Driving in Romania

But if you’re planning a road trip to Romania, it’s essential you’re fully prepared ahead of time as driving there has many differences to the UK. 

To make your trip to the Continent as safe and effortless as possible, we’ve put together a guide to everything you need to know before you go, from required documents to rules of the road.  

RAC European Breakdown Cover (Basic and Comprehensive) provides a wide range of benefits should you breakdown in Romania to ensure you stay safe. 

To supplement this, RAC also offers travel insurance. Cover will include medical expenses, baggage, personal money and belongings, among many other benefits. Need single trip European Breakdown Cover? Get a quote from just £6

Need short-term insurance for your vehicle? Our temporary car cover is perfect if you're looking for flexible insurance for between 1 hour and 30 days.

In an emergency

112 - Here's a really important bit of knowledge; you can dial 112 from anywhere in Europe and an operator will connect you to an emergency service in the country you're visiting. 

Operators can answer your call in their native language, English or French. 

Visitors must be aged 18 or over and hold a full, valid driving licence to legally drive in Romania. Riders of motorcycles up to 125cc must be aged 18 or over, while moped (not exceeding 50cc) riders must be aged 16 or over.  

Driving licences issued in EU and EEA countries are accepted. International driving permits are recognised, but not required.

Vehicles from the UK can be temporarily imported into Romania for up to 90 days without formality. In order to stay on the right side of the law, the following documents should always be carried:

• Full, valid UK driving licence
• Proof of ID (passport)
• Motor insurance certificate
• V5 registration document

Do I need a GB or UK sticker for driving in Romania?

From 28th September 2021, the distinguishing mark (or national identifier) displayed on vehicles registered in the United Kingdom that are driven abroad will change from GB to UK.  

This means that vehicles registered in the UK must display the letters 'UK' when driven in Romania.   

The identifier can be incorporated in vehicle number plates (along with the Union Flag) or as a separate sticker. Note that vehicles featuring the letters GB together with the Council of Europe golden stars are no longer valid for driving abroad.

If your vehicle does not have the UK identifier within the number plate, you will require a UK sticker when driving in Romania. GB stickers will no longer be valid from the end of September.

Do I need an insurance green card?

From 2nd August 2021, drivers no longer require an insurance green card for taking their vehicles to Romania.

ETIAS – 2025

ETIAS stands for the European Travel Information and Authorisation System. It is a visa program for visitors who don’t need a Schengen visa, who want to travel to the European Union and a few other European countries.

Visitors who purchase an ETIAS will be able to enter the 26 member states of the Schengen Zone as well as Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, and Romania.

This will be launching in 2025. Learn more about ETIAS here.

In addition to required documents, motorists are also required by law to carry the following items when driving to avoid fines:

• Reflective jackets (mandatory to carry in your vehicle and wear if walking on the road or hard shoulder in the event of emergency or breakdown)
• Warning triangle (compulsory in every vehicle with more than two wheels) 
• Headlamp beam deflectors (depending on your car, you will either need deflector stickers or have to adjust the beam manually)
• Fire extinguisher (compulsory in all vehicles)
• First aid kit (compulsory in all vehicles)
• Crash helmets are compulsory for riders of mopeds and motorcycles, as well as trikes and quads without closed bodywork. Mopeds and motorcycles on the road must have their lights on at all times

Is there anything that I shouldn’t take with me?

Be aware that you cannot take the following with you into Romania:

• meat or products containing meat
• milk or dairy products

You cannot take the following unless you pay to have them inspected before you leave and get a ‘phytosanitary certificate’:

• fresh fruit (apart from bananas, coconuts, dates, pineapples and durians)
• vegetables
• plants
• plant products

Overtaking and passing

In Romania, motorists drive on the right and overtake on the left. 

With the exception of trams, which are overtaken on the right, all vehicles must be overtaken on the left. Trams can be overtaken on the left in a one-way street, or if there is not enough room to overtake on the right.

On approaching a tram alighting point where there is no pedestrian island, the driver of a vehicle must stop at least 5 metres from the platform of the last carriage. They must not proceed until the doors of the tram have been closed.

Who has priority?

In built-up areas and at roundabouts, priority must be given to vehicles coming from the right. At roundabouts, vehicles already in roundabout traffic have priority over vehicles entering the roundabout, unless otherwise indicated.

Priority must always be given to ambulances, fire engines, trams and marching columns.

Outside built-up areas, priority must be given to vehicles on priority roads. These are usually marked. On narrow mountain roads, priority must be given to vehicles driving uphill.

Warning of approach

Horns are prohibited in towns between 2200 and 0600. Between these times, lights must be used as a warning of approach. 

Towing in Romania

Camper vans and cars with caravans are not allowed to exceed 12 metres in length, 4 metres in height and 2.55 metres in width. 

Seat belt law in Romania

It’s compulsory to wear seat belts in the front and rear seats of cars equipped with belts.

Failing to wear a seat belt is categorised as a class I fine (see below for more information).

Traffic lights

The international three-colour traffic light system is used in Romania.

Romania uses the metric system for all road signs, meaning speed limits and other road signs including distance are indicated using kilometres and metres. These are the general speed limits for private cars:

Special speed restrictions apply to certain classes of vehicle, including mopeds, motorhomes and vehicles with trailers, as well as newly-qualified drivers, so check before travel.

Speeding fines in Romania are categorised as class III and class IV offences and depend on the speed at which offenders are caught, and the road on which they’re driving. 

Children under the age of 12 years are not allowed to travel in the front passenger seat. A child up to 3 years old must use an appropriate child restraint for their size. 

A child under 12 years of age and shorter than 150 cm must use either an appropriate child restraint or a booster seat.

Bike helmet law

Bike helmets are not compulsory in Romania. 

Camper vans and cars with caravans are not allowed to exceed 12 metres in length, 4 metres in height and 2.55 metres in width.

Loads mustn’t exceed 10 tonnes at a single axle.

^{Please note: The Department for Transport advises that A-frames are not legal for use by UK campers and caravanners abroad. In practice, this could mean towing your car while it’s fixed to a trailer.*}

On-the-spot fines

Police can impose on-the-spot fines to drivers of foreign-registered cars and collect half of the maximum fine there and then. A receipt must be given. 

In some cases, a fine may be reduced by 50% if paid within 48 hours, although this may not apply for certain more serious offences. 

Minimum and maximum fines

Fines in Romania are categorised into five different classes:

• Class I – 2 to 3 points
• Class II – 4 to 5 points
• Class III – 6 to 8 points
• Class IV – 9 to 20 points
• Class V – 20 to 100 points

Each point represents 10% of the gross minimum wage as set by the Romanian government. In 2017, for example, one point was equal to 145 RON (around £27). 

Some motoring offences are considered criminal offences and can also lead to licence revocation, vehicle confiscation and a possible prison sentence.

The Cross-Border Enforcement Directive

An EU cross-border directive came into effect in the UK in May 2017. This is aimed at tracking down people who commit traffic offences in cars that are registered in an EU member state different to where the offence was committed.

If you commit a driving offence in Romania or any other EU country, the crime will effectively follow you back home to the UK where you can still be prosecuted.

Regulations

Drivers must park their vehicles on the right-hand side of the road in the direction of traffic and as near as possible to the edge of the road or pavement. 

Lines on the road may indicate any parking restrictions.

Paid parking

Bucharest is split into several zones for the purposes of paid parking and motorists can expect to pay up to 10 RON to park.

Enforcement of parking regulations

Illegally-parked vehicles are likely to be clamped or removed, with a fine imposed in both cases.

Disabled parking access

EU-issued disabled permits should be recognised in Romania.

Legal limit

The limit for drivers of private vehicles is 0.00%.

Drink-driving test

The police are able stop motorists and carry out a random alcohol test.

Romania uses an electronic road tax system to collect tolls. The tax is payable at border crossing points, post offices and other institutions throughout the country. The tax is paid and your vehicle’s information is stored on a central government database. The amount you pay depends on the length of tax you require, ranging from around €3 for 7 days to €28 for 12 months. 

Availability of fuel

Alongside petrol and diesel, only LPG is available in Romanian fuel stations. There are no automatic petrol pumps in Romania, and you should look to use cash wherever possible. 

Fuel prices in Romania can be found in our up-to-date European fuel prices page.

Not all of the information in the guide above will be relevant to those looking to rent a hire car in Romania. Though it might be a good idea to read through everything anyway, here are the most important things to know for drivers of rental vehicles:

Rental information

• The minimum age to hire a car is 24, although this may vary depending on the vehicle type
• You need a full, valid UK driving licence and usually a second proof of ID (passport)
• Car rental companies ask that you have held your licence for a minimum term of 2 years
• Some companies may require you to use a credit card for deposit
• You may not be able to drive outside of Romania unless planned in advance - check with your hire company first
• Make sure you get car hire excess insurance before your trip to protect yourself from unexpected costs. It's almost always cheaper to do this with a separate insurer and in advance

Hire car driving tips

• Romanians drive on the right - the opposite to the UK
• The national speed limit on motorways in Romania is 130km/h (80 mph). On a main road outside a built-up area it's 90 km/h to 100 km/h. For built-up areas it’s 50km/h.
• Dial 112 in an emergency
• If seat belts are fitted to your car, they must be worn by both drivers and passengers.
• The blood alcohol content limit for drivers of private vehicles is 0.00%.