Traffic rules Romania

In Germany, we've become accustomed to and adapted to our traffic rules. However, traffic rules aren't the same in every country, and there are often traffic rules that don't exist in Germany at all. For example, speed limits differ, and the condition of the roads is also different. The traffic lights have no yellow phase, and where can you fill up on fuel? So that you can set off on your journey safely and relaxed, you'll find everything about traffic rules and conditions in Romania in this article.

The Most Important Points

• If your vehicle already shows damage when entering Romania, you should document this before your trip (e.g. with dated photos or a confirmation from your garage or insurance company). Vehicles that show visible damage after the trip may only leave the country with a police damage confirmation. Since 1 January 2025, there have no longer been any regular border controls at the borders with Hungary and Bulgaria.

• Rental cars: Although you're allowed to drive a car in Romania from the age of 18, you must be at least 21 years old to rent a car there. In addition, you must have held your driving licence for at least one year and should expect an additional young-driver fee for those under 25.

• In mountainous areas, there may also be road sections where snow chains are required.

• After paying a fine, you should have a receipt issued to avoid misunderstandings and to have proof of your payment.

What do you need for the journey?

No international driving licence is required to drive through Romania. The national German driving licence is entirely sufficient to drive a vehicle there. The driver must be at least 18 years old.

As proof of valid motor vehicle liability insurance, the German number plate is sufficient in Romania as an EU country. Nevertheless, we recommend taking the international insurance card (also known as the Green Card) with you; it's mandatory for onward journeys to Moldova. It shows that your car has motor vehicle liability insurance, and you can apply for the card free of charge from your car insurance company. This also includes checking with your car insurer before starting your trip to ensure you have sufficient insurance cover.

Among the other things you must bring with you are:

• A fire extinguisher

• A first-aid kit

• Two warning triangles

Not required, but recommended, are warning vests for all passengers.

Anyone driving a vehicle through Romania must comply with the local traffic rules and the speed limit. Although locals sometimes overlook a road sign and occasionally drive recklessly, the same is not automatically permitted for you. You should drive defensively and carefully, as trucks and buses don't necessarily make an exception when it comes to following the rules either, and may suddenly swerve to avoid a pothole or pull out to overtake.

Since Romania's road network is continually being expanded and renewed, toll charges are an important source of revenue. The fees are collected via a digital vignette. The Romanian vignette (Rovinieta) is valid for a limited time and applies to all motor vehicles except motorcycles (these are exempt from the vignette requirement). There are no toll stations: checks are carried out by camera based on the number plate. To avoid stress, you can already purchase the digital Romania vignette here with us before the start of your trip. The price depends on the vehicle category, the validity period, and, from 1 October 2026, also on the Euro emission class of the vehicle. You can find further information on the toll in our guide.

The Rovinieta vehicle categories (from 1 October 2026):

• Category A: Cars with a maximum of 8+1 seats, including motorhomes and cars with trailers

• Category B: Goods vehicles up to 3.5 t gross vehicle weight (e.g. vans)

• Category C: Passenger vehicles with 10 to 23 seats (including driver)

• Category D: Passenger vehicles with more than 23 seats (including driver)

Goods vehicles over 3.5 t no longer need a Rovinieta; they pay the distance-based toll TollRo instead.

If you'd like to buy vignettes from us, you can take care of this stress-free before your trip.

If you'd prefer to buy the vignette locally or at a border crossing, this is of course also possible. Cameras and sensors automatically check, based on the number plate, whether a valid digital vignette (Rovinieta) is registered in the database. There is no sticker vignette in Romania. The vignette requirement applies to the entire national road network, i.e. motorways, expressways and national roads. Only sections of national roads within larger towns (municipalities), between the town boundary signs, are exempt. District and municipal roads are vignette-free. For the Calafat-Vidin Danube bridge, an additional special toll must also be paid.

Road sections subject to a special toll:

Regardless of the vignette, the Calafat (RO) - Vidin (BG) Danube bridge is subject to a special toll. This means that, in addition to your vignette, you must pay a fee for using the following route:

• Calafat (RO) - Vidin (BG) bridge

You can pay the additional toll directly on site.

The former bridge toll at the Fetești-Cernavodă, Giurgeni-Vadu Oii and Giurgiu-Ruse Danube bridges (direction Bulgaria) was abolished as of 1 October 2026. For ferries, you pay the usual ferry fare. This is not a toll.

What is the condition of the roads?

Most sights can be easily reached by car, as the road network around the major cities and important traffic hubs is in good condition and similar to the German standard.

On smaller roads and in remote areas, there may be undeveloped, off-road-like roads where particular caution is required.

Speed limits and rules

Especially during the summer months, there may be random speed checks. You should adhere to the speed limits and traffic rules not only for this reason, but also for safety. If you violate them, you may face fines or even a driving licence suspension and driving ban.

Speed limits apply nationwide unless road signs indicate an exception. For novice drivers who have held their licence for less than a year, the speed limits are 20 km/h lower outside built-up areas, on expressways and on motorways.

Maximum speeds for novice drivers (licence held for less than 1 year)

• Motorways: 110 km/h

• Expressways: 100 km/h

• European roads (E national roads): 80 km/h

• Other roads outside built-up areas: 70 km/h

• Within built-up areas: 50 km/h

Maximum speeds (cars and motorcycles)

• Motorways: 130 km/h

• Expressways: 120 km/h

• European roads (E national roads): 100 km/h

• Other roads outside built-up areas: 90 km/h

• Within built-up areas: 50 km/h

With a trailer, the limits are each 10 km/h lower outside built-up areas.

Fines can be imposed directly by the police on site. Since the behaviour and regulations of the Romanian police may differ from those of the German police, you should remember to have a receipt issued by the police. This way, you'll have proof of payment in case of misunderstandings or sudden changes.

Unlike in Germany, you generally only have to pay half of the minimum fine if you settle it within 15 days. This rule applies in many countries. So if you take care of paying your fine in good time, you won't incur an even higher penalty and may even get away with a lower one.

Of course, this depends on the offence and is at the discretion of the police.

Fines in Romania are calculated in fine points. One point corresponds to 5% of the minimum wage, which has been 216.25 Lei (around €41) since 1 July 2026. Depending on the offence, a class applies: Class I 2 to 3 points, Class II 4 to 5, Class III 6 to 8 and Class IV 9 to 20 points. The euro amounts are rounded (as of 2026).

Fines for speeding offences:

• 10 to 20 km/h over the limit: fine according to fine points

• more than 50 km/h over the limit: Class IV, 9 to 20 fine points (1,946.25 to 4,325 Lei, around €365 to €812) and a 90-day driving ban

Fines for other offences

• Failure to wear a seatbelt: fine according to fine points

• Driving without a valid Rovinieta: 2 to 4 times the price of the annual vignette for your vehicle category, for cars 456 to 1,320 Lei (around €86 to €248)

• Using a mobile phone while driving: Class III, 6 to 8 fine points (1,297.50 to 1,730 Lei, around €244 to €325)

• Running a red light: Class II, 4 to 5 fine points (865 to 1,081.25 Lei, around €162 to €203) and a 30-day driving ban

• Incorrect parking: fine according to fine points

• Drink-driving: Class IV, 9 to 20 fine points (1,946.25 to 4,325 Lei, around €365 to €812) and a 90-day driving ban; from 0.8 per mille it is a criminal offence

The fine for drink-driving is so high partly for safety reasons, because Romania has a 0.0 per mille limit, and doing so endangers not only your own safety but also the safety of other drivers.

What happens if you violate Romanian road traffic law?

If you violate the Romanian road traffic regulations, the local police can confiscate your driving licence and issue you with a driving ban for Romania. You will then receive a certificate allowing you to continue driving in Romania for 15 days from the date of issue before the ban takes effect. During these 15 days, you can appeal against the police's decision and apply for the (provisional) return of your driving licence. If you're only staying in Romania briefly, 24 hours after your driving licence has been confiscated you can apply to have it returned to you one day before you leave Romania for another country. To do so, you must submit the following documents to the relevant traffic police office:

• a declaration made before a notary, in which you state the date of your departure

• a copy of your flight, train or bus ticket, if you are not leaving by car

• a copy of the "Dovada" (see above: the certificate allowing you to drive in Romania without a licence for 15 days)

• a copy of the police report ("proces verbal")

• a copy of proof that the imposed fine has been paid

• a copy of your ID card/passport.

If you do not submit an application, your driving licence will be sent to the German Embassy after around 15 days. The driving licence is sent by the local traffic police, via the district police and the Bucharest police's road traffic directorate, to the German Embassy. The embassy then forwards your driving licence via the Federal Motor Transport Authority (Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt) in Flensburg to the relevant German authority. Since the driving licence is not sent directly but via several stages to the Federal Motor Transport Authority, this can take several weeks.

General basic traffic rules

Lights requirement

Since June 2023, a general requirement to drive with lights on during the day has applied in Romania all year round on all roads, including within built-up areas; dipped headlights or daytime running lights are sufficient. In Germany, by contrast, there is no general requirement to use lights during the day. This only applies to cars. For motorcycles, lights must also be on within built-up areas, and they must also be driven with dipped headlights or daytime running lights switched on during the day. This applies in both Romania and Germany.

Traffic checks

During a traffic check in Romania, the driver must keep their hands on the steering wheel. No one, including passengers, may open a car door, and the police's instructions must be followed.

Overtaking

Strict overtaking bans apply on bridges.

Traffic lights

Traffic lights in Romania often have no yellow phase between red and green. The change is often announced by a seconds counter. Depending on the turning options, there are sometimes two traffic lights directly next to each other. If one light is green and the other red, those in the direction the arrow points may drive. If the arrow points left, but you're in the right-turn lane, you must wait until your arrow also turns green.

Roundabouts

Roundabouts are more common in Romania than in Germany. In addition, they often consist of several lanes. To avoid ending up in the wrong lane or blocking the way for others, it's important to know the rules for roundabouts. First, you must indicate left for as long as you intend to stay in the roundabout. If you're about to take your exit, indicate right in good time. There are also rules for getting into the correct lane. For example, if the roundabout has three lanes and three exits and you want to take the first exit, get into the right-hand lane. If you want to take the second exit, get into the middle lane, and if you want to take the third exit, get into the left-hand lane beforehand. This way, several cars can drive through the multi-lane roundabout at once without chaos, as everyone taking a different exit will already be positioned in the correct lane beforehand.

Refuelling and charging

Refuelling works the same way as in Germany. Prices are roughly around the European average. Usually slightly below.

For electric cars, charging options are somewhat more limited, as there are fewer petrol stations with EV charging facilities. However, it is largely fine. There are several charging options in the cities. In rural areas, you cannot rely on this.

Tyres

• In snow or ice and generally in wintery road conditions, winter tyres (M+S marking) must be used.

• If the roads are covered with snow and ice, especially in mountainous areas, it is recommended to use snow chains.

• Spikes, just as in Germany, are prohibited.

The Europamaut team wishes you a pleasant trip!

Driving in Romania is not much more dangerous or difficult than in Germany. Make sure to drive more defensively and carefully than in Germany and to follow the traffic rules described in this guide. With a little preparation and compliance with the rules, you should not encounter any problems.

We wish you a safe journey and an unforgettable travel adventure. Feel free to use our route planner for your planning. If you have any questions, you can reach us at any time by email.