Documents needed for foreign founders in Romania

What the Trade Register actually needs from a foreign founder

The list of documents for a foreign founder in Romania is shorter than most people expect, but every item on it answers a specific question the Trade Register registrar must be able to confirm before your SRL can be entered in the register. Understanding why each paper is requested makes the process far smoother, because you can prepare the correct version the first time instead of discovering halfway through that a scan is unreadable, a translation is missing, or an address proof is too old.

At a high level, the registrar needs to confirm who you are, where you live, what the company will be called, what it will do, where it will be domiciled, and who controls it. The core paperwork to register a company in Romania maps directly onto those questions. Below we expand on the basic checklist and explain the role each document plays so you know what you are gathering and why it matters.

Proving identity: ID requirements for a Romanian SRL

The first thing the registrar verifies is the identity of every shareholder and administrator. This is where the ID requirements for a Romanian SRL come in. For an individual founder, a valid passport is the standard identification document for non-EU citizens, while EU/EEA citizens can usually rely on a national ID card. The document must be current, fully legible, and show the same name spelling you intend to use throughout the file, because any mismatch between your passport and the company documents can stall the registration.

• A clear colour scan of your valid passport or national ID (all relevant pages)
• Your full name exactly as it appears on that document, including any middle names
• A specimen signature, where the file requires the administrator's signature to be recorded

Identity documents also determine whether translations or additional formalities apply. Depending on your citizenship and the language of your papers, certified Romanian translations and, in some cases, an apostille may be required after document review.

Address and contact: why we ask where you live

The registrar records a personal address for each shareholder and administrator, separate from the company's own address. This is not about residence permits or immigration status; it is simply the official contact and domicile information attached to your role in the company. A founder living abroad can register a Romanian SRL while keeping a foreign personal address, which is exactly the situation a Romanian SRL for foreigners is built to handle.

To evidence your address we typically ask for a recent proof of residence, such as a utility bill, bank statement, or official correspondence showing your name and current address. Where your address appears on your ID, that may be sufficient in many standard cases, but a supporting document is often requested when the ID does not show a usable address.

Defining the company: name, activity, and CAEN codes

Two decisions turn an idea into a registrable entity: the company name and the business activity. For the name, it helps to send two or three options in order of preference, since the registrar will not accept a name that is identical or confusingly similar to an existing one. Having alternatives ready avoids a second trip through the name-reservation step.

The activity is described through CAEN codes, the Romanian classification of economic activities. You choose one main activity and may list several secondary ones. The codes matter because certain activities are regulated, may require authorisations, or affect later tax and reporting choices, so it is worth describing in plain language what the company will really do and letting us map that to the appropriate codes.

The registered office: the company's legal address

Every Romanian SRL must have a registered office, a legal address in Romania where the company is officially domiciled and where authorities send correspondence. This is distinct from your personal address and is mandatory even if you operate entirely online or from abroad. The supporting paperwork is usually a lease, an ownership document, or a hosting agreement for the address, together with the owner's consent where applicable.

If you do not have premises in Romania, a registered office service provides a compliant address from €150/year, and many foreign founders combine it with formation in a single remote package. As with all pricing, the final quote depends on your citizenship, documents, number of shareholders, whether translations are required, and whether the shareholder is an individual or a foreign legal entity.

Roles, signatures, and the full document set

The final layer of paperwork records who holds shares and who manages the company. The shareholder owns the company; the administrator is appointed to represent and run it, and the two can be the same person. The registration file therefore includes the articles of association, the shareholder's declarations, the administrator's acceptance of the role, and a specimen signature, with the share capital and the split between shareholders set out clearly. When a shareholder is a foreign legal entity rather than an individual, additional corporate documents about that company are needed.

Pulling this together, the required documents for a standard remote formation generally include the items below, with translations or an apostille added where your citizenship and document language call for it:

• Valid passport or national ID for each shareholder and administrator
• Proof of personal address for each person involved
• Two or three proposed company names
• Chosen main and secondary activities (CAEN codes)
• Registered office documents, or a request for an office service
• Shareholder and administrator details, including the capital split

Formation for foreign citizens starts from €300, and a remote SRL plus registered office package from €450, with the exact figure confirmed only after we have seen your file.

Ask for a document review

If you would like us to check your paperwork before you commit, send us the details of your case and we will review the documents for a foreign founder in Romania and tell you whether it looks standard or needs extra steps. Message us on WhatsApp or use the contact form with your citizenship, your current country of residence, whether you need a registered office, and the business activity you have in mind. We will reply with the precise list of documents your situation requires and a clear quote.