Car Registration

How to Register a Car in Romania

Complete guide for car registration: required documents, RAR and DGPCI fees, deadlines and real experiences from other drivers.

Last verified: March 5, 2026Administrative

Quick checklist before you go to the counter

Identify the correct scenario: new car, used car from Romania, or EU import.
For cars from abroad: check history with CarVertical or RAROM before purchase.
Prepare certified translations of foreign documents (for imports).
Verify ITP (technical inspection) validity and ensure you have valid RCA insurance before registration.
Book online for RAR verification to avoid long queues.

RAR Verification Fee

740-1650 RON (varies by weight and service type)

DGPCI Registration Fee

89 RON (certificate 49 RON + standard plates 40 RON)

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2026 Pollution Tax

37 RON/year (Euro 6) up to ~1900 RON/year (Euro 2)

Platform Transport Cost from EU

400-700 EUR (depending on distance)

File Processing Time

1-3 business days (varies by county)

RAR and DGPCI Appointments

For RAR technical verification and DGPCI registration, you can book online appointments to avoid long queues. RAR offers an online booking system on their official website.

How to book a RAR appointment

1Visit the RAR website for your county (e.g., rar-bucuresti.ro, rar-cluj.ro).
2Select the inspection type: identification, homologation, or ITP.
3Choose an available date and time from the calendar.
4Fill in vehicle details and contact information.
5Receive confirmation email with appointment details.

What to do if no slots available

•Check availability at other RAR stations in your area.
•Try early morning to catch newly released slots.
•For urgent cases, call the RAR station directly - they sometimes have unpublished slots.
•DGPCI does not have online booking in most counties - go directly with prepared documents.

Open RAR website Open DGPCI website

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Choose the scenario that matches your case

When you buy a new car from an authorized dealer, the process is simplified because the dealer handles most of the documentation.

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Required documents

•Invoice or sales contract from the dealer.
•Certificate of Conformity (COC) issued by the manufacturer.
•Owner's ID document (CI/passport).
•Proof of tax payment (registration, plates).
•Valid RCA insurance in the new owner's name.

Where to go

•Car dealer (for documentation and possibly included registration services).
•RAR for verification (sometimes the dealer handles this).
•DGPCI/DRPCIV for completing registration and collecting plates.

Fees and payment

•Registration fee: ~100-150 RON.
•Standard plates: included in fee, preferential: additional charge.
•RCA: varies depending on the car and insurer.

Deadlines and risks

•New cars must be registered before driving on public roads.
•RCA must be concluded before registration.
•The dealer can complete the process in 1-3 days.

Check locally with SPCLEP before filing

Exact document lists, office schedule, and pick-up details may vary by locality.

•Confirm the DGPCI/DRPCIV schedule in your county.
•Check if the local office accepts counter payments or only online/CEC.
•Ask what additional documents they require for imported vehicles.
•For preferential plate numbers, check availability in advance on the DGPCI portal.
•Confirm the waiting time for plates (varies by county).

Institution flow (infographic)

Steps from purchase to plates

Step 1

1. Verification & Purchase

Check the car's history (CarVertical, RAROM). For imports, make sure the seller can deregister the vehicle.

Step 2

2. Transport (for imports)

Bring the car to Romania: by platform (400-700 EUR) or driving with export (red) plates.

Step 3

3. RAR Verification

Schedule the verification at RAR. Obtain the conformity report and, if necessary, homologation.

Step 4

4. Translations & Documents

Certify translations of foreign documents. Prepare the complete file for DGPCI.

Step 5

5. Submit to DGPCI

Submit the file to the registration service. Pay the fees and wait for processing.

Step 6

6. Collect Plates

Collect the registration certificate and plates. Mount them and you can drive legally.

Timeline

Deadline timeline (infographic)

Deadlines you must respect

90 days with foreign plates

If you drive in Romania with a car on foreign (EU) plates, you have a maximum of 90 days to register it locally.

30 days for transfer

After purchasing a used car from Romania, you have 30 days to complete the transfer at DGPCI.

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Valid ITP mandatory

You cannot register/transfer a car without a valid ITP. Check validity before purchase.

RCA before registration

You must have valid RCA in your name before completing the registration.

Fines for non-compliance

Driving without registration or with expired documents results in fines and certificate seizure.

What others say about car registration

Real experiences from users who imported cars or went through the registration process in Romania

These experiences are shared by real users and may vary depending on situation and time period. Always verify official information from DGPCI and RAR.

"I went personally to get the car from Germany, rented platform from here for about 100 euros per week attached to his SUV... 4 years later I haven't had any problems with it."

Reddit user about bringing a Ford Fiesta from Germany on a budget of ~4000 EUR.

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"Transport, registration, RAR, RCA, service... these are included in that budget. So... you've already reached 3000 euros, reserved just for the car."

Advice about calculating the total budget for car import - not just the car price.

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"Anyway, I checked the car on CarVertical beforehand and it saved me from making a long trip to see a total loss car that looked impeccable on the outside."

User about the importance of checking history before going to see the car.

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"The car should be from the first German owner. Not Turkish, Arab, Albanian, Romanian or other nationalities. Don't buy from Turkish, Arab dealers etc. Only from Germans."

Advice about choosing the right seller in Germany to avoid cars with modified mileage.

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Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to register an imported car?

It depends on how quickly you obtain RAR verification and translations. On average, the complete process takes 1-2 weeks. With online booking and all documents prepared, the actual registration at DGPCI can be done in 1-3 days.

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Can I bring a car from Germany by driving it or do I need a platform?

You can drive it if you obtain red (export) plates from Germany. Yellow provisional plates are no longer accepted between EU countries. A platform costs 400-700 EUR but eliminates road risks and fuel/accommodation costs.

What is the RAR Auto-Pass certificate?

From November 2024, when selling any car in Romania, the seller must present the RAR Auto-Pass certificate. This confirms the vehicle's history and technical condition. It costs approximately 50 RON and can be obtained online or from RAR.

Do I have to pay a first registration tax?

The first registration tax (environmental stamps) has been eliminated in Romania. You only pay administrative registration fees, RAR (for imports) and plates.

How do I check the real mileage of a used car?

Use services like CarVertical or the free RAROM check with the car's VIN. For Germany, you can also request the TÜV (technical inspection history). According to reddit experiences, CarVertical verification has saved many buyers from bad purchases.