Romania

Key points for young drivers:

• Motorway: 130 km/h, outside built-up areas 90 km/h (100 km/h on national European (E) roads).
• Alcohol: 0.0 ‰ – for every driver.
• Lights on round the clock on national roads, motorways and expressways.
• In the car: warning triangle and fire extinguisher.
• Tolls: rovinieta – buy it before you enter the country and check the registration number on the confirmation.
• Watch out: driving after dark – unlit horse-drawn carts, cyclists and animals on the road.

Seat belts and child seats

Seat belts and child seats are compulsory. Those exempt from wearing a seat belt include pregnant women and people with medical reasons.

Traffic lights

As in most EU countries: official sources don’t list any different traffic-light rules for Romania.

Helmet not compulsory

A helmet is not compulsory on a bicycle or in three- and four-wheelers.

Helmet compulsory

• motorcycles (also with a sidecar),
• mopeds.

Compulsory equipment in the car

• reflective warning triangle,
• fire extinguisher,
• high-visibility vest – compulsory in vehicles over 3.5 t (worth having in a car too).

Compulsory equipment on a bike

• reflectors on the bicycle,
• reflective clothing at night.

Winter tyres and snow chains

Winter tyres are compulsory when the road is covered with snow or ice – whatever the date.

Phone, drugs and other bans

Phone only with a hands-free kit. Driving under the influence of drugs or medicines with similar effects is a criminal offence.

Alcohol: up to 0.40 mg/l in exhaled breath is a minor offence (fine and licence suspension), above 0.8 ‰ in the blood – a criminal offence.

You must not drive on the motorway hard shoulder, on cycle paths or in bus lanes.

Vignettes, tolls and low-emission zones

The vignette (rovinieta) is compulsory for all vehicles – according to the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs on roads of all categories, not only on motorways. You can buy it online before your trip, e.g. on the official website erovinieta.ro, or at the border (e.g. at a petrol station).

Check that the seller has entered your registration number and vehicle category correctly, and keep the confirmation.

You pay separately for some Danube crossings, e.g. the Fetești – Cernavodă, Giurgiu – Ruse, Giurgeni – Vadu Oii and Calafat – Vidin bridges and the Bechet – Oriahovo ferry.

Documents and insurance

• Original driving licence and original vehicle registration certificate. You don’t need an International Driving Permit.
• The third-party motor insurance of your EU-registered car is recognised – you don’t need a Green Card in the EU. If your policy is electronic, print it out with the electronic signature mark visible.

What to watch out for

• The police are very strict. For crossing a solid line or speeding you can lose your licence for 30–120 days. You then get a temporary replacement document, “dovada”, valid for 2 weeks.
• You can pay a fine at half the minimum rate if you pay within 15 days – easiest in Romania (ANAF tax office, post office).
• After dark, watch out for unlit horse-drawn carts, cyclists, parked cars and livestock on the road. Roadworks are often poorly marked.
• After a minor collision where nobody disputes who was at fault, report it within 24 hours to the insurer of the driver at fault; if you can’t agree – to the police.
• Don’t sign anything from a tow truck you didn’t call, and don’t give in to pressure.

Note: How and when you get your licence back after the suspension depends on the country that issued it (with a Polish licence it usually takes 5–9 weeks after the suspension ends) – check before you travel at Your Europe – Road rules: Romania.

Sources

• Your Europe – Road rules: Romania
• Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Odyseusz: Romania (in Polish)
• CNAIR – rovinieta (e-vignette)
• Last updated: September 2026.