Company name reservation in Romania: rules, checks and steps
Company name reservation in Romania means getting proof from the ONRC, the trade registry, that the name you want is free and set aside for you. It is the first document in the formation file and the one most often rejected, because the name resembles an existing one. Below: the rules, how to check availability, how to reserve online and what the registry does not check for you.
What the name reservation is and why it comes first
The name reservation is the trade registry's written confirmation that the name you want is not used by another company and stays blocked for you until you file. The document, the dovada de rezervare a denumirii, is attached to the registration application. Without it the application is not filed: the ONRC checks the name before any other document.
That is why it comes first, not last. The name goes into the articles of association, the shareholders' declarations, the registered office contract and the power of attorney to the lawyer. If the name is rejected after you have signed everything, you redo every document. With the proof in hand, the rest of the file rests on a safe name.
On the Start4 platform the name is the first thing you settle on the open an SRL in Romania page: you check it, add your back-up variants and only then fill in shareholders, office and CAEN codes. The full list of the file is in our guide to the documents to open a company in Romania.
The rules: which names the ONRC accepts and which it rejects
The basic rule: the name must be clearly distinguishable from companies already registered and from names already reserved. Not being identical is not enough. "Alfa Construct" next to "Alpha Construct", or "Delta Trans" next to "Delta Trans Impex", are rejected because the difference lies in one letter or one generic word. Adding "grup", "prod", "com" or the name of a city does not make a name distinct.
The name is written in Latin characters. Romanian diacritics are allowed, but when comparing the ONRC treats them as the base letters: "Șansa" and "Sansa" are the same name. The suffix "S.R.L." marks the legal form and does not count towards distinctiveness: "Nova S.R.L." and "Nova S.A." clash.
Some words need separate approval before reservation: "național", "român", "institut", "academie", "universitate" and their derivatives, plus names that suggest a public authority. Without the competent authority's approval the application is rejected. Also rejected: names that mislead about the activity, such as "Bancă" for a company that is not a bank, and names containing a person's name without their written consent.
How to check whether the name is available
You have two tools. The first is the ONRC portal, where the availability check service tells you whether an identical or similar name is already registered or reserved. Search not just the exact name but the variants too: without diacritics, with one extra word, with a close spelling.
The second is the name checker inside the Start4 formation form. It compares the name you type against the trade registry's open data, shows the date of the list it uses and, if it finds clashes, suggests free alternatives built from your words. Use it as many times as you like, before paying anything.
Both checks are indicative. The public list is updated periodically, and reservations filed the same day by someone else do not show up. The only confirmation that counts is the proof of reservation issued by the ONRC. That is why you prepare three variants, not one, and treat the name as safe only once you have the document.
How to reserve the name online
On the ONRC portal you create an account, fill in the application for the availability check and name reservation and list up to three variants in order of preference. The registry checks the first; if it is rejected it moves to the second, then the third. The proof of reservation arrives electronically and you download it from your account.
If you form the company through Start4 you need neither an ONRC account nor an electronic signature. In the form you list your three name variants, sign the power of attorney, and our lawyer files the reservation request together with the rest of the file. The 152 lei ONRC fee is included in the package, from €399 with Start; Business at €699 adds the registered office, Premium at €999 the full package.
Timing matters. The reservation is valid for a limited period, so do not request it months before filing. We request it once the file is complete, and from filing the ONRC issues the registration certificate in 3–7 working days. The whole route is in our guide to opening a company in Romania.
Mistakes that cost you time
The most common: a generic name that 200 other companies already wanted. "Construct", "Trans", "Consulting", "Expert" or "Solutions" combined with a city or a first name are almost certainly taken, or too close to something that exists. An invented word or an unusual combination passes first time.
The second: a single variant. If it is rejected you file a new request and lose the waiting days. The third: special characters, symbols, emoji or Roman numerals the registry cannot record. A name made of letters, Arabic numerals and at most a full stop, hyphen or ampersand goes through without argument.
The fourth: your own name as the company name, without thinking ahead. If you sell the company, the name goes with it. The fifth, and the most expensive: a name identical to a registered trade mark. The ONRC does not check trade marks, so the reservation passes, but the trade mark owner can force you to change the name and withdraw your materials. Trade marks are checked at OSIM, the Romanian trade mark office.
What the ONRC checks and what it does not
The reservation answers a single question: is the name free in the trade registry? Everything else is down to you, or to someone working for you.
| What is checked | Does the ONRC check it? | Who checks it for you |
|---|---|---|
| Name identical or similar to a registered company | Yes | The ONRC, at reservation; Start4 beforehand, on open data |
| Name already reserved by someone else | Yes | The ONRC, at reservation |
| Latin characters, S.R.L. suffix, words needing approval | Yes | The ONRC; we warn you in the form |
| Identical or similar registered trade mark | No | You, at OSIM, or an industrial property adviser |
| .ro web domain available | No | You, at the .ro domain registry |
| Social media handles | No | You, on each platform |
| Meaning of the name in other languages | No | You |
In the Start4 packages, the name check, the reservation request and the filing are done by the lawyer under the power of attorney. Trade mark and domain remain separate checks: do them before you order.
Name, trade mark and domain: three different registers
Three registers, three checks. The trade registry tells you that no other company has your name. OSIM tells you whether someone has registered the same sign as a trade mark, for the same goods or services. The .ro domain registry tells you whether the web address is free. Each can say "yes" while another says "no".
The practical order: search the .ro domain and the trade mark before you fall in love with the name. A taken domain means a website address that differs from the company name; someone else's trade mark means litigation risk. If you want to protect the name, trade mark registration at OSIM is done separately, after formation or in parallel.
The company name does not have to describe the activity; that is what the CAEN codes in the articles are for. You can pick a short, abstract name and put the activity in the object of activity: how to choose the codes is in our guide to CAEN codes and how to choose them.
Changing the name after formation
Yes, the name is changed through an amendment at the trade registry. The steps are the same as at formation, in miniature: a new name reservation, the decision of the shareholder or the general meeting, the updated articles of association and the application to register the change. At the end you receive a new registration certificate, with the same tax number.
After approval you update the name at the bank, at ANAF, in contracts, on the website and on tax documents. New stamp, invoices with a new header. Not complicated, but for a few days the company has two names in circulation, which is why choosing well at the start pays.
Changes of name, registered office, director or object of activity are handled through our company changes page, with the same lawyer and the same power of attorney. And if you are only just starting, begin at start4.ro: check the name, pick the package and sign the generated documents.
Frequently asked
Can I file the formation file without the proof of name reservation?
No. The proof of reservation is the first piece of the registration application and the ONRC checks it before any other document. Without it the application is not filed. With Start4 our lawyer requests the reservation and files the rest of the file under the same power of attorney, with no electronic signature from you.
What does it mean that the name is too similar to an existing one?
That the difference from a registered or reserved company lies only in one letter, in diacritics, in the legal form or in a generic word such as "grup", "prod", "com" or the name of a city. The ONRC rejects these variants just like identical names, so you need a genuinely distinctive word.
Does the Start4 check guarantee the name is free?
No, it is an indicative check. The tool compares the name against the trade registry's open data and shows the date of the list it uses, but reservations filed the same day do not appear. The only confirmation that counts is the proof of reservation issued by the ONRC; that is why you prepare three variants.
How many name variants can I list in the reservation?
Up to three, in order of preference, both on the ONRC portal and in the Start4 formation form. The registry checks the first and, if it is rejected, moves to the next. With a single rejected variant you file a new request and lose the waiting days.
Does the ONRC name reservation also protect my trade mark?
No. The reservation only stops another company registering under the same name in the trade registry. The trade mark is registered separately at OSIM, and the .ro domain at the domain registry. Check both before settling on the name, so you are not forced to change it later.