Buying property in Romania as a foreigner

Foreign citizens buy apartments and houses in Romania every year, and the core of the procedure is the same as for Romanian buyers: an authentic deed signed before a notary, followed by registration in the land book. The rules that depend on your citizenship concern land. This guide explains who can acquire what, which documents you need, what it costs and how the purchase works, based on the Romanian legislation in force in November 2026.

In short

• A property is transferred by an authentic deed signed before a notary (Art. 1,244 of the Civil Code); the notary then files the deed for registration in the land book (Art. 35 (1) of Law no. 7/1996).
• Citizens of the European Union and the European Economic Area can acquire land in the same conditions as Romanian citizens (Art. 3 of Law no. 312/2005).
• Citizens of other countries can acquire land only in the conditions set by international treaties, on the basis of reciprocity, and by legal inheritance (Art. 44 (2) of the Constitution; Art. 6 of Law no. 312/2005).
• Agricultural land outside built-up areas is subject to a special procedure — pre-emption rights, approvals and conditions for the buyer — which applies to every buyer, Romanian or foreign (Law no. 17/2014).
• If you do not have a Romanian personal numeric code (CNP), you need a tax identification number (NIF).
• Unless agreed otherwise, the buyer pays the notary fees and the land registration fee; the seller pays the transfer tax of 3% or 1%.

Who can acquire land

Law no. 312/2005 also set transitional periods after Romania’s accession to the EU: 5 years for land for secondary residences and 7 years for agricultural land and forests (Art. 4 and 5). Romania joined the EU on 1 January 2007, so these periods have expired.

Apartments and houses

The constitutional and legal restrictions concern land; Romanian law contains no comparable restriction on foreign citizens acquiring buildings, such as apartments or houses. For citizens of non-EU countries, however, the land under the building needs attention — including the share of land that belongs to each apartment in a block of flats. Romanian law allows the ownership of a building to be separate from the ownership of the land, through a right of superficies (Art. 693 of the Civil Code). We analyse the solution for your case before you sign anything.

Agricultural land outside built-up areas

If you plan to buy agricultural land situated outside the built-up area of a locality (extravilan), Law no. 17/2014 applies, whatever your citizenship; for citizens of non-EU countries, the treaty-and-reciprocity condition applies here as well (Art. 2 (3)). In short:

• the sale offer is registered at the town hall and the land is first offered to the holders of a pre-emption right, in a fixed order: co-owners, spouses, relatives and in-laws up to the third degree; owners of agricultural investments on the land and tenant farmers; owners and tenants of neighbouring land; young farmers; and other categories listed in the law (Art. 4);
• land situated within 30 km of the state border or the Black Sea coast, or close to special objectives, can be sold only with the approval of the Ministry of National Defence (Art. 3);
• if no pre-emption holder buys, a natural person can buy only if, for at least 5 years before the offer was registered, they have had their domicile or residence in Romania, carried out agricultural activities in Romania and been registered with the Romanian tax authorities (Art. 4^1 (1));
• a sale made without observing the pre-emption right or without the required approvals is absolutely null (Art. 16 (1));
• if such land is resold within 8 years of its purchase, the seller owes a tax of 80% of the positive difference in value (Art. 4^2 (1)).

Agricultural land situated within the built-up area (intravilan) is not covered by this law (Art. 2 (1)).

Documents you will need

• A valid passport or national identity card.
• A tax identification number (NIF), if you do not have a CNP: persons without a CNP are identified for tax purposes by this number (Art. 82 of the Fiscal Procedure Code). We ask for it for property deeds.
• The buyer’s fiscal certificate: since 25 February 2026, buyers of buildings and land must present a certificate showing that they owe nothing to the local budget of the administrative-territorial unit where they have their domicile, registered office or place of business; the certificate can be replaced by an electronic check (Art. 159 (5^2) of the Fiscal Procedure Code). If you do not have a domicile in Romania, we will tell you in advance how this requirement applies to you.
• If you are married, your marriage certificate: depending on your matrimonial property regime and the law that governs it, your spouse may also need to take part in the deed.
• Documents issued abroad must bear an apostille or be superlegalised and be translated into Romanian (Art. 139 of Law no. 36/1995).
• If someone else signs for you, an authentic power of attorney — see our guide on powers of attorney from abroad.

The notary is also a reporting entity under the anti-money-laundering law: we identify the parties and may ask for information about the transaction and, where appropriate, about the source of the funds (Art. 5 (1) (f) and Art. 11 of Law no. 129/2019).

How the purchase works

• 1. Checking the property. Before the deed is signed, the notary obtains a land book extract for authentication (Art. 35 (1) of Law no. 7/1996), which shows the owner and the encumbrances registered on the property, such as mortgages or seizures. If you plan to pay an advance, have the land book checked before that, too.
• 2. A preliminary agreement (optional). Many buyers and sellers first sign a promise to sell and buy (antecontract) and pay an advance. Its wording — especially whether the sum paid is an advance or a deposit (arvună) — matters if the sale falls through; we explain the difference in our article on preliminary agreements (in Romanian).
• 3. Documents. The seller brings the title deeds, the cadastral documentation, the seller’s fiscal certificate and, for an apartment, the certificate from the owners’ association; you bring the documents listed above. We send you the full list when you book your appointment.
• 4. Signing. The deed is drawn up in Romanian. If you do not speak Romanian, an authorised translator or interpreter takes part and signs together with the notary, and the deed can be drafted bilingually (Art. 82 of Law no. 36/1995).
• 5. Registration. The notary files the deed for registration in the land book on the day it is signed or, at the latest, on the next working day (Art. 35 (1) of Law no. 7/1996).

Taxes and fees

Unless the parties agree otherwise, the buyer bears the costs of concluding the sale contract (Art. 1,666 of the Civil Code): the notary fee, VAT of 21% and the land registration fee of 0.15% of the value for individuals. The seller owes the transfer tax: 3% if they held the property for up to 3 years, 1% if longer (Art. 111 (1) of the Fiscal Code). The tax is calculated on the value declared in the deed, but not on less than the minimum value set by the market study of the Chamber of Notaries Public (Art. 111 (4)–(4^1)), and it is collected by the notary before the deed is signed (Art. 111 (6)).

Notary fees are based on the official minimum fees approved by Order of the Minister of Justice no. 177/C/2024; the actual fee starts from these minimums and depends on the particularities of each deed. For example, for an apartment worth 500,000 lei, held by the seller for more than 3 years, the buyer pays approximately 7,465 lei — the minimum notarial fee, the archiving fee, VAT and the land registration fee — and the seller pays a transfer tax of 5,000 lei.

You can estimate the costs with our calculators (in Romanian): sale and purchase and purchase with a mortgage loan.

Frequently asked questions

Can a foreigner buy an apartment in Romania?

Yes. The restrictions in Romanian law concern land. For citizens of non-EU countries, the land that comes with the apartment or house is analysed before signing.

Can an EU citizen buy land in Romania?

Yes, in the same conditions as Romanian citizens (Art. 3 of Law no. 312/2005). For agricultural land outside built-up areas, the special procedure of Law no. 17/2014 applies, as it does to Romanian buyers.

Can a citizen of a non-EU country buy land in Romania?

Only in the conditions set by international treaties, on the basis of reciprocity (Art. 44 (2) of the Constitution; Art. 6 of Law no. 312/2005). Land can also be acquired by legal inheritance.

Do I need a Romanian tax number?

Yes, if you do not have a CNP: we ask for a tax identification number (NIF) for property deeds.

Do I have to be in Romania to sign?

No. A representative can sign for you on the basis of an authentic power of attorney — see our guide on powers of attorney from abroad.

How much does it cost?

For an apartment worth 500,000 lei, held by the seller for more than 3 years, the buyer pays approximately 7,465 lei and the seller a transfer tax of 5,000 lei. The notary fee starts from the official minimum fees and depends on the particularities of the deed.

Legal sources

• Constitution of Romania (in Romanian): Art. 44.
• Law no. 312/2005 on the acquisition of private ownership of land by foreign citizens, stateless persons and foreign legal entities (in Romanian): Art. 1 and 3–6.
• Law no. 17/2014 on the sale of agricultural land situated outside built-up areas (in Romanian): Art. 2, 3, 4, 4^1, 4^2 and 16.
• Civil Code (in Romanian): Art. 693, 1,244 and 1,666.
• Law no. 7/1996 on cadastre and land registration (in Romanian): Art. 35.
• Fiscal Code (in Romanian): Art. 111.
• Fiscal Procedure Code (in Romanian): Art. 82 and 159.
• Law no. 129/2019 on preventing and combating money laundering (in Romanian): Art. 5 and 11.
• Law no. 36/1995 on notaries public and notarial activity (in Romanian): Art. 82 and 139.
• Rules on minimum notarial fees, approved by Order of the Minister of Justice no. 177/C/2024 (in Romanian).

Information checked on 9 November 2026. This guide provides general information; for your specific situation, contact us.