general information

Local currency

Romanian lei (RON)

Lei could be bought from bank outlets in the country or from exchange offices, upon presentation of a personal document (passport or identity card).

Samples of the coins and bank notes could be found HERE.

The current exchange rate of the Romanian national bank towards the main currencies could be found HERE.

Crime and security

While travelling through the country, petty criminality has to be taken into account – pick-pocketing and thefts from cars of documents, money, mobile phones, etc.

Bulgarian nationals have to be especially careful when visiting big department stores, markets, railroad and bus stations, as well as when stopping at a gas station or by the road (for a rest or car repair).

Advised not to leave unattended in the car bags or items that could attract the attention of thieves.

In the case of theft, Bulgarian citizens have to report to the nearest police station or to the Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria.

Customs requirements

When entering Romania form a country outside the European union, up to 40 pieces (two packs) of cigarettes per person could be brought in.

When entering from a European Union member state, the permitted quantity is up to 800 pieces (four stacks).

Details regarding the customs regime of Romania could be found HERE.

Road traffic

When entering the country with a motor vehicle, the purchase of a vignette, upon the presentation of the registration certificate of the vehicle, is obligatory. Vignettes could be purchased from the corresponding vending points at the Border control check-points, or from gas stations in the country.

Special attention is attracted to the fact that the vignette has to cover the whole period of stay of the motor vehicle on the territory of the country. At leaving Romania, the driver of the motor vehicle has to present a vignette, valid at the moment of crossing the last border control point. In case a vignette is missing, or is with an expired term of validity, a fare for the use of the road network of the country without a vignette is paid (on the place), as well as a fine. The vignette fares could be found HERE.

The drivers of motor vehicles have to pay attention to the validity of the technical check-up of motor vehicle. Its term is one calendar year from the date shown on the technical check-up certificate.

In accordance with the Romanian legislation in force at the moment, the driving license of the driver of a motor vehicle could be withheld for every traffic violation committed. The most frequently committed violations by the drivers are speeding, unauthorised overtaking or crossing of the uninterrupted axis line, non-accordance of priority to pedestrians, passing at a red traffic light.

Together with the withholding of the driving license a punishment “prohibition of driving on the territory of Romania” is imposed, for a time of 30 to 90 days, which enters into force after 15 calendar days from the date the driving license was withheld.

When a driving license is withheld, the driver is issued a certificate – „dovada”, indicating when was the driving license withheld, and that the driver could appeal the imposed punishment in a 15-days term.

For receiving back the driving license, the driver has the following options:

• To present a declaration in Romanian language, certified by a Notary Public, that he/she shall not drive on the territory of Romania for the period indicated in the punitive decree, against which the driver receives back the driving license. The declaration is presented at the Regional directorate “Traffic police” on whose territory the driving license has been withheld (or in the Traffic Police Brigade when the driving license has been withheld in Bucharest) within 15 days from the date the driving license was withheld. The certificate is attached to the declaration. A sample of a declaration can be found HERE.
• To appeal the withholding of the driving license at the Regional Court (Judecatoria Judeteana) in a 15-days term. Upon presentation of the registration number of the appeal claim and the certificate at the Regional directorate “Traffic police” on whose territory the driving license has been withheld, the driving license is returned to the driver.
• Upon the expiration of the 15-days term the driving licenses are transmitted from the Regional directorates “Traffic police” to the Chief directorate “Traffic police”, from where they are transmitted to the Consular service of the Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria in Romania (Bucharest).The Embassy transmits them to Bulgaria, where the driver receives back the driving license from the Regional Police Department that has issued it.
• Upon request and on the basis of a declaration of the driver that he/she shall not drive on the territory of Romania for the period of the punishment, the driving licence is returned to the driver by the Consul.
• Attention is attracted to the fact that driving during the period of an imposed temporary interdiction to drive is punished with a prison term.

When a driving license is withheld in cases of a traffic accident or driving with expired transit licence plates, the driving license remains at the Regional directorate “Traffic police”  until a Prosecutor makes a determination on the case. The driving license is received back by the driver in person, upon presentation of a decision of the Prosecutor, as long as there is no criminal procedure launched.

Healthcare

Bulgarian nationals travelling through or staying for a short term on the territory of Romania have to possess a European health insurance card.

The insurance covers urgent and emergency medical assistance.

other information

Rules for road transportation of cargo

Right to repeat measurement / weighting

When excess weight and excess overall dimensions are established, does the driver have a right to request a repeat measurement/weighing of the vehicle?

A repeat measurement and weighing is conducted only on entry into Romania, at a request of the transporter.

On the territory of the country and on exiting from in repeat measurement or weighing is not conducted.

The fee for a repeat measurement and weighing is 50 Euro for every single operation.

(Order № 245/2008 of the Minister of Transport of Romania)

Special authorisations for cargo with excess weight or overall dimensions

In case that overloading or excess overall dimensions of the cargo are established on entry into Romania, what fees should the driver pay” What documents are issued?

Entry into Romania is not permitted for motor vehicles that transport divisible cargo and exceed the admissible values for weight or dimensions (in accordance with Government decree № 43/1997, annexes 2 and 3 – the document is posted HERE.

The transportation of goods that exceed the admissible values for overall weight, weight on axis and overall dimensions can be undertaken only on the basis of a special transport authorisation (AST).The special transport authorisation is issued by the institution responsible for the corresponding road (for Romania, in the general case – the National Road and Highway Company – CNADNR).

In accordance with article 41, paragraph 4of the Government decree 43/1997:

“(4) AST is only issued for transport with motor vehicles, as follows:

a) Motor vehicles transporting indivisible cargo. As “indivisible” is defined a cargo that for the scopes of a road transportation cannot be divided into two or more parts, without that causing unacceptable expenses or risk of damage and which, due to its dimensions and weight, cannot be transported with a motor vehicle, a trailer or an auto-train that correspond to the standard maximum admissible weight and overall dimensions.

b) Motor vehicles without cargo that by construction have greater weight or overall dimensions;

All other cargo that does not correspond to the definitions above, are considered divisible.”

In the cases when on entry into Romania it is established that the weight/overall dimensions of the vehicle or the cargo exceed the maximum admissible values for the corresponding road and that the cargo is indivisible, the following procedure is applied:

• Applied are the supplementary tariffs for the utilisation of roads specified in points 2, 3, 4 and 5 of Annex 1 to Order 245/2008 of the Minister of Transport; the Tariffs are accessible HERE.
• A Special transport authorisation (AST) is issued obligatorily. The document is issued on place by officers of the National Road and Highway Company (CNADNR) in about 5 minutes;
• An invoice and a receipt for the cost of AST are issued;
• A supplementary CNADNR document is issued that contains data on the transporter (weight, overall dimensions, motor vehicle’s license plate number) and the transported cargo, the fees paid, the permits issued, the starting and final point of travel in Romania, the border control check-points through which it passes. The document is issued on place by officers of the National Road and Highway Company (CNADNR) in about 2minutes;
• The driver is obliged to keep the enumerated documents throughout the time of his/her travel through Romania and to present them to the control organs when that is requested.

A map with the roads on which the maximum permitted weight is 40 tons will be published HERE in the nearest time. The document (Order 355/04.05.2010) with the list of these roads was published in the official gazette (“Monitorul Oficial”) of Romania on 14.05.2010.

Taxes and fines. procedures fro payment and appeal

In case of an imposed fine, the driver can pay it in the course of 15 days from the signing of the record of the violation. The driver is not obliged to pay the fine on place. He/she is obliged though to sign the record of violation. The record of violation can be attacked on administrative grounds at the Regional Court in the course of 15days from the date of its handling (article 31, paragraph 1of Government Decree № 2/2001).The amount of the fines is established in article 61of Government Decree 43/1997(see HERE) and in Annex 2of Government Decree 15/2002.

The taxes for excess weight, overall dimensions and others, that are not fines (for which no protocol is compiled) are paid obligatorily on place. Information on them can be found HERE.

In the case when on exiting Romania or within the country it is established that an indivisible cargo with overall dimensions or weight exceeding the maximum admissible values or the data recorded in the AST, the driver is sanctioned with a fine and supplementary taxes for:

• traffic with excess weight or overall dimensions. In this case an AST is issued and the supplementary taxes for the travelled and remaining road on the territory of Romania are re-calculated.
• traffic with weight and overall dimensions exceeding the ones described in the special authorisation. In this case a new AST is issued and the supplementary taxes for the travelled and remaining road on the territory of Romania are re-calculated.

For motor vehicles that are transiting Romania and have not been measured/weighed on entry into the country for objective reasons (absence of an installation, damaged installations etc.), in the case when they transport divisible cargo, only a fine is imposed. The supplementary taxes described above are not paid.

In the case when at the transportation of divisible cargo an overloading/excess overall dimensions are established:

• On entry into Romania – the motor vehicle is not allowed into the country. Repeat measurement or weighing is admitted. In case when the overloading/excess overall dimensions are confirmed, the motor vehicle is not allowed to enter Romania.
• On exiting Romania – a record of violation is compiled. Upon the signing (including by the driver) and handling of the record of violation, the motor vehicle can continue on its way.
• On the territory of Romania – the motor vehicle is stopped until the re-loading of the cargo on several motor vehicles or its unloading. A record of violation is compiled for the distance from the border control check-point of entry to the place where the violation has been established.

In all cases the driver is responsible for the motor vehicle and the cargo during the stay.

Payment of taxes

Taxes are paid in the following ways:

• in cash, in Lei, Euro or other convertible currency;
• through bank transfer by POS-terminals at the border control check-points at Giurgiu, Nădlac, Vărşand, Borş, Petea and Halmeu. It is necessary that the corresponding POS-terminal recognises and accepts the bank card. The transaction is executed in Lei (that is, it is possible that the bank will charge an additional tax for currency exchange).

In the case of a demand of a bribe, the driver must immediately announce the head of the corresponding bureau and the Embassy of the republic of Bulgaria.

Delayed complaints are not considered. 

Bulgarian nationals can enter and stay on the territory of Romania without visa for a period of 90 days within a 6-month term with a valid identification card or passport.

Bulgarian identity documents:

At the current moment only applications for the issuance of an identity card and temporary passport can be filed with the Consular service of the Embassy of the Republic of Bulgaria in Romania.

Certification and Legalisation:

The Consular service of the Embassy provides authentication of signatures and legalisation of translations.

Authenticated are signatures on documents in Bulgarian language that have to take their effect in Bulgaria. For this scope the citizen that wants his/her signature authenticated has to present him-/herself in person at the Consular service with a valid personal document and to place his/her signature in front of the Consul. The same personal document has to be indicated in the document subject to authentication.

Should you have such a need you could get in touch in advance with the Consular service on telephone number +40 21 3187978to arrange for a meeting with the Consul.

In the case of documents related to disposal deals with immobility or real estate (for example, a power-of-attorney for the sale of an apartment) the contents of the document is authenticated too. In this case it is necessary to present two original copies of the document, one of which remains in the archive of the Consular service.

The Consular service legalises translations from Romanian into Bulgarian and from Bulgarian into Romanian language, made by translators authorised by the Embassy. A personal meeting with the Consul is not necessary. In order to check who are the authorised translators please get in touch with the Consular service on telephone number +40 21 3187978.

The Consular service does not have a relation to the prices of the translation services.
In case of necessity, the Consular service can re-certify documents legalised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Bulgaria.

Civil status:

Birth certificate

A birth certificate is compiled when the birth has taken place on the territory of Romania and at least one of the parents is a Bulgarian citizen.

The Bulgarian birth certificate is compiled on the basis of the Romanian certificate on the birth of the child.

An obligatory requirement is that the birth has taken place during the same calendar year when the compilation of a Bulgarian birth certificate is requested.

The birth is declared at the Consular service by one or both parents.

It is necessary to present valid personal identification documents for both parents. The parents are issued with a certified duplicate of the birth certificate which has to be presented in Bulgaria, in the municipality where the mother has a permanent address or, in case she is not a Bulgarian citizen – the one where the father has a permanent address.

The service is free of charge. In case the birth has taken place the previous year, the Consular service can legalise the translation of the Romanian birth certificate into Bulgarian language. This document has then to be presented in the municipality in Bulgaria.

Marriage certificate

A civic marriage can be concluded in the Consular service if at least one of the spouses is a Bulgarian citizen. It is an obligatory requirement that the spouse who is not a Bulgarian citizen presents documents that in accordance with the law of his/her country he/she can conclude a civic marriage, as well as that his/her country will recognise this marriage. The Bulgarian citizen must as well present a document from the municipality where he/she has a permanent address that there are no obstacles to the conclusion of a civic marriage.

For the conclusion of a civic marriage, an application is filed with the Consular service at least 30 days in advance and a fee of 10 Euro is paid.

The details of the ceremony are specified with the Consul who can be contacted on telephone number: +40 21 3187978.

Death certificate

The Consular service can compile a death certificate for a Bulgarian citizen who has deceased on the territory of Romania, on the basis of a medical document certifying death issued by a competent Romanian institution, or an excerpt from an act of death issued by a Romanian civic status institution. A certified copy of the death certificate is issued to the interested people. The service is free of charge.

The Consular service can also legalise the translation of a Romanian medical document certifying death or an excerpt from a Romanian death act of a Bulgarian citizen.