Before you start

Residence permit or registration certificate, and a CNP
Your foreign licence with a sworn Romanian translation
A Romanian medical certificate from an authorised clinic
Proof of address in Bucharest

Step-by-step

1
Establish which category your licence falls into
EU and EEA licences are recognised and exchangeable without examination. Some third countries have reciprocal arrangements permitting exchange, in several cases after a theory test. If your country has none, you take the full Romanian theory and practical examination, in Romanian. Check before assuming — this determines whether the process takes weeks or months.
OnlineWho: You
2
Get the sworn translation and the medical certificate
The licence must be translated by a sworn translator and, for many procedures, notarised. The medical certificate comes from a clinic authorised for driver medicals and includes a basic psychological assessment, which surprises people. Neither is expensive but both are prerequisites.
In personWho: You
3
File the exchange at the DRPCIV service in Bucharest
Applications are handled by the driving licence service covering your address. Book online where slots are offered; walk-in queues at the Bucharest offices are long. Bring the original licence — it is surrendered on exchange.
In personWho: You
4
Buy the rovinietă before driving outside the city
The rovinietă is the electronic road usage charge for the national road network, bought by vehicle plate for a period from one day upwards. It is enforced by camera and the fines arrive by post. City driving does not need it; the moment you leave Bucharest on a national road, it does.
OnlineWho: You
5
Arrange RCA insurance and the ITP inspection
RCA third-party motor liability is compulsory and is the largest recurring cost of owning a car here — Romanian RCA premiums are high relative to the region and have been the subject of repeated regulatory intervention. The ITP roadworthiness inspection is due every one or two years depending on vehicle age.
In personWho: You
6
Declare the vehicle to your sector tax office within 30 days
Local vehicle tax is levied by the sector you live in, not by the city. You must declare the vehicle at the sector's Direcția de Impozite și Taxe Locale within 30 days of acquiring it, and pay annually. Missing this is a common and entirely avoidable penalty.
In personWho: YouWithin 30 days of purchase

Documents you’ll need

Foreign driving licence and sworn Romanian translation
Residence permit and CNP
Romanian medical and psychological certificate
Proof of address
Passport and photographs to specification

Things most newcomers don’t know

Whether you can exchange your licence at all depends entirely on reciprocity, and there is no partial answer.

EU and EEA licences exchange cleanly. A defined set of third countries has arrangements with Romania allowing exchange, in some cases conditional on a theory test. Everyone else sits the full Romanian examination — theory and practical, in Romanian, with a pass rate that punishes non-native speakers. Establishing which bucket you are in before you arrive changes whether you plan for a fortnight or for a year of driving lessons.

Source: DRPCIV / Ministry of Internal Affairs

The local vehicle tax is a sector tax, and it is a 30-day deadline.

Bucharest's six sectors each run their own local tax administration, and vehicle and property taxes are declared and paid there rather than to a single city authority. You have 30 days from acquiring a vehicle to declare it at your sector's office. People who move between sectors also have to re-declare. Because there is no central Bucharest counter for this, asking 'where is the city tax office' produces a wrong answer.

Source: Bucharest sector local tax administrations

Bucharest congestion is a structural problem, not a rush-hour one.

The city consistently appears near the top of European congestion rankings, and the northern office corridor around Pipera is the acute case — the road network there was built for a fraction of the office space now on it. Journeys that look short on a map routinely take three times as long. The practical consequence is that where you live relative to a metro station matters more than where you live relative to your office.

Source: community-reported

The rovinietă is enforced by camera and the fine finds you months later.

Romania's road usage charge is bought against the number plate, not displayed in the window, and enforcement is automatic through fixed and mobile cameras on the national network. Renting a car or borrowing one without checking whether the rovinietă is current produces a penalty notice weeks or months afterwards, often after you have forgotten the trip. Always confirm it before leaving the city.

Source: CNAIR

Common mistakes to avoid

Assuming a non-EU licence can be exchanged when no reciprocal arrangement exists.
Missing the 30-day deadline to declare a vehicle at your sector's tax office.
Driving on a national road without a valid rovinietă and collecting a camera fine.
Renting somewhere pleasant but far from a metro station and inheriting the traffic.
Underestimating Romanian RCA premiums when budgeting for car ownership.

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.