Licensing & Regulatory · Romania
Find a licensing lawyer in Romania who knows how the file is read
Licensing decisions in Romania are taken by Romanian authorities and reviewed by Romanian courts, where only lawyers registered with a Romanian bar may plead. Tell us what you need permitted, and we introduce you to a specialist whose practice covers that kind of file.
- Lawyers registered with a Romanian bar
- Permits, authorisations and regulatory disputes
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The Romanian framework
How licensing work is handled in Romania
A licence, permit or authorisation decision in Romania can stall a project, hold up a transaction or suspend an activity overnight — and the rules that govern it are Romanian rules, applied by Romanian authorities and reviewed by Romanian courts. Whether you are an entrepreneur entering the market, a regulated professional, or a foreign group setting up a local subsidiary, you need someone who reads the file the way the authority reads it. On this page we set out how the profession is organised in Romania, who may represent you, which formalities attach to property and land, and what proceedings cost. We do not give legal advice: we match you, free of charge, with a licensing lawyer in Romania whose practice covers your situation.
Romania in practice
What shapes a licensing file in Romania
Romania follows the continental civil-law model, so licensing questions sit inside a dense framework of codes and special statutes rather than judicial precedent. The points below are the ones clients most often need explained before they instruct anyone.
Who is entitled to act for you
Membership of a Romanian bar (barou) is compulsory in order to practise law, and all bars are united in the National Association of Romanian Bars (UNBR). Article 12 of Law No 51/1995 sets the admission conditions — exercise of civil and political rights, a law degree, no case of indignity, medical fitness — and entry is by a UNBR examination organised through INPPA, followed by compulsory trainee practice.
Representation before the Romanian courts
In civil and commercial matters you may appear in person or be represented, but representation by a qualified lawyer is required before the courts of appeal and the High Court of Cassation and Justice. In criminal proceedings a lawyer must assist the accused in the situations set by law, and court-appointed counsel is guaranteed. Only lawyers registered with a Romanian bar may plead before Romanian courts.
Contesting a refusal, a condition or a sanction
The ordinary courts are organised in four tiers: the judecătorii, the tribunale, the fifteen curţi de apel and the Înalta Curte de Casaţie şi Justiţie in Bucharest, which includes an administrative section. Court decisions are not, as a rule, a source of law, but Constitutional Court rulings are binding erga omnes and certain High Court decisions are mandatory for lower courts.
Premises, notarial deeds and the Land Book
Where a licence attaches to premises, the property side has its own formalities. Under Article 1244 of the Civil Code, conventions transferring or creating real rights to be entered in the Land Book must take authentic notarial form on pain of absolute nullity, and registration in the Land Book (cartea funciară) is in principle constitutive. Buyers and lenders therefore rely on Land Book extracts.
Non-EU investors and land-based activities
Under Article 44 of the Constitution and Law No 312/2005, EU/EEA citizens may acquire land on the same terms as Romanian citizens, while third-country nationals and stateless persons may acquire ownership of land only under international treaties and reciprocity. In practice many non-EU purchasers structure the acquisition through a Romanian company. Buildings may be owned by any foreigner.
What proceedings cost
Court actions carry a judicial stamp fee under Government Emergency Ordinance No 80/2013, calculated on a degressive sliding scale for money claims, with fixed amounts for small claims, the order-for-payment procedure and eviction. Lawyers’ fees are freely negotiated — there is no binding tariff — and free legal aid under OUG No 51/2008 is available below an income threshold of 300 lei per family member.
All country statements on this page are drawn from these official Romanian and EU sources, consulted in 2025.
- National justice systems — Romania (European e-Justice Portal)
- Law No 51/1995 on the organisation of the legal profession
- Civil Code and related limitation periods
- Court fees and legal aid (OUG No 80/2013; OUG No 51/2008)
- Acquisition of land by foreign citizens (Law No 312/2005)
- Labour Code (Law No 53/2003)
Common situations
When a licensing problem needs a Romanian lawyer
Most enquiries we receive start with one of these three scenarios.
An application is refused or simply stalls
Your file sits unanswered or comes back refused on grounds you do not recognise, and the activity cannot begin until the position is regularised.
Conditions you did not expect
A permit arrives with conditions, guarantees or periodic inspections that change the economics of the project and call for a structured, rapid response.
A cross-border structure
The licence holder is a Romanian company with foreign shareholders, and you need advice that covers both local formalities and the way your group is organised.
How we help
A shortlist built around your file
We do not publish rankings or promise outcomes; we make the first introduction easier.
Practitioners, not generalists
We look for lawyers whose practice actually includes permits and regulatory files, so the first conversation starts from your facts rather than from a general introduction.
Country context included
Each introduction comes with the practical background: who may represent you, which court hears the file, which formalities apply and how fees are structured.
Free and without obligation
Matching costs you nothing. You decide whether to instruct the lawyer only after you have spoken and understood the approach proposed.
Built for cross-border clients
Romanian procedure is national, but the people we serve are often not; we take account of the language you work in and the jurisdiction you are writing from.
Other jurisdictions
Looking beyond Romania?
We also match clients with lawyers in other European countries. Choose a jurisdiction to see how the same questions are handled there.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What does a licensing lawyer in Romania actually handle?
Typically the preparation and follow-up of permit and authorisation files, correspondence with the competent authority, the drafting of supporting documents, and representation if a decision has to be contested. Because only lawyers registered with a Romanian bar may plead before Romanian courts, the person acting for you must be a member of a bar.
Must I be represented by a Romanian lawyer?
Not always. In civil and commercial cases you may appear in person or be represented, but representation by a qualified lawyer is required before the courts of appeal and the High Court of Cassation and Justice. In criminal proceedings a lawyer must assist the accused in the situations provided by law, and court-appointed counsel is guaranteed.
How is a lawyer admitted to the profession in Romania?
Admission is by examination only, organised by the National Association of Romanian Bars at least annually and delivered through the National Institute for the Training and Improvement of Lawyers, with a syllabus set at national level. Candidates must also meet Article 12 of Law No 51/1995, and newly admitted lawyers complete compulsory trainee practice before becoming qualified.
What does it cost to contest a licensing decision?
Court actions attract a judicial stamp fee under Government Emergency Ordinance No 80/2013, calculated on a sliding scale for money claims and at fixed amounts for small claims, order-for-payment and eviction. Lawyers’ fees are freely negotiated, since there is no binding official tariff, and free legal aid may be available below the income threshold set by OUG No 51/2008.
Can a non-EU company hold a licence tied to land in Romania?
Ownership of land by third-country nationals and stateless persons is possible only under international treaties and reciprocity, under Law No 312/2005 and Article 44 of the Constitution. EU/EEA citizens may acquire land on the same terms as Romanian citizens. Many non-EU investors therefore structure the acquisition through a Romanian company, and buildings may be owned by any foreigner.
How does the free matching work?
You describe the licence, permit or decision you are dealing with and any deadline you are facing. We then identify a lawyer whose practice covers that area in Romania and introduce you; there is no charge for the introduction and no obligation to instruct anyone.
Next step
Tell us what needs to be licensed
Describe your situation in a few lines — the activity, the authority involved and any date you are working towards. We will come back with a lawyer in Romania who handles files like yours.