Business Bank Account in Romania for a Transferred Company
Updated 23 October 2026
For an SRL you own or are buying: the signatory, the KYC file and the provider check. The provider makes the decision.
- Payment account required by Law 239/2025
- Inactivity declarations from 1 January 2026
- Covered providers refuse only on AML or sanctions grounds
- Remote opening: the provider's own policy
The administrator signs for the company. The provider identifies the signatory and decides under the anti-money-laundering (AML) law.
What Romanian law requires of a company's payment account
Law 239/2025 wrote a duty to hold a cont de plăți (payment account) into Romanian law. The duty stays with the company, whoever owns it. That is why we check its account alongside transferring a Romanian company to its buyer.
| Rule | What the text says | Article |
|---|---|---|
| The duty | Every legal person holds a payment account in Romania, or an account at a State Treasury unit | art. 1(1^2) Law 70/2015, inserted by art. II Law 239/2025 |
| The statutory term | Cont de plăți takes the meaning of art. 5(1) pt. 11 of Law 209/2019 on payment services; it is not the wording cont bancar (bank account) | art. I pt. 1 Law 239/2025 |
| A newly formed company | Opens the account within 60 working days of formation | art. 1(1^2) Law 70/2015 |
| Every company | Holds at least one payment account throughout its activity | art. 1(1^3) Law 70/2015 |
| The dates | Law 239/2025 in force from 18 December 2025; its art. II (the duty, the 60 working days, the fine and the rule on refusal) from 1 January 2026; declarations of inactivity on this ground also from 1 January 2026 | art. XI(2) and VII(1) Law 239/2025 |
| The fine | 3,000 to 10,000 lei, in addition to inactivity | art. 12(4) Law 70/2015 |
| Inactivity | A company with no payment account in Romania and no Treasury account is declared inactive by ANAF | art. 92(1^2)(a) Fiscal Procedure Code |
| Dissolution | An inactive company not reactivated within one year is dissolved; ANAF must ask for dissolution even where no tax is owed | art. 92(4^1) and (4^2) Fiscal Procedure Code |
| Refusal | Providers in art. 2 letters a), b) and d) of Law 209/2019 serving Romania may not refuse the request, unless opening would breach the anti-money-laundering law (Law 129/2019) or the sanctions rules | art. 1(1^4) Law 70/2015 |
Sources: Law 239/2025, art. I, II, VII and XI(2). Fiscal Procedure Code, art. 92, consolidated to OUG 38/2026.
While inactive, the company and its customers lose expense and VAT deductions (art. 11(6)-(7) Fiscal Code). The guide to the inactive register covers the other grounds and reactivation.
law a term set by law
A company with no payment account, step by step
two entry points
A newly formed company
drawn on this branch only
- Opens the accountlawwithin 60 working days of formation
Any company
- Holds at least one payment accountlawthroughout its activity
the main line
- 1
Declaration of inactivity on this ground
- law from 1 January 2026
- 2
Inactive status
- 3
One year without reactivation
- 4
Dissolution
- law whether or not tax is owed
A parallel branch, not a step: the fine of 3,000 to 10,000 lei, in addition to inactivity.
The way back from inactive status: hold the account, with all returns filed and no tax arrears.
What bank account support includes
- A check of the account before you pay for a shelf: the seller's statement and a look in the inactive register.
- The options laid out: keep the shelf's account or open another, with no verdict.
- We coordinate the signatory's appointment. A Bar-registered lawyer drafts the documents.
- The provider checked against the registers of the National Bank of Romania (BNR).
- The KYC file assembled and checked against the provider's own list.
- On a purchase, we prepare the ANAF notice file. The company, the seller or the buyer files it.
- After opening: the beneficial-owner update. Any reactivation filing is the company's or its accountant's.
Not included: opening the account, guaranteed acceptance, promised remote opening, or a sediu social in Bucharest, a separate service.
A shelf company and its bank account
For buyers of the ready-made SRLs with and without a VAT code, owners of dormant SRLs and non-resident signatories. No official source says whether a shelf's account survives a transfer.
The account is the company's
A payment account is held in the name of its user (art. 4(12) Directive (EU) 2015/2366). Here the user is the company, not the seller or the shareholders.
The provider re-checks the client
The provider re-applies due diligence when the client's relevant circumstances change (art. 14 Law 129/2019). The provider decides whether the relationship continues.
The new administrator signs
The signatory is the company's administrator, who must accept the appointment expressly (art. 72 Law 31/1990). The change binds third parties, the provider included, from its ONRC entry (Law 265/2022, 2022 text).
A shelf with no account
It faces the 3,000 to 10,000 lei fine and inactivity. After a year, it faces dissolution. We found no grace period for a buyer, and promise none.
Where the account can be held
Providers in art. 2 letters a), b) and d) of Law 209/2019 that serve Romania may not refuse a company's request. That holds unless opening would breach the AML law or the sanctions rules (art. 1(1^4) Law 70/2015). This page does not list the classes those letters cover.
| Provider class | Where to check it | Counts as a payment account in Romania? |
|---|---|---|
| A credit institution (bank) | BNR register of credit institutions | The texts read raise no question for this class |
| The Romanian branch of an EU bank, opened on a notification to the BNR | BNR register of credit institutions, part II | Open: no text read defines "in Romania", and no ANAF or BNR guidance was found |
| An EU payment institution serving Romania | BNR list VII | Open: the EU payment-account definition is not tied to a bank, but "in Romania" is undefined |
| An EU e-money institution serving Romania | BNR list VIII | Open: no text or guidance says whether such an account, above all one with a non-Romanian IBAN, counts |
Sources: BNR registers and lists. Directive (EU) 2015/2366, art. 1(1) and 4(12). Law 239/2025, art. I and II.
The choice of provider stays with the company: Request bank account support.
How the process works
Only statutory terms appear here. Where the law sets none, the provider or the authority keeps its own time.
law a term set by law law (2022 text) a term of the 2022 text of Law 265/2022 none in law the provider's own steps have no term in law
- 1
Check the account position
Seller
- 2
Appoint the signatory as administrator
Bar-registered lawyer
- 3
Notify ANAF first
Company, seller or buyer
- law within 15 days of the transfer
- 4
File the change at ONRC
Legal representative, attorney or lawyer
- law (2022 text) within 15 days of the act
- law (2022 text) the registrar decides within one working day
- law the NIF comes back on the day or the next
- 5
Choose a provider and check its register
Company
- none in law the provider's own time
- 6
Build the KYC file
Buyer, with us
- none in law the provider's own time
- 7
Identification and signing at the provider
Administrator
- none in law the provider's own time
- 8
The account opens, or a refusal comes
Provider
- law the provider reports the account to ANAF daily
The line shows order, not scale: no duration is drawn between nodes and no total is shown.
Check the account position
The seller shows whether the company holds a Romanian payment account. Anyone can search ANAF's inactive register free of charge. This is a routine check when buying an existing Romanian business.
Appoint the signatory as administrator
A Bar-registered lawyer drafts the decision and the constitutive act. The person accepts expressly and need not be a shareholder. See changing the administrator of a Romanian SRL.
Notify ANAF first, where a shelf is being bought
Since OUG 13/2026, every SRL share transfer is notified within 15 days (art. V(1)(a) Law 239/2025). The company, the seller or the buyer files the notice. We prepare the file.
File the change at ONRC
File within 15 days of the act, with the beneficial-owner declaration. The registrar decides within one working day (Law 265/2022, 2022 text). For a non-resident individual with no NIF (tax number), ONRC requests one with the filing. The NIF comes back on the day or the next.
Choose a provider and check its register
The provider's class decides which BNR register or list applies. We state the open e-money question. The choice stays with the company.
Build the KYC file
The buyer supplies the documents in the table below. We assemble them against the provider's own list. Foreign documents come with a legalised Romanian translation.
Identification and signing at the provider
In a branch, or through a remote process recognised in Romania. Remote onboarding of a non-resident is the provider's own policy.
The account opens, or a refusal comes
A provider covered by art. 1(1^4) Law 70/2015 may refuse only on AML or sanctions grounds. An incomplete file is fixed and re-submitted. The provider reports the account to ANAF daily. One account stays open throughout.
Not sure where your company's account stands?
Send the company's name and what you know of its account. Our reply sets out which steps apply and in what order.
What the bank checks and what you provide
A provider covered by art. 1(1^4) Law 70/2015 may refuse only on AML or sanctions grounds. A provider may not open the account without due diligence. A complete file meets the due-diligence condition. The AML and sanctions assessment stays with the provider.
| KYC step | Law 129/2019 | What you supply |
|---|---|---|
| Identify and verify the client | art. 11(1)(a), 15(1)(b) | The constitutive act or registration certificate and the legal representative's data; the administrator's passport. Art. 15(1) sets a minimum, so the provider's own list may ask for more |
| Remote identification | art. 11(1)(a) | Where the provider runs one, a secure remote or electronic process recognised in Romania |
| Ownership and the beneficial owner | art. 11(1)(b), 4(2)(a)(1), 15(1)(b), 15(2) | An ownership chart (more than 25% of the capital held by a natural person is an indicator); for a foreign corporate shareholder, its constitutive act or registration certificate, with a legalised Romanian translation where the provider asks for it |
| Purpose and nature of the relationship | art. 11(1)(c) | A short business description with the expected flows |
| Monitoring and source of funds | art. 11(1)(d) | Source-of-funds evidence where the provider asks, and documents kept up to date |
| Verify before opening | art. 11(8), 11(8^1) | Proof that the beneficial owner is registered: the declaration as filed at ONRC |
| Authority of anyone acting for the client | art. 11(4) | A power of attorney for any person who acts for the company |
| No due diligence, no account | art. 11(9) | Nothing extra: if the measures cannot be applied, the provider may not open the account |
Source: Law 129/2019, consolidated copy published by ONPCSB, art. 4, 11, 15 and 17.
For filings at ONRC, foreign documents carry an apostille or superlegalisation, unless a treaty or EU rule removes it. They always need a legalised Romanian translation (art. 76 Law 265/2022, 2022 text).
Problems we solve
Five things that stall a non-resident's account, each with its rule. We promise no outcome.
The beneficial-owner file is incomplete
The provider must see the ownership chain, proof of the beneficial-owner registration and, where relevant, the source of funds (art. 11 Law 129/2019). We assemble them before filing.
The signatory is not yet the administrator
Until the appointment is accepted and the change is entered at ONRC, it does not bind third parties such as the provider. The filing is due within 15 days of the act.
A foreign document in the wrong form
A foreign company's documents need a legalised Romanian translation (art. 15(2) Law 129/2019). The provider's own list may ask for more, so we read it first.
A fintech account as the only account
It is an open question whether an EU e-money or payment-institution account counts as a payment account in Romania. We say so before it becomes the company's only account.
A dormant shelf left without an account
The duty runs throughout the activity. Without an account, the company faces inactivity, then dissolution a year later. We put the account in the plan from step one.
Was the account refused, or is the file incomplete?
Where the account was refused, the first question is the due-diligence file. Send what the provider asked for. Our reply names what the file lacks.
Frequently asked questions about a company's bank account in Romania
Do you open the account for me, and is approval guaranteed?
No. We are not a bank or a payment institution. We prepare the KYC file and coordinate the signatory and the provider check. A provider in art. 2 letters a), b) or d) of Law 209/2019 may refuse only on AML or sanctions grounds. No provider may open without due diligence (Law 129/2019, art. 11(9)). Our terms are on request.
Is a Revolut or Wise account enough?
It is an open question. The law asks for a payment account in Romania in the payment-services sense (Law 239/2025, art. I and II). The EU definition of a payment account is not tied to a bank. No text or guidance read says whether an EU e-money account, above all one with a non-Romanian IBAN, counts.
Does a shelf company come with a bank account, and does it pass to me?
A payment account is held in the name of its user, here the company. No official source says whether a shelf's account survives a transfer. The law gives two points. The provider re-applies due diligence when the client's circumstances change (Law 129/2019, art. 14). A change of administrator binds third parties from its ONRC entry (Law 265/2022, 2022 text).
Can a foreigner open a business bank account in Romania?
The file on the administrator and the beneficial owners decides. Some providers may refuse only where opening would breach the AML or sanctions rules (Law 70/2015, art. 1(1^4)). These are providers in art. 2 letters a), b) or d) of Law 209/2019 serving Romania. For a non-resident individual with no tax number (NIF), ONRC requests one with the filing.
Can the account be opened online or remotely?
The AML law accepts eIDAS means or another secure remote process recognised in Romania. It treats a remote relationship without such safeguards as higher risk (Law 129/2019, art. 11 and 17). Each provider decides for itself whether to take on a non-resident administrator remotely. Our service is bank account support, not remote opening.
I bought a dormant shelf with no account. How long do I have?
The 60 working days are written for newly formed companies (Law 70/2015, art. 1(1^2)). For every company, the duty runs throughout the activity. Declarations of inactivity on this ground run from 1 January 2026. We found no grace period for a buyer, so do not assume one. The account belongs in the purchase plan.
Does a Romanian SRL have to have a bank account in 2026, and what happens if it has none?
Yes, a payment account in Romania, or at a State Treasury unit, throughout its activity. A new company opens it within 60 working days (Law 239/2025). Without one, the company is fined 3,000 to 10,000 lei and declared inactive. An inactive company not reactivated within a year is dissolved, even with no tax owed (Fiscal Procedure Code, art. 92).
How do I open a business bank account in Romania?
The signatory is appointed administrator and the change is filed at ONRC. Next, the KYC file is built. It covers the company, the administrator, the beneficial owners, the purpose and, where asked, the source of funds. A provider is checked on the BNR registers. The provider identifies the signatory and decides. Its own steps and timing are its policy.
What does the bank check?
It checks the signatory and the beneficial owners (over 25% of the capital held by a natural person is an indicator). It checks the ownership chain, account purpose and, where relevant, source of funds. It checks before opening and needs proof of beneficial-owner registration (Law 129/2019, art. 11). A foreign legal person's constitutive documents need a legalised Romanian translation.
The company was declared inactive because it had no account. Does opening one fix it?
Holding the account meets the specific condition for reactivation on this ground (Fiscal Procedure Code, art. 92(7^1)). The general conditions still apply: all returns filed and no tax arrears. ANAF reactivates by decision (art. 92(4)). Any filing for it is made by the company, or by a CECCAR accountant or a lawyer acting for it, not by us.
Which banks work with foreign-owned companies, and which are the major banks in Romania?
This page names and ranks no bank. The National Bank of Romania publishes the registers to check a provider against. One covers credit institutions, including EU banks' Romanian branches opened on a notification. Two lists cover EU payment institutions and EU e-money institutions serving Romania. Each provider sets its own policy on foreign-owned companies, within the AML law.
How do I close a business bank account online in Romania?
Closing follows the provider's contract. Directive (EU) 2015/2366 lets a user terminate a framework contract at any time. Where the user is not a consumer, the parties may agree otherwise. We did not read Romania's transposition. Closing the company's only Romanian payment account breaks the duty to hold one and exposes it to inactivity (Fiscal Procedure Code, art. 92).
Ready to start the account file?
Send the company's name and its account position. Our reply sets out the steps, the documents and who signs. Terms on request.