Company registration in Romania falls under the supervision of the National Trade Register Office (in Romanian, Oficiul Național al Registrului Comerțului – abbreviated ONRC). Registrations can be made for entities representing natural persons, legal entities or branch offices. Our law firm provides full legal assistance to local and foreign clients, regardless of the type of entity registered.
| Quick Facts | |
|---|---|
| Institution in charge with company registration in Romania | The National Trade Register Office ( Oficiul National al Registrului Comertului – ONRC) |
|
Who must register |
All types of entities conducting business activities (legal entities, natural persons, branches, cooperatives, etc.). |
|
Basic registration obligations |
– obtaining a trade name, – selecting a legal entity, – securing a registered address, – drawing up and signing the statutory documents, – completing the application forms, – paying processing fees, etc. |
| Trade name |
A business entity needs to have a trade name that is unique at a national level. The process of company registration in Romania starts by applying for a trade name (investors can propose up to 3 trade names). |
| Ways to complete the registration |
Online or in person |
| Registration fees (yes/no) |
Yes |
| Documentation |
– the application form, – the documentation attesting that the company has a registered address, – the identity documents of the shareholders and administrators, – the statutory documents, – the documentation attesting the trade name approved by ONRC, – the fiscal registation documentation, – proof of paying the registration fee |
| Publishing obligations |
Following the approval of registration, investors need to publish in the Official Gazette of Romania an announcement concerning the incorporation of the legal entity. |
| Can investors obtain legal representation for company registration purposes? |
Yes, company registration in Romania can be completed by third parties, such as our lawyers. |
| How to obtain legal representation | By signing the power of attorney |
| Can investors acquire electronic documents from the Trade Register? |
Yes (certified copies, duplicates, historical reports, etc.) |
| Basic laws enforced by the Trade Register |
– Law no. 26/1990 (on trade register), – Law no. 31/1990 (on companies), – Law no. 161/2003 (on transparency of public dignitaries), – Law no. 85/2014 (on insolvencies), etc. |
| Database on companies in Romania |
Electronic Bulletin of the Trade Register |
| Other roles of ONRC |
– registering company changes, – issuing documents, – providing statistical information on companies, – registering formalities on company liquidation |
| Ways to obtain information on companies in Romania | online, e-mail, fax, post, in person |
For legal entities, the ONRC requires a variety of documents, mandatory for registration, in accordance with the type of structure the investors opt to incorporate in Romania. Some of the legal entities that can be registered here are general partnership, limited liability company, public limited company, European company, cooperative company, etc.
In this article, our team of lawyers will present the basic steps mandatory for investors who plan to register a company in Romania. Given that the private limited company (also referred to as limited liability company) is the most common type of structure incorporated here, we’ll present the documentation required for this entity.
Table of Contents
Preliminary registration of the Romanian company
The process of business registration in Romania starts with the formalities concerning the company’s registered trade name. Legal entities in Romania need to have a trade name that abides by the Romanian law and that must be unique at a national level.
Thus, in order to begin the registration procedure, investors must make sure that they have reserved a suitable trade name, as, later on, during the formal procedure of company registration in Romania, when the ONRC will provide the company with legal recognition, investors are required to present the reserved company name.
In order to obtain a trade name, the investors or their legal representatives (such as our team of lawyers), need to complete an application form provided by ONRC and add 3 preferred trade names (for a private limited company, the trade name must contain the words societate cu răspundere limitată or SRL). Once this step is successfully completed, the registration can start.
Documents necessary for registration
In order to register a business in Romania as a SRL (or LLC, in English), the following documentation is necessary:
- the completed application form;
- the application form concerning fiscal registration;
- documentation attesting the company has a registered office;
- evidence on securing a registered trade name;
- the company’s articles of association;
- identity documents of shareholders and administrators;
- evidence on paying the registration fee, etc.
There are other documents that may be required in this case, and they may vary based on the conditions in which the registration is made. For instance, if the process of business registration in Romania is made by a legal representative, it is required to submit original documents that prove the quality of legal representation (the power of attorney).
Please mind that the same documents are required for the registration of a general or limited partnership. If you plan to register a business in Romania under another legal entity, our lawyers can offer tailored assistance on the documentation that will be required in that case.
Formal registration
Following the submission of application, ONRC will publish its decision on the registration on the Electronic Bulletin of the Trade Register. It must be noted that:
- the incorporation of a legal entity must be published in the Official Gazette of Romania, Part IV;
- the manuscript page must have maximum 2000 signs, 1.5 line spacing and Times New Roman 12 font;
- the fee charged for the publication of the manuscript page is RON 165.
We mention that ONRC must be informed on any corporate changes appearing following the registration. The institution publishes the statistics on all legal entities registered in Romania (for example, in the month of August 2025 – the latest available data, there were 11,433 new companies registered at a national level).
It also handles company liquidation formalities. We invite you to contact us for further information on how to register a business in Romania.