How to buy a Romanian Driver’s License 2021

Romania has varied and specific laws and obligations for driver’s license requirements based on differing circumstances. Depending on your personal situation, you may, or may not need a Romanian driver’s license. If you plan to buyregister, and own a car in Romania, or are a visitor in the country, then this guide is a must read.

Some of the factors that determine if you will need a Romanian driver’s license to drive in the country are things like: foreign driver’s license acknowledgment based on country, length of individual’s stay in Romania, Convention on Road Traffic membership, and International Driving Permit requirements.

Information on the different license requirements in Romania based on unique individual situations and circumstances can be confusing and hard to obtain. Information on rules and requirements of driver’s license laws in Romania are often contradictory.

Romanian Driver's License

Romanian Driver’s License

Information about obtaining a Romanian driver’s license is often different even across official government websites. The best and most accurate sources on Romanian driver’s license requirements comes from the country’s official law code.

To provide the most accurate information possible, this guide will use and reference information from Romania’s official law as the primary source of information. Our guide will break down everything you need to know about driver’s license requirements in Romania.

We will also give you the most UpToDate info on obtaining a driver’s license in Romania, and the different laws and regulations pertaining to driver’s licenses in Romania.

ROMANIA DRIVER’S LICENSE – TABLE OF CONTENTS

ROMANIAN DRIVER’S LICENSE BASICS

Before we go into our guide on how to get a Romanian driver’s license, we’ll first go over the basics of the Romanian driver’s license.

Things to know about the Romanian Driver’s License

  • You have to be at least 18 years old to have a driver’s license in Romania.
  • Renewal of an expired driver’s license is done without reexamination.
  • If you obtain your license with an automatic transmission, you can’t drive manuals.
  • If you change your domicile, you don’t have to update it on your license.
  • Licenses contain categories of vehicles you are permitted to drive.
  • Categories that expire in 5 years: C1, C1E, C, CE, D1, D1E, D, DE, Tr, Tb, Tv
  • Categories that expire in 10 years: AM, A1, A2, A, B, Bl BE
Romanian Driver's License Categories

Romanian Driver’s License Categories

FOREIGN DRIVER’S LICENSES VALIDITY IN ROMANIA

Romania has different laws pertaining to acceptance of foreign driver’s licenses. The acceptance laws are primarily based off of three factors.

  • First is if the foreign driver’s license comes from a European Union country.
  • Second is if the country is a participant in the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic.
  • Third is if the foreign license comes from a country that isn’t a part of the first two.

EUROPEAN UNION DRIVER’S LICENSE IN ROMANIA

The European Union driver’s license is considered a “harmonized EU license.” This means the license is valid everywhere in the EU. Being a part of the EU, Romania recognizes the driver’s licenses of all other EU countries. If you have a driver’s license that was issued in an EU country, you can legally drive in Romania for an indefinite period of time, up until the expiration of the license.

buy a Romanian Driver’s License 2021

If you are an EU citizen of a country other than Romania and reside within Romania longer than 185 days out of a full year, then you’re considered a legal “resident” of Romania. As a legal resident of the country, if your non-Romanian EU driver’s license expires while you are living in Romania, you are required to renew it in Romania.

VIENNA CONVENTION ON ROAD TRAFFIC

The Vienna Convention on Road Traffic is an international treaty that establishes standard traffic rules between participating countries. Some of the standards established during the convention are cross-border vehicle recognition, road signs and signals, and the international driving permit.

The convention, which took place on November 8th, 1968, has been ratified by 78 countries including Romania. There are also member countries which abide by the treaty as a non-state-parties. Romanian law provides driving advantages to citizens of any of the 78 countries which are apart of the Convention on Road Traffic.

A citizen of a country which ratified the treaty is allowed to drive in Romania for 90 days with a driver’s license originating from their country. If a citizen from a country which ratified the treaty wishes to drive in Romania for longer than 90 days, they are obligated to exchange their license for a Romanian one.

INTERNATIONAL DRIVING PERMIT REQUIREMENTS IN ROMANIA

According to Art. 83 OUG 195/2002 (2) if an individual has a foreign driver’s license from a non-EU country, or from a country that hasn’t ratified the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic, then they must have an international driving permit (IDP) to drive in Romania. Two of the most notable countries which require IDP’s to be able to drive in Romania are the United States, and Canada.

An international driving permit is a document which consists of multi-language translations of an individual’s driver’s license. It was established by the United Nations through 4 international conventions and is valid in 174 of the world’s countries. The IDP is only valid when present alongside with the original driver’s license that it was issued for. It is not an alternative license.

International driving permits can only be issued in countries where the original driver’s license comes from. This means, for example, in order to obtain an IDP for a US driver’s license, you must get it from the US. IDPs are also only issued from official sources, usually a country’s motor club. Visit the official site to find out where to obtain an IDP for your country.

The validity length of an international driving permit is typically one year. After its one-year expiration, the IDP must be renewed in the same country it was issued from. This poses a problem for individual’s living in Romania who must either return to their home country or renew their IDP yearly through courier services. A better option is to exchange a foreign driver’s license for a Romanian one.

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