Online Company Registration in Romania: Electronic Signature and ONRC Filing
Online company registration in Romania is available for many founders, including non-residents. The filing can be submitted electronically or through an authorised representative, but a valid electronic signature is only one part of the route. The documents, signing authority, identity checks and ONRC platform requirements must also align.
This guide explains the online filing route for foreign individuals, overseas companies and Romanian founders. It focuses on the relationship between electronic signatures, filing authority, documents and the National Trade Register Office platform. For the broader choice of entity, capital and corporate structure, see our company formation in Romania guide.
Can you register a Romanian company online?
Often yes, but online registration is not the same as an automatic paper-free process. The ONRC application can be filed electronically, while foreign-document formalities, identity verification, representation and bank onboarding may follow separate rules.
Romania’s National Trade Register Office online portal offers services including company-name reservation and incorporation. Law No. 265/2022 also regulates online company formation and electronic communication with the Trade Register.
Under Article 105 of Law No. 265/2022, the registrar may exceptionally request physical presence if there is a suspicion of identity falsification. The same provision states that physical presence is not required when the incorporation application and supporting documents, including the articles of association, were prepared by a public notary or lawyer. If presence is exceptionally requested during online formation, the remaining stages may still be completed electronically.
| Stage | Can it be handled remotely? | Important qualification |
|---|---|---|
| Name reservation | Normally yes | The proposed name must satisfy Trade Register availability and naming rules. |
| Preparation of incorporation documents | Yes | The documents must reflect the chosen structure, activities, management and registered office. |
| Signing and representation | Often yes | The route may use a qualified electronic signature or a compliant power of attorney, depending on the document and filing method. |
| Trade Register filing | Yes | Electronic filing must meet the portal’s technical and signature requirements. |
| Bank account onboarding | Bank-dependent | Banks apply their own know-your-customer, beneficial-owner and risk procedures. |
| Sector permits | Depends on the activity | Regulated activities may require separate authorisations before or after incorporation. |
What are the steps for remote company formation in Romania?
The legal sequence is straightforward, but the filing route should be chosen before documents are signed. Select each step below to see its practical purpose.
Select a step to review what must be resolved before the next stage.
Choose the company type, shareholders, directors, activities, decision rules and capital before preparing the filing documents.
- Confirm the company structure. Decide the entity type, ownership, administrators, business activities and signing authority. An SRL is common, but it should not be selected automatically when investment, governance or regulated activities require another structure. See our 2026 guide to Romanian limited liability companies.
- Reserve the company name. Submit alternatives that comply with the Trade Register rules. Our separate guide explains how to register a company name in Romania.
- Establish the registered office. Every Romanian company needs a valid registered office and supporting title to use the address. For the documents commonly used in an incorporation file, see our foreign-founder document checklist.
- Prepare, formalise and translate the documents. Coordinate the articles of association, identity or corporate records, declarations, beneficial-owner information, office evidence and powers of attorney. Foreign public documents may require apostille, legalisation or an applicable exemption, depending on the issuing state, bilateral treaties, EU legislation and the nature of the document, followed by an authorised Romanian translation where required.
- Sign and file through the selected route. If the electronic filing route is used, the signature and submission must satisfy the applicable ONRC technical and procedural requirements. A properly authorised representative may provide an alternative route, provided that the authority granted complies with the requirements applicable to the filing.
- Complete post-registration onboarding. After incorporation, organise accounting, tax registrations or options, bank onboarding, employment setup and any permits required for the actual activity.
Which documents do foreign founders usually need?
The exact file depends on whether the shareholder is an individual or a foreign company, the founder’s country, the administrators, the registered office and the intended activities. Do not sign foreign documents until their Romanian formality and translation route has been checked.
| Founder or issue | Typical documents or information | Remote-formation check |
|---|---|---|
| Foreign individual shareholder | Valid identity document, personal details, declarations and specimen/signing information as applicable | Confirm legibility, validity, signature method and whether additional identification evidence is required. |
| Foreign corporate shareholder | Recent company extract, constitutional documents, representation evidence and corporate approval | Confirm issue date, competent signatory, apostille or legalisation and Romanian translation. |
| Administrator | Identity data, acceptance and statutory declarations | Check eligibility, tax-identification implications and the signing route. |
| Company constitution | Articles of association specifying ownership, management, activities, capital and governance | Align every translated or signed version. See our articles of incorporation guide. |
| Registered office | Document proving the right to use the Romanian address and any required supporting records | Confirm permitted use, term and consistency with the filing. |
| Beneficial owner | Beneficial-owner information and any declaration required under the legislation applicable at the time of filing | Trace the ownership chain and identify the natural persons who ultimately own or control the company. |
| Representative | Power of attorney or lawyer’s authority, depending on the route | Match the scope, form and authentication requirements to the acts the representative will perform. |
Do founders need a qualified electronic signature?
A qualified electronic signature may support electronic filing, but its legal validity does not, by itself, make it sufficient for every ONRC submission. A founder may instead use a properly authorised representative, provided that the power of attorney complies with the form requirements applicable to the specific filing and the jurisdiction where it is executed.
The signature route should be tested before execution. Romania’s framework includes Law No. 214/2024 on electronic signatures and trust services, while the Trade Register procedure is governed specifically by Law No. 265/2022 and the portal’s filing requirements. The availability of electronic filing depends not only on the legal validity of the electronic signature but also on the technical and procedural requirements imposed by the National Trade Register Office.
Remote identity checks may also involve regulated identification services. The Romanian Authority for Digitalisation publishes information on remote identification by video means, but the availability and acceptance of a particular method still depend on the institution and transaction.
Is a Romanian notary always required?
No. Notarial involvement is not a universal requirement for every remote Romanian incorporation. It may nevertheless be necessary or useful for a particular power of attorney, foreign public document, contribution, identity issue or transaction-specific formality.
The correct answer depends on the document, the country where it is issued and the chosen filing route. For foreign founders, the practical question is usually not “Do I need a notary for the company?” but “Which document, if any, needs notarisation, apostille or legalisation, and in which country?”
How long does remote incorporation take?
Romanian law provides a short decision period for a complete Trade Register application, but that is not a guaranteed end-to-end formation time. Document collection, foreign formalities, translations, corrections, registered-office arrangements and bank checks sit outside that narrow decision window.
Under Articles 105 and 107 of Law No. 265/2022, the registrar generally resolves complete applications on documents within one working day and, when the legal requirements are met, orders registration according to the statutory procedure. Procedural exceptions, requests for additional evidence or a need to remedy the file may affect this stage. The one-working-day period should not be advertised as the total time needed by a foreign founder.
If the file is incomplete or does not meet the legal requirements, Article 106 allows a remedy or completion period of up to 15 calendar days. The practical schedule should therefore separate:
- preparation time for the corporate structure and registered office;
- time for foreign documents, apostille or legalisation and translation;
- the Trade Register review of a complete filing;
- time needed to cure any filing defect; and
- post-incorporation bank, accounting, tax and licensing steps.
Is the bank account part of the online incorporation?
No. Company registration and bank onboarding are separate processes. Incorporation by the Trade Register does not compel a bank to open an account remotely or remove its customer due-diligence requirements.
Each bank decides what identification, beneficial-owner, source-of-funds and business-model evidence it needs. Some institutions offer remote onboarding in eligible cases; others may request a video identification, additional documents or physical attendance. Founders should compare banking routes early, especially where the ownership chain is international or the activity carries heightened compliance risk. See our guide to opening a Romanian business bank account as a non-resident.
What most often delays a remote filing?
Signing before the route is confirmed. The founder signs documents that later require a different form, signature or authentication.
Using inconsistent identity or corporate data. Names, addresses, registration numbers or signatory capacities differ across extracts, translations and the articles of association.
Treating the bank as part of ONRC registration. The company is incorporated, but operations are delayed because bank onboarding was not planned separately.
Choosing activities without checking authorisations. A company may be registered while its actual regulated activity still requires a permit, approval or professional condition.
Remote formation checklist for a foreign founder
- Confirm the Romanian entity, ownership, administrators and business activities.
- Choose the online filing or legal-representation route before signing documents.
- Check each foreign document for issue date, apostille or legalisation and Romanian translation.
- Secure a compliant registered office and align the supporting document with the intended filing.
- Map the beneficial owners through the complete international ownership chain.
- Verify the signature and authority of every shareholder, administrator and representative.
- Submit one consistent, complete file through the National Trade Register Office route.
- Plan banking, accounting, tax and sector-specific compliance as separate workstreams.
The bottom line
Remote company formation in Romania is a workable route for many foreign founders, but it is not a single universal online form. The successful approach coordinates Romanian incorporation requirements with the founder’s home-country documents, a valid signing or representation route, registered-office evidence and separate post-registration onboarding.
Frequently asked questions
Can a foreigner open a company in Romania without travelling there?
Often yes. The filing can be completed electronically or through a properly authorised representative. The final route depends on the founder’s documents, their country of issue, the signing method, identity checks and the requirements of any bank or regulated authority involved after incorporation.
Does every foreign founder need a Romanian electronic signature?
No. A qualified electronic signature may support electronic filing, but acceptance also depends on the technical and procedural requirements imposed by the National Trade Register Office. Legal representation can provide another remote option, provided that the power of attorney satisfies the requirements applicable to the filing and place of execution.
Does a remote incorporation always require a notarised power of attorney?
No universal rule applies to every file. The required form depends on the representative’s acts, the document, the country of execution and applicable Romanian and international formalities. Some powers or foreign documents may require notarisation, apostille or legalisation; others may follow a different route.
Can the Romanian Trade Register ask a founder to appear in person?
Exceptionally, yes. Article 105 of Law No. 265/2022 permits a request for physical presence where there is a suspicion of identity falsification. The law also provides that presence is not required when the application and supporting documents, including the articles of association, were drawn up by a public notary or lawyer.
Is a Romanian bank account opened automatically after registration?
No. The Trade Register incorporates the company, while the chosen bank conducts its own onboarding and compliance review. Remote availability varies by bank and case, especially for non-resident founders, foreign corporate shareholders and complex beneficial-ownership structures.
How long does remote company formation in Romania take?
The registrar’s statutory decision period for a complete application is not the same as the total project time. Foreign-document formalities, translations, registered-office arrangements, corrections and bank onboarding can extend the schedule. A realistic estimate requires review of the specific founders and documents.
Planning to establish a Romanian company remotely?
Atrium Romanian Lawyers assists foreign individuals and international companies with structuring, document preparation, powers of attorney, Trade Register filings and coordinated post-incorporation steps.
Discuss your remote formation routeAI Notice: AI-assisted content, reviewed by a qualified Romanian lawyer.
