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Alcohol Licence in Romania

Retail sale · bar & restaurant · wholesale distribution · excise · local authority

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The sale of alcoholic beverages in Romania — whether in a retail shop, a bar, a restaurant or a wholesale warehouse — requires an authorisation (autorizație de comercializare a băuturilor alcoolice) from the local authority (primărie) of the locality where the business is based. For businesses that produce, import or wholesale distribute alcoholic beverages, additional registration with ANAF (customs / excise duty administration) is required under the excise duty (accize) framework.

Romania For Business SRL assists bars, restaurants, retailers, wholesalers, importers and producers in obtaining the correct alcohol authorisation — identifying the applicable authority, preparing the documentation and managing the application process. All services are delivered in English.

Selling alcohol without an authorisation results in immediate closure and significant fines

Romanian law prohibits the sale or serving of alcoholic beverages without a valid local authority authorisation. ANPC (Autoritatea Națională pentru Protecția Consumatorilor) and the Police conduct spot inspections of licensed premises and markets. An unauthorised business found selling alcohol faces immediate activity suspension, fines and potential criminal proceedings. The authorisation must be in place before the business opens.

Types of Alcohol Authorisation in Romania

Romanian alcohol licensing covers four main activity types — each requiring a different authorisation from a different authority or combination of authorities.

Retail (Off-Licence)
autorizație comercializare — retail

  • Supermarkets & convenience stores
  • Specialist wine & spirits shops
  • Petrol station forecourts
  • Sealed packaged alcohol only
  • Local authority (primărie)

On-Premises Consumption
autorizație comercializare — consum

  • Bars, pubs, clubs
  • Restaurants & cafes
  • Hotels & accommodation
  • Terraces and seasonal venues
  • Local authority (primărie)

Wholesale Distribution
autorizație de comercializare en-gros

  • Alcohol wholesalers
  • Cash & carry operators
  • Distribution to retailers/HoReCa
  • Warehouse requirements apply
  • ANAF + local authority

Production & Import
autorizație producție / import

  • Alcohol producers (distilleries, wineries)
  • Alcohol importers
  • Excise warehouse operators
  • Full excise duty (accize) regime
  • ANAF Customs / Autoritatea Vamală

On-Premises and Retail Alcohol Licence Requirements

The on-premises and retail alcohol authorisations are issued by the local authority (primărie) of the locality where the business operates. Requirements vary between local authorities but follow the general framework set by Law 12/1990 (commercial activities) and local council decisions.

Requirement Detail
Company registration The business must be registered at ONRC with a relevant CAEN code: 4711 / 4719 (retail food — for off-licences in supermarkets/convenience), 4725 (specialist wine/spirits retail), 5610 (restaurant), 5630 (bar/pub), 5510 (hotel), or other relevant activity code.
Registered and operating address The business’s registered office and the alcohol-selling premises must be in the jurisdiction of the issuing local authority. The application covers the specific premises — not the company generally.
Premises compliance The selling or serving premises must meet sanitary and fire safety standards — confirmed by a sanitary authorisation (aviz sanitar) and fire safety certificate (aviz PSI/ISU). These are separate applications required before the alcohol licence is issued.
Minimum age compliance programme The applicant must commit to a minimum age verification programme — confirming that alcohol will not be sold to minors under 18. Some local authorities require a written policy as part of the application.
Opening hours and conditions The local authority may impose conditions on opening hours, permitted types of alcohol and restrictions on outdoor consumption areas (terase). Some municipalities have additional local conditions — confirm with the applicable primărie before applying.
Application form and local fee Each local authority has its own application form and annual fee. Fees vary significantly between municipalities — from a few hundred RON for a small village to several thousand RON in major cities. Confirm current fee with the primărie before proceeding.
Annual renewal Alcohol authorisations are issued for one year and must be renewed annually. Renewal requires confirmation that all conditions continue to be met. Some local authorities conduct annual inspections as part of the renewal process.

Wholesale Alcohol Distribution Authorisation

Wholesale distribution of alcohol in Romania — supplying retailers, bars, restaurants and other businesses — requires a separate wholesale distribution authorisation from ANAF (or the relevant combined authority) in addition to a local authority permit for the warehouse/distribution premises.

Wholesale requirement Detail
CAEN code CAEN 4634 (wholesale of beverages) registered at ONRC as the primary activity code. Additional codes may be required depending on the exact scope of wholesale operations.
Warehouse premises The wholesale operation must be conducted from a registered and compliant warehouse — meeting fire safety, sanitary and storage standards for alcohol. The warehouse address is part of the authorisation.
ANAF / Customs registration Wholesale distributors who handle alcohol subject to excise duty (spirits, beer, wine above certain thresholds) must register with ANAF Customs as an authorised warehousekeeper or as a registered consignee — depending on whether they hold tax-suspended stock.
Excise duty compliance Wholesale distributors must manage excise duty (accize) on their stock correctly — accounting for excise-paid purchases, excise-suspended movements within the excise warehouse system, and correct declaration and payment of excise duty on sales.
Invoice and record-keeping All wholesale alcohol transactions must be documented with compliant invoices including the excise duty status of the goods. Records must be maintained for ANAF inspection — typically for 5 years.

Excise Duty Registration — Producers, Importers and Warehousekeepers

Businesses that produce, import or hold alcoholic beverages under excise duty suspension are required to register with ANAF Customs (Autoritatea Vamală Română) as authorised warehousekeepers, registered consignees or certified consignors under the EU excise duty framework.

Excise category What is required
Alcohol producer (distillery, brewery, winery) Producers of alcohol subject to excise duty must register as authorised warehousekeepers with ANAF Customs. Production of alcohol without authorisation is a criminal offence. An excise warehouse must be approved by ANAF before production begins.
Alcohol importer Importers of alcoholic beverages from non-EU countries pay excise duty at the point of customs clearance (unless importing into a bonded excise warehouse). Importers from EU member states must register and comply with intra-EU excise movement rules (EMCS — Excise Movement and Control System).
Excise warehouse operator Businesses holding alcohol under excise duty suspension — pending sale or further processing — must operate an approved excise warehouse (antrepozit fiscal) authorised by ANAF Customs. Strict record-keeping and physical security requirements apply.
Small producers — simplified regime Small producers of wine (vinificatori) and beer (micro-brewery) below certain production thresholds may benefit from a simplified excise regime — with reduced documentation requirements. Confirm applicable thresholds with ANAF before applying.
Accize rates — confirm before publication Romanian excise duty rates on alcoholic beverages are set by the Fiscal Code and updated by government order. Rates differ for spirits, beer, wine and intermediate products. All excise rates must be verified with ANAF before publication — do not rely on rates that may be outdated.
Excise duty on alcoholic beverages — a pre-condition for legal production and import

In Romania, alcoholic beverages produced domestically or imported from outside the EU become subject to excise duty (accize) at the point of production release or customs clearance. Operating a distillery, brewery or winery without ANAF Customs authorisation — or importing alcohol without correct excise duty handling — is a criminal offence. The excise registration must be obtained before any production or import commences.

Alcohol Licence Application Process — Step by Step

The application process varies by licence type but follows the same general structure for retail and on-premises licences. Romania For Business SRL manages the process and advises on city-specific requirements.

01

Licence type & authority confirmed

02

Premises documents obtained

03

Company eligibility checked

04

Application prepared

05

Local authority submission

06

Authorisation issued

Stage What happens
1. Licence type and authority We confirm the correct type of alcohol authorisation and the applicable issuing authority (local primărie for retail/on-premises; ANAF Customs for wholesale/production/import). We identify any additional authorisations required — sanitary, fire safety, building use.
2. Premises documentation We coordinate the required premises documents: sanitary authorisation (aviz sanitar), fire safety certificate (aviz ISU/PSI) and building use permit (certificat de urbanism/autorizație de construire if relevant). These must typically be obtained before the alcohol authorisation.
3. Company eligibility check We confirm the company’s CAEN code, registered office address and that the company is in good standing with ONRC and has no outstanding enforcement actions that would disqualify it from holding an alcohol licence.
4. Application preparation We prepare the complete application file for the local authority — including the application form, company documents, premises documents, responsible service commitment and any additional forms required by the specific municipality.
5. Submission and follow-up We submit the application to the correct local authority department and manage correspondence — responding to any additional document requests. Processing time is typically 2–6 weeks depending on the local authority’s workload.
6. Authorisation issued The local authority issues the alcohol authorisation (autorizație de comercializare a băuturilor alcoolice). We brief the client on the conditions, permitted hours, annual renewal obligations and any inspection expectations.

Special Alcohol Licence Situations

Situation What applies
Seasonal / temporary alcohol permit For seasonal businesses (beach bars, festival stalls, terraces, Christmas markets), many local authorities issue temporary alcohol authorisations for a defined period. These are typically issued for 1–6 months and may be renewable. Documentation requirements are generally lighter than permanent authorisations.
Events and catering — one-off For one-off events (corporate events, weddings, festivals) where alcohol will be served, an event-specific alcohol permit may be required from the local authority. The event organiser or caterer typically applies — requirements vary significantly by municipality and event size.
Hotels and accommodation Hotels, guest houses and other accommodation with bars or restaurants must obtain alcohol authorisations for the bar/restaurant areas. The authorisation is premises-specific and covers all alcohol-serving areas on the property.
Delivery of alcohol (e-commerce) Alcohol delivery services operating through websites or apps are subject to the same off-licence retail authorisation requirements as physical shops — the authorisation covers the dispatch premises. Delivery of alcohol to under-18s is prohibited under the same rules as physical retail.
Change of premises or ownership An alcohol authorisation is tied to a specific premises and business entity. If the business moves, or if the business is sold or restructured, the new entity must apply for a new authorisation before continuing alcohol sales. Operating on the basis of a previous owner’s authorisation is not permitted.

ALCOHOL LICENCE — ROMANIA

from €900
engagement fee

ALCOHOL LICENSING ENGAGEMENT INCLUDES:

  • Licence type assessment — retail, on-premises, wholesale or production
  • Applicable authority identification — local authority, ANAF customs or combined
  • Company and premises eligibility review — CAEN code, premises requirements
  • Excise duty registration assessment (accize) — if applicable for production/import
  • Application preparation — all forms for the local authority and ANAF
  • Premises compliance documentation — surface area, sanitary, fire safety
  • Programme documentation — opening hours, conditions, responsible service
  • Local authority submission and correspondence management
  • Licence condition compliance briefing — renewal, inspections, trading conditions

INDICATIVE ENGAGEMENT FEES

  • Alcohol retail licence (off-licence) — local authority from €900
  • On-premises alcohol licence (bar, restaurant) — local authority from €900
  • Wholesale alcohol distribution authorisation from €900
  • Excise duty registration (accize) — ANAF / customs (producers/importers) from €500
  • Seasonal or events alcohol permit from €250
  • Annual alcohol licence renewal coordination from €200/yr

Fees confirmed in writing after assessment. Local authority fees, excise registration fees and premises inspection costs are billed at cost separately. Requirements vary by locality — confirm current rules before proceeding. Fees may be subject to Romanian VAT.

Frequently Asked Questions — Alcohol Licence in Romania

Yes. Any business selling or serving alcoholic beverages in Romania must hold an authorisation (autorizație de comercializare a băuturilor alcoolice) issued by the local authority (primărie) of the locality where the business operates. This applies to retail shops, bars, restaurants, hotels and any other premises where alcohol is sold or served. The authorisation must be in place before the business begins selling alcohol — operating without it results in fines and closure.

For retail off-licence sales and on-premises consumption (bars, restaurants), the authorisation is issued by the local authority (primărie) of the town or municipality where the business is located. For wholesale distribution and production/import activities, additional registration with ANAF Customs (Autoritatea Vamală Română) is required under the excise duty (accize) framework. The same business may need authorisations from both authorities depending on its activities.

A retail (off-licence) authorisation allows the sale of sealed, packaged alcoholic beverages for consumption off the premises — in shops, supermarkets and specialist off-licences. An on-premises consumption authorisation allows the serving of alcoholic beverages for immediate consumption on the premises — in bars, restaurants, cafes and clubs. The conditions, permitted hours and any imposed restrictions differ between the two types.

Yes. An alcohol authorisation in Romania is specific to the business entity and the premises address. If a company operates multiple bars or retail outlets, each premises requires its own separate authorisation from the local authority of the relevant municipality. The authorisation cannot be transferred between premises or between different legal entities.

Accize (excise duty) are taxes levied on the production or import of alcoholic beverages — collected at the point of production release for domestic producers, or at customs clearance for imports. The excise duty is ultimately built into the product price paid by the end consumer. Businesses that produce or import alcoholic beverages must register with ANAF Customs as authorised warehousekeepers or registered consignees and manage excise duty compliance. Retail and on-premises businesses that purchase alcohol from registered Romanian wholesalers typically buy excise-paid products and have no direct excise compliance obligation.

Romanian law does not set universal national opening hours for bars and restaurants — but most local authorities impose specific permitted hours for alcohol service as part of the authorisation conditions. In Bucharest, individual district councils (sectoare) set their own rules on night-time alcohol service and noise. Outside Bucharest, local councils similarly set their own conditions. Romania For Business SRL confirms the applicable hours for the specific municipality before applying.

Yes. Alcohol authorisations in Romania are issued for one year and must be renewed annually. The renewal application must confirm that the business continues to meet all the original conditions — same premises, same activities, no outstanding enforcement actions. Some local authorities conduct an annual inspection as part of the renewal process. Romania For Business SRL coordinates annual renewal as a separate engagement.

Yes. A foreign national can own a Romanian-registered company (SRL) that holds an alcohol authorisation — as long as the company is properly registered with ONRC and the premises meet the applicable local authority requirements. The alcohol authorisation is issued to the Romanian legal entity (the company), not to the individual owner. Foreign ownership of the company does not affect eligibility for the authorisation.

Selling or serving alcohol to a person under 18 is a serious offence under Romanian law. It results in an immediate fine, possible revocation of the alcohol authorisation and potential criminal proceedings against the responsible staff member and the business. Romanian law requires businesses selling or serving alcohol to check the identity of any person whose age is in doubt. An age verification policy is typically required as part of the alcohol authorisation conditions.