Certificat constatator in Romania: what it is and how to get it
The certificat constatator in Romania is the official extract from the trade registry that states, at a given date, who your company is, who runs it and which activities it is allowed to carry out. Banks, clients and authorities ask for it. Below: the types, how to order it online, what to check, and what we do from the platform.
What the certificat constatator is
The certificat constatator is the official document by which the National Trade Register Office (ONRC) certifies a company's data as recorded in the registry on the date of issue. It is the Romanian company registry extract, the closest thing to a certificate of good standing: a snapshot of the company at a given date, signed by the institution that keeps the register.
Anyone who wants proof that the company exists and that the person in front of them may represent it asks for it: the bank when opening an account or granting credit, large clients before signing a contract, public procurement committees, notaries for a sale or a power of attorney, foreign partners who cannot read the Romanian register.
Do not confuse it with the certificat de înregistrare: that is the company's birth certificate, with the tax number (CUI), issued once. The certificat constatator is issued as often as you need it and reflects the register at the time of the request. If you have just formed the company, the certificat constatator is the first document you use after the documents to open a company in Romania.
The types of certificat constatator
There are three kinds of certificat constatator, and each answers a different question. The first carries the company information: identification details (name, CUI, registry number), registered office, shareholders and their stakes, directors and their powers, share capital, object of activity with CAEN codes, duration and status of the company: active, suspended, in dissolution or struck off. You can order the basic version, with the essential data, or the extended one, with the history of filings.
The second is the certificat constatator for the authorisation of activities. It is issued on the basis of the declaration on own responsibility filed by the company and states which activities you may carry out and where: "la sediu", when you actually work at the registered office address; "la terți" or "la beneficiari", when the activity takes place at clients' premises or in the field; or "nu desfășoară activitate la sediu", when the office is only a correspondence address. Inspectors ask for this one, and often clients in regulated sectors.
The third are the certificates for secondary establishments (puncte de lucru): each registered branch or working point has its own authorisation, with the activities declared there, separate from the registered office's.
At formation it comes with the CUI
You receive the authorisation certificat constatator together with the registration certificate, with no separate request. In the formation file you submit the declaration on own responsibility about activities and premises, and the ONRC issues, on registration, the certificate confirming exactly what you declared.
That is why what you write in the declaration matters. You choose your CAEN codes from the 651 classes of CAEN Rev. 3, one main and up to 8 secondary, and for each you decide where it takes place: at the office, at third parties, or nowhere. A hosted address in a flat usually means "no activity at the office" or "at third parties"; a workshop or a shop means "at the office", with the operating conditions met.
On the Start4 platform we prepare the declaration: from the codes you pick during setup and the type of office you chose, we generate the form with the correct type of authorisation; you check it and sign. Our lawyer files the file under a power of attorney, with no electronic signature on your side, and within 3–7 working days you receive the CUI and the certificat constatator together. How to pick the codes is in the guide to CAEN codes and how to choose them.
How to get it later: online or at the counter
After formation, the simplest route is online from the ONRC portal: you create an account, search for the company by CUI or name, choose the type of certificate and pay the fee. The certificate arrives in electronic format, signed by the ONRC, and carries the same weight as the paper one. You send it to the bank or the client as a file, with no stamp and no trip to Romania.
The second route is the counter of the trade register office attached to the tribunal of the county where the company is registered. You file a request, pay and collect the certificate on paper. It only makes sense if someone insists on a printed original.
Issue usually takes a few working days, sometimes less for the simple online version. The certificate is not free: the fee is the one set by the ONRC and depends on the type requested.
What to check when you receive it
The first thing to check is that the data is today's. The certificate reflects the register, and a change you have made but which is not yet recorded does not appear. If a filing is in progress, wait for the resolution before ordering.
The second is the date of issue. Banks, notaries and tender committees want a recent certificate; one from last year is rejected even if nothing has changed. Do not order it long before you use it.
The third is the company's status: it must read "funcțiune", meaning active. If it shows "suspendare", "dizolvare" or an insolvency note, any bank or partner stops there. Check the object of activity too: the CAEN code you invoice under must be on the list and, on the authorisation certificate, must be authorised for the place where you actually work.
Table: which certificat constatator you need in each situation
The situations in which you are asked for it, the right type, and who obtains it:
| Situation | Which certificat constatator | Who obtains it |
|---|---|---|
| Opening the company bank account | Company information, recent; some banks also ask for the authorisation one | At formation it comes with the CUI; later, you from the ONRC portal |
| Bidding in a tender or public procurement | Company information, usually extended, recently issued | You, from the ONRC portal |
| Changing the director | Company information, new, after the change is recorded | Start4, with the registry operation |
| Opening a secondary establishment | Authorisation for that establishment | Start4, with the registry operation |
| A foreign client asks for proof of the company | Company information, electronic format, plus a translation if needed | You, from the ONRC portal |
| Inspection by the authorities | Authorisation for the address where you work | You have it from the file; Start4 updates it when you change activities |
The simple rule: when the question is who the company is, ask for the information certificate; when it is what you do and where, ask for the authorisation one.
Common mistakes
The most frequent mistake is the wrong type: you send the bank the authorisation certificate when it wanted the company data, or you show an inspector the information certificate when they want the authorisation for that address. Ask what they want to see, then order.
The second is the old certificate: six months on, it proves nothing about today, and banks refuse it. The third, more serious: you carry out activity at an address with no authorisation, selling from an office declared "no activity" or from an unregistered working point. The risk is a fine at inspection and, in some sectors, a stop on the activity until it is registered.
The fourth is confusing it with the registration certificate. A client asks for "the company certificate" and you send a copy of the CUI: that proves the company was registered at some point, not who represents it now. When someone wants current proof of the company, the answer is almost always the certificat constatator. And check the registered office in Romania: an expired contract shows up on the certificate.
How Start4 handles it
From your Start4 account you request the registry operations that change what the certificate says: change of director or office, transfer of shares, adding CAEN codes, opening or closing a secondary establishment, updating the authorisation declaration. We prepare the documents, the lawyer files under a power of attorney, and at the end we upload the resolution and the new certificat constatator to your account.
The company's documentation lives in one place: the up-to-date articles, the registration certificate, the certificat constatator issued at each operation, the office contract. When the bank asks for something, you download the file and send it. The list of operations is on the company changes page.
If the company does not exist yet, start from open an SRL in Romania: Start at €399, Business at €699 with Premium at €999, all with the 152 lei ONRC fee included. Everything we offer is on start4.ro.
Frequently asked
What is the certificat constatator?
It is the official extract issued by the ONRC certifying a company's data in the Romanian trade registry on the date of issue: identification, office, shareholders, directors, capital, object of activity and status. An authorisation version states which activities you carry out at the office, at third parties or at working points.
How do I get a certificat constatator from abroad?
Online from the ONRC portal, with an account: search for the company by CUI or name, choose the type of certificate, pay the ONRC fee and receive the document in electronic format. It carries the same weight as the paper one and you send it as a file to the bank or client, without travelling to Romania.
What is the difference between the certificat constatator and the certificat de înregistrare?
The certificat de înregistrare is the deed with the CUI, issued once at registration. The certificat constatator is issued whenever you need it and shows the company's status on the date of the request. When someone wants current proof of the company, they ask for the certificat constatator, not a copy of the CUI.
Which certificat constatator does the bank ask for?
As a rule, the one with the company information, recently issued, to see who the shareholders are and who has signing power. Some banks also ask for the activity authorisation certificate. Ask the bank before ordering; in the Business package we help you open the account.
Do I receive a certificat constatator when the company is formed?
Yes. The activity authorisation certificat constatator is issued together with the registration certificate, based on the declaration on own responsibility in the file. With Start4 we prepare the declaration with the chosen CAEN codes and the right type of authorisation, and within 3–7 working days you receive both documents.