Documents from abroad for Romanian authorities
Birth certificates, company documents, powers of attorney and court decisions issued abroad usually need to be authenticated and translated before Romanian courts, notaries, the Trade Register or other authorities accept them. This guide explains the three routes.
In short
- Documents from States party to the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention need an apostille issued in the State of origin; Romania is a party.
- Documents from States not party to the Convention need superlegalisation: certification by that State’s authorities and then by a Romanian embassy or consulate.
- Certain public documents issued in another EU Member State (e.g. birth, marriage) are exempt from apostille under Regulation (EU) 2016/1191.
- A Romanian translation by an authorised translator is usually required, often certified by a notary.
Three steps
1. Check the issuing State
Find out whether it is party to the Apostille Convention, an EU Member State or a treaty partner of Romania.
2. Authenticate
Obtain the apostille, or superlegalisation, from the competent authorities of the State that issued the document.
3. Translate
Have the document and the apostille translated into Romanian by an authorised translator and, where required, certified by a notary.
Documents to prepare
- Original or certified copy of the public document
- Apostille or superlegalisation from the issuing State
- Romanian translation by an authorised translator
- Notarial certification of the translator’s signature, where required
- Multilingual standard form under Regulation 2016/1191, where available
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
Official sources
- Hague Conference — Apostille Convention status table (HCCH)
- Regulation (EU) 2016/1191 on public documents — EUR-Lex
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs — consular services
- European e-Justice Portal — public documents
General legal information, not legal advice. Each situation requires individual review. Cabinet de Avocatură Pantilimon Rikhárd-Árpád, based in Târgu Mureș.