Romania (RO)
Romania is the largest country in Southeastern Europe — a full Schengen EU member state blessed with the dramatic Carpathian mountains, medieval Saxon towns like Sibiu and Brasov, the legendary Transylvania region, a booming technology sector, and one of the lowest costs of living in the European Union.
Buying Property in Romania
The full buying process, transaction costs, mortgage, and legal requirements.
Romania is a strong owner-occupier culture — about 95% of households live in their own home, one of the highest ownership rates in the EU. The buying process is formal, centred on a Romanian notary public (notar) who draws up and authenticates the deed (contract de vânzare-cumpărare), and registration is with OCPI (Oficiul de Cadastru și Publicitate Imobiliară) in the carte funciară (land register). EU, EEA and Swiss nationals can buy land and buildings freely since 2014. Non-EU nationals can buy buildings and construction land in urban areas directly but cannot own agricultural land outside city limits, which must be held through a Romanian-registered SRL. Transaction costs are moderate, typically 2–4% of the purchase price, with no dedicated property transfer stamp duty.
Rent vs. Buy
In the major cities, gross rental yields run between 5% and 8%, and the price-to-rent ratio is roughly 20 years in Bucharest and 23–25 years in Cluj-Napoca. Rents have risen sharply in 2023–2025 with the influx of corporate tenants and displaced Ukrainian demand, while prices stabilised in Bucharest and continued to climb in Cluj, Timișoara and Brașov. The practical rule: if you expect to stay less than 5 years, renting is almost always cheaper once transaction costs are considered; for 7+ years, buying becomes attractive in secondary markets with strong yields. New EU energy-efficiency rules (EED/EPBD) are starting to add upgrade pressure on older, poorly-rated buildings — factor this into any offer for a D-class or below certificat energetic.
Buying Process — Step by Step
Define your budget
1–3 weeksCalculate your maximum purchase price: available cash − transaction buffer (3–5%) − moving costs, divided by (1 − deposit ratio). Romanian banks typically lend 75–85% LTV to residents, 50–60% LTV to non-residents, so budget for at least 15–25% deposit plus closing costs.
Get a mortgage pre-approval
2–6 weeksApproach BCR, BT, ING, Raiffeisen, BRD, UniCredit or a broker (e.g. KIWI Finance, Creditfix). A pre-approval letter (document de precalificare) confirms your maximum loan amount and is expected by sellers and agents, especially in competitive segments. Non-EU buyers should start here — processing can take 4–8 weeks.
Search for property
Ongoing; 1–3 months typical in major citiesUse Imobiliare.ro, Storia.ro, OLX or dedicated agencies (Re/Max, Century21, SVN, ColdWell Banker). In hot segments the same apartment may be listed by multiple agents — cross-check before paying any arvună. Always view in person and take photos of the building envelope (Energy and structural clues).
Due diligence — land registry, cadastre, debts
1–2 weeksBefore signing the antecontract, request a recent extras de carte funciară (max 30 days old) from the notary or OCPI. Verify the cadastral number (număr cadastral), confirm ownership chain, and check for mortgages, easements or litigation. Also check the certificat de urbanism (for construction land), tax certificate (certificat fiscal) from the seller's primăria, and the building's association of owners for unpaid utility or maintenance fees.
Promise contract and earnest money (antecontract / promisiune de vânzare-cumpărare)
1–2 weeks to negotiate and signA written antecontract locks in terms and is usually notarised. The buyer pays an arvună (earnest money) of 10–20% of the price. If the buyer withdraws without cause, the arvună is forfeited; if the seller withdraws, they pay double back. Deadlines for completing the final deed are set here — typically 30–60 days.
Final deed signing at the notary
1 notary appointment once documents are completeBoth parties appear before a Romanian notary (or via a power of attorney legalised at a Romanian consulate for non-residents). The notary reads out the contract de vânzare-cumpărare, verifies identities, collects the balance of the purchase price (usually by bank transfer), authenticates the deed and files it electronically with OCPI. Non-Romanian speakers must bring a sworn translator (traducător autorizat) — fee ~500–1,000 RON.
Land registry (carte funciară) update
2–4 weeksThe notary submits the deed for registration in the carte funciară at OCPI. The process is mostly automatic and completes within 2–4 weeks; a new extras de carte funciară showing the buyer as owner is then issued. Keys are typically handed over at the notary appointment or shortly after.
Post-sale administration
2–4 weeks after signingRegister the property at the primăria for local taxes (impozit pe clădiri and impozit pe teren) within 30 days, transfer utilities (Electrica/Enel, Engie/Distrigaz, Apa Nova, RDS-RCS or partner providers) into your name, sign up with the building's association of owners, and obtain a new contract de furnizare for internet and cable. Update your fiscal domicile with ANAF if this becomes your main residence.
Transaction Costs
| Cost Item | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Notary fees | 0.5–2.2% of purchase price + VAT | Applied on a sliding scale set by the Uniunea Națională a Notarilor Publici (UNNPR). Covers drafting, reading, authenticating and filing the deed. On a 500,000 RON purchase expect roughly 5,500–8,000 RON including VAT. |
| Land registry fee (tariful OCPI) | 0.15% of declared value | Collected by the notary and forwarded to OCPI. Example: 750 RON on a 500,000 RON purchase. |
| Cadastral works (if not already documented) | 1,500–4,000 RON | Only needed if the property does not yet have a cadastral number or the existing documentation is outdated. |
| Estate agent commission | 2–3% of price + VAT | Typically paid by the seller, though in some deals split with the buyer. Always clarify in the antecontract. |
| Sales tax on the seller (impozit pe tranzacție imobiliară) | 3% on the value exceeding 450,000 RON | Paid by the seller. Since 2018 there is no holding-period exemption — the 3% applies regardless of how long the property was held, but only to the portion above the 450,000 RON threshold. Collected by the notary and remitted to ANAF. |
| Translation services | 500–1,000 RON | Required if any party does not speak Romanian. The traducător autorizat must be present at the notary for the deed reading. |
| Property survey (expertiză tehnică) | 500–2,000 RON | Optional but strongly recommended for older buildings (pre-1977 seismic code). A structural engineer evaluates risk classification (clasă de risc seismic I–IV). |
| Total transaction costs (typical) | 2–4% of purchase price | Transaction costs are among the lower in the EU with no dedicated transfer stamp duty. Budget conservatively at 4% for a resale bought via an agent. |
The Notary — Mandatory for All Purchases
In Romania, a real estate deed must be authenticated by a notar public — a private-practice lawyer holding a public office. The notary is a neutral public official, not an advocate for either party. The notary drafts the contract de vânzare-cumpărare, verifies identities and title, reads the deed aloud (required by law), collects the 3% seller sales tax where applicable, remits it to ANAF, and files the deed electronically with OCPI for land-registry registration. The buyer usually chooses the notary and pays the fee. A sale without a notarised deed is not legally enforceable — pre-contracts can be registered at a notary too, which gives them higher enforceability. A sworn translator is mandatory if any party does not speak Romanian.
Mortgage
Romanian mortgages (credit ipotecar) are offered by the main commercial banks and by building-society-style products (Bausparkasse BCR, Raiffeisen Banca pentru Locuințe). Typical products combine a short fixed-rate period (5–10 years) with a variable rate indexed to IRCC (Indicele de Referință pentru Creditele Consumatorilor). RON-denominated mortgages dominate; FX-denominated mortgages are tightly restricted by BNR. State-guaranteed programs — the former Prima Casă and the current Noua Casă — continue to be partially available for first-time buyers with limited allocations each year.
Employed residents: 15–25% deposit is typical. Self-employed and freelancers: 25–30%. Non-residents or non-EU applicants without Romanian income: 40–50% deposit is normal; some banks will not lend at all without resident status. Banks lend against the lower of purchase price and bank valuation.
EU/EEA/Swiss nationals are treated like Romanian residents by most banks once they have a valid residence registration and stable Romanian-sourced income. Non-EU buyers generally need 2+ years of Romanian tax history, a permanent employment contract (contract pe perioadă nedeterminată), a biroul de credit file, and a minimum deposit of 40–50%. Brokers (KIWI Finance, Creditfix, FintechOS) can materially improve the outcome.
Land Registry
The Carte Funciară is the public land register, maintained by OCPI under ANCPI (Agenția Națională de Cadastru și Publicitate Imobiliară). Each property has a cadastral number and a carte funciară that lists ownership (Foaia A), description and surface (Foaia B) and encumbrances such as mortgages, easements and court interdictions (Foaia C). You can order an extras de carte funciară online at epay.ancpi.ro (~25 RON for informare, ~40 RON for authentication). The notary re-checks the register immediately before the deed is signed and submits the update electronically afterwards.
Taxes
Annual property taxes are collected by the primăria where the property is located. Impozit pe clădiri: 0.08–0.2% of the taxable building value for residential properties (within the legal range set by Codul Fiscal), higher for non-residential and mixed use; payable annually, with a 10% discount usually offered if paid in full by 31 March. Impozit pe teren: calculated per square metre by zone. No annual wealth tax. Capital gains: the 3% sales tax on amounts above the 450,000 RON threshold applies regardless of holding period (the old 5-year relief was replaced in 2018). Rental income for a principal residence flat is taxed as venit din cedarea folosinței bunurilor at 10% on the gross, less a 40% standard deduction.
New Build vs. Existing Property
New builds (de la dezvoltator) come with a 3–10 year developer warranty depending on structural element (Legea 10/1995 quality in construction). They qualify for the reduced 5% VAT if the flat is a principal residence up to 120 m² usable area and 600,000 RON excluding VAT (2026 thresholds) — check the current year's values with the developer. Risks include delays, non-finalisation of common areas, and developer insolvency; stage payments should be tied to verified construction milestones. Existing properties (second-hand) are VAT-exempt in private sales and often come with charming but renovation-needy features. Seismic risk classification (clasă de risc seismic) is critical for any Bucharest property built before 1977 — class I buildings are essentially uninsurable and unmortgageable.
Selling Property
Selling is mirror-image of buying. The seller must provide a valid certificat de performanță energetică (energy certificate, mandatory since 2014), a certificat fiscal from the primăria, and proof that utilities are up to date. The notary collects the 3% sales tax on the amount above 450,000 RON and remits it to ANAF. The agent commission is most often paid by the seller. Expect 2–4 months from listing to completion in a normal market.
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