Foreign official documents need the apostille (unless a treaty or EU rule removes it) and a legalised Romanian translation (art. 76(1), (2) Law 265/2022, 2022 text). A power of attorney notarised in another EU state still needs the apostille unless a bilateral treaty removes it. The reason is that Regulation (EU) 2016/1191 covers documents on civil status only. An EU criminal record certificate needs none.
Should I choose an SRL, a PFA or a branch of my foreign company?
That choice is for a lawyer or a tax adviser. These are the conditions. An SRL limits liability to the subscribed capital (art. 3(3) Law 31/1990, January 2024 text). A PFA answers with business assets, if set aside, and then all personal assets (2008 text). A branch has no legal personality (art. 43(1)) and keeps its own Romanian accounts.
What is the minimum share capital of a Romanian SRL in 2026?
A newly formed SRL needs at least 500 lei since 18 December 2025 (Art. VI(2) Law 239/2025). An SRL with net turnover above 400,000 lei in the previous year needs 5,000 lei (Art. VI(1), (3)). You pay in 30% of the subscribed capital within 3 months of registration. The pay-in must also come before operations start. You pay the cash balance within 12 months (January 2024 text).
Who keeps the books of a Romanian company if I do not speak Romanian?
Outsourced bookkeeping needs a contract with an authorised CECCAR member (art. 10(3) Law 82/1991). The administrator answers for organising the accounts (art. 10(1)). Under the contract, the provider answers for conducting them (art. 10(4)). Unauthorised practice is an offence (art. 43(1) OG 65/1994). We do not offer bookkeeping.
Will my company qualify for the 1% micro-enterprise tax?
The regime is optional (art. 48(1) Fiscal Code). It taxes revenue at 1% (art. 51(1)), for revenue up to EUR 100,000 (art. 47(1)(c)). A new company may opt from year one. On registration, it must meet the capital and single-micro conditions. It must also hire the required employee within 90 days. The full test is for a tax consultant or your accountant.
What happens if my new company stays dormant?
A company that files no annual financial statements within 5 months after the legal deadline is declared fiscally inactive (art. 92(12)(b) Fiscal Procedure Code). If it is not reactivated within one year, it is dissolved (art. 92(41)). A company with no payment account is also declared fiscally inactive.
Does owning a Romanian company give me the right to live in Romania?
No, not by itself. The D/AC long-stay visa needs an ARICE technical opinion. Under art. 43(2) OUG 194/2002, it also needs a Romanian bank statement of at least EUR 100,000 for an SRL member. Then come EUR 100,000 invested and 10 new jobs within 12 months of the permit. IGI's note on art. 55 gives other figures.
What are the steps to create a company in Romania?
Choose the vehicle, check and reserve the name, and settle the registered office. Sign the constitutive act and declare the beneficial owners. Then file within 15 days of signing. The company is a legal person from registration, with J number, CUI and EUID. The capital pay-in, the payment account and the VAT review follow.
What is an SRL in Romania?
An SRL, societate cu răspundere limitată, is the Romanian limited liability company. Members answer only up to the subscribed share capital (art. 3(3) Law 31/1990, January 2024 text). It can have one member or at most 50 (art. 5(2), 12). One or more administrators run it, members or not (art. 197(1)).
How much tax do Romanians pay?
This guide covers rates at company level only. Profit tax is 16% (art. 17 Fiscal Code). The optional micro regime is 1% of revenue. Dividends to individuals are taxed at 16%, final, for distributions from 1 January 2026 (art. 97(7)). The standard VAT rate is 21%. Personal income tax is outside this guide.