Everything you need
to know before you start.

Yes. The entire process runs on scanned documents and electronic signatures , no wet signatures, no couriers, no in-person notary visits, and no travel to Romania. You email us scans of your passport, proof of address, and the signed forms we prepare; we handle the rest via the ONRC online portal. Bank account opening is a separate step and may, depending on the bank and your nationality, require a single in-branch visit. We advise on this before you commit.

The core requirements are: (1) a scanned valid passport or national ID card for each shareholder and director; (2) scanned proof of address (utility bill or bank statement, no older than three months) for each shareholder; (3) a signed power of attorney if you are not present in Romania (template provided by us); and (4) confirmation of the registered office address , either ours, available as an add-on, or your own qualifying Romanian property. A criminal record certificate may be requested depending on your country of residence and the activity (CAEN code) , for most non-regulated business activities it is not required. For corporate shareholders, additional documentation (certificate of incorporation, beneficial ownership declaration) applies. We provide a precise checklist at the start of each engagement.

Typically 5–10 working days from the date all documents are signed. This covers the Trade Register's processing window and the issuance of your CUI (fiscal identification code) and company registration certificate. In practice, Bucharest's Trade Register processes most straightforward formations in 5–7 working days. Delays occur when documents are incomplete or require additional verification , both of which we mitigate through pre-submission review. Once your CUI is issued, you receive all official documents digitally on the same day.

Yes. A Romanian SRL (Societate cu Răspundere Limitată) can be formed with a single associate who also acts as sole administrator. There is no minimum shareholder requirement beyond one. The minimum share capital is 1 Romanian Leu , effectively zero for practical purposes. This makes the SRL structure highly accessible for solo founders and small operators. There is no requirement for a Romanian national to be involved in the company structure in any capacity.

Yes , Romanian law requires every company to have a registered office (sediu social), which must be a physical property, not a PO box. The address is NOT bundled into the Essential €600 formation package. It is available as a 12-month add-on at a fixed annual rate, and is included in the Standard tier. If you already own or rent a qualifying Romanian property, you can use that instead. Official correspondence, Trade Register notices, and tax authority letters are received at the registered address and (when we provide it) forwarded to you digitally.

The minimum share capital is 1 Romanian Leu (approximately €0.20). In practice, most founders capitalise their SRL at RON 200–RON 500 (€40–100) to ensure the company has a nominal working balance. The share capital does not need to be paid up immediately , it is declared in the articles of association and can be paid into the company bank account once the account is open. For financial services firms and regulated entities, minimum capital requirements are set by the ASF (Financial Supervisory Authority) and are significantly higher.

We work with six banking partners: Banca Transilvania, Raiffeisen Bank Romania, Libra Internet Bank, ING Romania, OTP Bank, and BCR. Each has a different risk appetite, onboarding process, and product offering. Banca Transilvania is our primary recommendation for most founders , it has the most robust EUR account infrastructure, strong online banking, and is generally the most receptive to non-resident-owned SRLs. Libra Internet Bank is preferred for fintech-adjacent businesses. Raiffeisen suits founders with existing Raiffeisen relationships in Austria or Germany.

It depends on the bank and your nationality. For EU passport holders, Libra Internet Bank and ING Romania offer fully remote onboarding for company accounts. Banca Transilvania and Raiffeisen typically require an in-branch appointment for the initial account opening, though this can sometimes be handled via power of attorney through our local representative. For non-EU founders (UAE, US, Israeli passports), in-branch presence is generally required at most institutions. We advise on the specific requirements for your nationality before choosing a banking partner , avoiding a journey you don't need is part of what we do.

From application submission to account activation: typically 5–15 working days for straightforward applications. Banca Transilvania processes most applications within 7–10 working days. Libra Internet Bank can be faster at 5–8 working days for remote digital applications. The timeline extends when the bank's compliance team requests additional documentation , which is more common for non-EU founders, fintech-adjacent activities, or high-volume transaction profiles. We manage all follow-up correspondence with the bank directly.

They are real IBAN accounts held at licensed Romanian credit institutions, regulated by the National Bank of Romania (BNR). They are not e-money accounts, not payment institution accounts, and not neo-bank wallets. All Romanian banks we work with are members of the Romanian Deposit Guarantee Fund, meaning deposits up to €100,000 are protected. SEPA transfers (EUR) are standard. SWIFT transfers (USD, GBP, etc.) are available on all commercial accounts. Multi-currency accounts are available at Banca Transilvania and Raiffeisen.

The microenterprise regime is a statutory corporate income tax rate of 1% on gross turnover, introduced in Law 227/2015 (the Romanian Fiscal Code). It applies to Romanian SRLs that meet two cumulative conditions: (1) annual revenue below the RON equivalent of €500,000 (approximately €500K; note the €100K threshold applies only to the 1% rate , see next question); and (2) at least one employee on the company payroll. Companies that do not have an employee pay 3% CIT under the same regime. Companies exceeding the revenue threshold automatically transition to the standard 16% CIT rate. The regime is applied quarterly, and the relevant quarter for transition is the one in which the threshold is crossed.

To benefit from the 1% rate specifically, the SRL's annual revenue must remain below the RON equivalent of €100,000 (calculated at the exchange rate on the last day of the previous fiscal year). Between €100,000 and €500,000, the rate is 3%. Above €500,000, the company exits the microenterprise regime entirely and moves to the standard 16% CIT on profit. This structure makes Romania particularly well-suited to small-to-mid-stage founders. A company invoicing €90,000/year pays €900 in corporate tax. The same company paying 25% CIT in Germany would owe approximately €10,000–12,000.

VAT registration in Romania is mandatory when a company's annual turnover exceeds the RON equivalent of €300,000. Below this threshold, registration is optional. However, voluntary VAT registration is often advisable even below the threshold , particularly if you are B2B, invoicing EU clients, or want to reclaim input VAT on Romanian expenditures. For companies providing digital services to EU consumers, the One-Stop-Shop (OSS) scheme may apply regardless of Romanian VAT status. We assess your specific revenue model and advise on the optimal VAT position during onboarding.

Dividends paid by a Romanian SRL to individual shareholders (natural persons) are subject to a flat 8% withholding tax. This is one of the lowest dividend tax rates in the EU. For dividends paid to corporate shareholders (holding structures), a 0% withholding tax applies under the EU Parent-Subsidiary Directive, provided the receiving company holds at least 10% of the share capital for at least one year. Combined with the 1% microenterprise CIT, the effective total tax burden on income extracted as dividends can be as low as 8–9% , a significant difference from the 40–60% effective rates in Germany, France, or the Netherlands.

Romanian SRLs must file quarterly VAT returns (if registered), monthly or quarterly CIT/microenterprise tax declarations, annual financial statements with the Trade Register and Ministry of Finance, and payroll declarations if employees are on the payroll. We partner with a certified Romanian accounting firm (contabil autorizat) to handle all filings on your behalf. The monthly accounting retainer for a straightforward SRL with low transaction volume is approximately €100–150/month. We include first-month accounting setup in the Standard package and can connect you with our partner accountant from day one.

Romania became a full Schengen member on 1 January 2025, following partial accession (air and sea borders) in March 2024. Full Schengen membership means Romanian residence permits now grant visa-free travel across all 29 Schengen member states for the duration of the permit. For non-EU founders , particularly those from the UAE, US, Israel, and non-EU Asian markets , a Romanian residence permit is now one of the most cost-effective and straightforward routes to Schengen access. The combination of competitive tax rates and Schengen mobility has materially increased demand for Romanian structures from non-EU high-net-worth individuals.

Yes. Non-EU nationals who establish a Romanian company and can demonstrate ongoing business activity in Romania are eligible to apply for a long-stay visa (Category D) and subsequently a temporary residence permit on economic grounds. The permit is issued for one year initially and renewable. To qualify, you must demonstrate: genuine business activity (not just a registered address), the ability to financially support yourself in Romania (typically evidenced by company revenue and/or personal savings), and compliance with Romanian tax obligations. The process is administered by the General Inspectorate for Immigration (IGI) and typically takes 60–90 days from visa application to permit issuance.

Substance refers to the real economic presence of a company in its declared jurisdiction. For a Romanian SRL, substance indicators include: (1) at least one employee on the Romanian payroll; (2) a director with a genuine role who is physically present in Romania for a meaningful portion of the year; (3) a registered office that is more than a mailbox , ideally a shared workspace or serviced office with documented use; (4) invoicing that originates from and is attributable to Romania; and (5) banking activity consistent with genuine operational cashflow. Substance requirements are assessed by both Romanian tax authorities and, critically, by the tax authority of any jurisdiction you are exiting from. Germany's exit taxation provisions (Wegzugsbesteuerung) are particularly rigorous.

A temporary residence permit on economic grounds grants the right to reside in Romania and conduct business activity through your Romanian company. It does not grant employment rights with third-party Romanian employers , for that, you would need a separate work permit. For most founders operating through their own SRL, the economic residence permit is sufficient for all practical purposes: you can open personal bank accounts, register a Romanian address for personal tax purposes, apply for a Romanian tax identification number (CNP), and travel freely within the Schengen Area.