Buy Land in Romania
Building plots · agricultural land · development land · foreign buyer rules · ANCPI
Buying land in Romania — whether a building plot in a city suburb, an agricultural field in Transylvania, or a development site on the Black Sea coast — is the most legally complex category of Romanian real estate purchase. Land acquisitions involve a specific set of rules that do not apply to apartment or house purchases: zoning and land use classifications, mandatory pre-emption rights for agricultural land, restrictions on non-EU buyers for agricultural and forestry land, and environmental designations that may limit what can be built or how the land can be used.
Romania For Business SRL assists foreign buyers in navigating the Romanian land market — identifying the correct land classification, conducting the full legal and urban planning due diligence, managing the pre-emption notification process for agricultural land, and coordinating the ANCPI registration. All services are delivered in English.
Under Romanian law (implementing EU Treaty obligations on the free movement of capital), non-EU citizens and non-EU companies cannot directly purchase agricultural land (teren agricol) or forestry land (teren forestier) in Romania. Non-EU buyers who wish to acquire agricultural or forestry land must do so through a Romanian-registered company (SRL). EU citizens can purchase all types of land directly. Romania For Business SRL coordinates the SRL registration and land acquisition as a single integrated engagement.
Land Classification — the Central Framework
The single most important concept in Romanian land law is the classification of land as intravilan or extravilan. This classification determines what can be built on the land, how it can be used and what transaction requirements apply.
Intravilan (within the built-up area)
What it means:
- Land within the officially designated built-up area of a locality
- May be used for construction — residential, commercial, industrial
- Subject to urban planning regulations (PUG/PUZ/PUD)
- Building permit obtainable from the local authority
Who can buy:
- EU citizens and companies: directly
- Non-EU citizens: directly (residential intravilan)
Typical uses:
House construction, apartment development, commercial/office development, industrial park, hotel or tourism development
Extravilan (outside the built-up area)
What it means:
- Land outside the built-up area — agricultural, forestry or other open land
- Primary use: agricultural production, forestry
- Construction generally NOT permitted without change of use
- Can be changed to intravilan by local council decision (PUZ)
Who can buy:
- EU citizens: directly
- Non-EU citizens: only via Romanian SRL
Typical uses:
Farming, agritourism, forestry, solar/wind energy (with permits), future development (after intravilan change)
Types of Land Available in Romania
Romania For Business SRL assists with acquisitions across four main land categories. Each has different pricing, zoning rules and due diligence requirements.
| Land type | Description, typical price range and key considerations |
|---|---|
| Building plot (teren intravilan construibil) | A plot within the built-up area (intravilan) with a valid urban planning certificate (certificat de urbanism) confirming buildability. Prices range from €20/m² in rural towns to €500–1,500/m² in Bucharest and Cluj central areas. The urban planning certificate specifies the plot area ratio (POT — procentul de ocupare a terenului) and floor area ratio (CUT — coeficientul de utilizare a terenului) — determining how much can be built. |
| Agricultural land (teren agricol extravilan) | Farmland outside the built-up area, classified by quality category (arabil, livadă, pășune, fânețe, vii). Prices from €500–5,000/ha depending on region, quality and proximity to infrastructure. Subject to mandatory pre-emption rights under Law 17/2014 — neighbours, local tenants and the Romanian state have priority purchase rights that must be formally waived before the sale can proceed. |
| Development / investment land | Land with development potential — either already intravilan with commercial or residential zoning, or extravilan with a viable intravilan change-of-use pathway. Priced at a premium to reflect development potential. Careful zoning due diligence is essential — PUZ status, infrastructure availability and local planning committee disposition all affect value. |
| Forestry land (teren forestier) | Woodland and forested land — subject to strict protections under Romanian forestry law. Cannot be deforested without Ministry of Environment approval. Non-EU buyers cannot purchase directly — Romanian SRL required. Forestry land is typically purchased for eco-tourism, timber management or conservation investment. Prices from €500–3,000/ha. |
Foreign Buyer Rules — Land Ownership in Romania
| Buyer type | Intravilan (building plot) | Agricultural extravilan | Forestry land |
|---|---|---|---|
| EU citizen | ✓ Direct purchase | ✓ Direct purchase | ✓ Direct purchase |
| Non-EU citizen | ✓ Direct purchase | ✗ Romanian SRL only | ✗ Romanian SRL only |
| EU company | ✓ Direct purchase | ✓ Direct purchase | ✓ Direct purchase |
| Non-EU company | ✓ Direct purchase | ✗ Romanian SRL only | ✗ Romanian SRL only |
| Romanian SRL (any owner) | ✓ All land types | ✓ All land types | ✓ All land types |
A Romanian SRL (societate cu răspundere limitată) can be incorporated in 5–10 working days and can then purchase any type of Romanian land — including agricultural and forestry extravilan land — regardless of the nationality of its shareholders. For non-EU buyers who wish to purchase agricultural or forestry land, this is the standard route. Romania For Business SRL coordinates both the SRL incorporation and the land acquisition in a single integrated service.
Agricultural Land — Pre-Emption Rights Under Law 17/2014
The purchase of agricultural land (teren agricol extravilan) in Romania is subject to a mandatory pre-emption procedure under Law 17/2014 on the sale of agricultural extravilan land. This law gives specific categories of persons and institutions the right to purchase the land before it can be sold to the proposed buyer.
| Pre-emption category | Who has the right — and in what order |
|---|---|
| 1st priority — co-owners | Other owners who share ownership of the same agricultural plot (coproprietari) — e.g. in cases of undivided inheritance. They have the first right to purchase the seller’s share at the offered price. |
| 2nd priority — agricultural lessees | Tenants who hold a valid lease (arendaș) over the land for at least 3 years — and who have cultivated the land — have the right to purchase at the seller’s offered price before it is sold to a third party. |
| 3rd priority — owners of adjacent land | Owners of land directly adjacent (vecini) to the land being sold — on any boundary — have the right to purchase at the offered price. |
| 4th priority — the Romanian State | The Romanian State — represented by the Agency for State Domain (ADS, Agenția Domeniilor Statului) — has a final pre-emption right on all agricultural land sales. |
| How the process works | The seller publishes a notice of intent to sell in the Official Gazette and at the local town hall — listing the land, price and buyer. Each pre-emption right holder has 30 days to exercise their right. If none exercises within 30 days, the sale can proceed to the proposed buyer. Romania For Business SRL manages the pre-emption notification process. |
| Ministry of Agriculture approval | For agricultural land sales involving non-EU foreign buyers (via Romanian SRL) or for large land transactions (generally above 30 hectares), additional approval from the Ministry of Agriculture may be required. We assess this requirement at the outset of the engagement. |
Every purchase of agricultural extravilan land in Romania must go through the 30-day pre-emption period under Law 17/2014 — regardless of the buyer’s nationality or the agreed price. This is a fixed statutory timeline. Combined with the time to prepare the notice, publish it, and wait for the period to expire, the pre-emption process typically adds 6–8 weeks to the agricultural land acquisition timeline. Plan accordingly.
Urban Planning — What Can Be Built on Your Romanian Land
For intravilan building plots, what can be built is determined by the urban planning framework at three levels: the General Urban Plan (PUG), the Zonal Urban Plan (PUZ) and the Detailed Urban Plan (PUD). Understanding the applicable planning rules is essential before purchasing land intended for development.
| Planning instrument | What it covers and why it matters |
|---|---|
| PUG (Plan Urbanistic General) | The General Urban Plan covers the entire locality — designating land as residential, commercial, industrial, green space, protected, etc. PUG determines whether a plot is intravilan or extravilan and its general permitted use. A new PUG is prepared every 10 years — many Romanian localities are operating under outdated PUGs, creating uncertainty. Always check the current PUG status before purchasing. |
| PUZ (Plan Urbanistic Zonal) | A Zonal Urban Plan covers a specific area and provides more detailed planning rules — specifying the maximum building height (Hmax), Plot Occupation Ratio (POT — maximum % of the plot that can be covered by the building footprint), Floor Area Ratio (CUT — total floor area divided by plot area), setback distances, parking requirements and permitted uses. A valid PUZ is needed for most development projects. |
| PUD (Plan Urbanistic de Detaliu) | A Detailed Urban Plan is required for specific individual development projects — covering access routes, utility connections, landscaping and the precise relationship between the proposed building and its neighbours. PUDs are typically required for medium and large development projects. |
| Certificat de Urbanism | Before purchasing a building plot, the buyer should obtain a certificat de urbanism — a document issued by the local authority (Primărie) summarising all planning rules applicable to the specific plot (PUG, PUZ, PUD, height limits, POT, CUT, setback requirements, any planning obligations). This is the essential pre-purchase planning check for any development land purchase. |
| Change of use (integrare în intravilan) | Extravilan land can potentially be rezoned to intravilan through a local council decision — allowing development that would otherwise not be permitted. This process (integrare în intravilan) typically takes 6–24 months, requires the preparation of a new PUZ and is subject to local council vote. Romania For Business SRL coordinates change-of-use applications alongside the land acquisition. |
Land Due Diligence — What We Check Before You Buy
Land due diligence in Romania is more extensive than for built property — because land is harder to verify physically and the legal risks are harder to see. Romania For Business SRL conducts the following checks before any preliminary contract is signed.
| Due diligence area | What we check and why |
|---|---|
| ANCPI Carte Funciară | The land book entry confirms: the registered owner, the plot’s cadastral number, surface area, category of use, any registered mortgages or liens, servitudes, or court orders. Crucially: is the cadastral area the same as the area the seller claims to be selling? |
| Cadastral plan and topographic survey | We review the cadastral plan and, where necessary, engage a licensed topographic surveyor (topograf autorizat) to physically verify the plot’s boundaries, area, shape and the accuracy of the ANCPI registration. Discrepancies between the cadastral plan and physical reality are common on older registrations. |
| Land classification and zoning | We confirm the intravilan/extravilan classification, the specific land category (arabil, livadă, pășune, forestier etc.), the applicable PUG/PUZ/PUD rules and the buildability of the plot — obtaining the certificat de urbanism from the local authority. |
| Pre-emption rights check | We identify all pre-emption right holders for agricultural extravilan land — verifying whether co-owners, lessees, adjacent owners or other priority buyers exist — and manage the notification procedure. |
| Environmental designations | We check whether the land or any part of it falls within: a Natura 2000 protected area, a national park or nature reserve, a floodplain (zonă inundabilă), a landslide-risk area, or an area subject to archaeological protection. Any of these designations may restrict what can be built or how the land can be used. |
| Infrastructure access | We confirm: does a public road provide direct access to the plot, or is access via a private servitude over a neighbour’s land? Is electricity available at the plot boundary? Is there mains water and sewerage, or must the buyer provide their own infrastructure? What is the cost and feasibility of utility connection? |
| Encumbrances and servitudes | We check for any registered servitudes (right of way, utility easements, drainage rights) that may limit how the land can be used — and for any court orders, enforcement actions or legal disputes affecting the land. |
Land Purchase Process in Romania — Step by Step
Land purchases in Romania are more complex and take longer than apartment or house purchases. The process below applies to a standard building plot acquisition — agricultural land adds the pre-emption steps.
Requirements & eligibility
Land shortlist & viewing
Full due diligence
Urban planning check
Pre-emption (if agricultural)
Antecontract signed
Notary deed & ANCPI
Post-purchase planning
| Stage | What happens |
|---|---|
| 1. Requirements and eligibility | We establish the buyer’s land requirements — type, size, location, intended use (self-build house, commercial development, agricultural, investment) and budget. We assess foreign buyer eligibility and advise on the Romanian SRL route if required. |
| 2. Land shortlist and viewing | We identify suitable plots from our agent and developer network, local listings and direct owner contacts. Site visits coordinated. We assess each plot’s physical characteristics, access, views, slope, drainage and any visible infrastructure constraints. |
| 3. Full due diligence | ANCPI Carte Funciară extract, cadastral plan review, topographic boundary verification, land classification check, environmental designation search, infrastructure access confirmation and encumbrance review. |
| 4. Urban planning check | Certificat de urbanism obtained from the local authority for the specific plot — confirming all applicable planning rules, building coefficients, height limits and permitted uses. For extravilan land, we assess the intravilan change-of-use pathway. |
| 5. Pre-emption procedure (agricultural) | For agricultural extravilan land: we prepare and publish the intent-to-sell notice in the Official Gazette and at the local town hall. We manage the 30-day waiting period and confirm in writing that no pre-emption right holder has exercised their right before proceeding. |
| 6. Antecontract | We review the preliminary contract in English — checking price, deposit, completion conditions, pre-emption compliance confirmation and any building-related conditions precedent. We negotiate improvements before the client signs. |
| 7. Notary deed and ANCPI | Bilingual notary identified and booked. Full document pack prepared including ANCPI extract, cadastral plan, pre-emption documentation (if agricultural), certificat de urbanism. Deed signed. ANCPI registration filed. |
| 8. Post-purchase planning | After ANCPI registration: building permit application preparation (if self-build), PUZ initiation (if development project), utility connection applications, change-of-use process (if extravilan rezoning needed). |
Pricing — Land Acquisition Service in Romania
Land acquisitions are priced higher than apartment or house acquisitions because of the additional due diligence — cadastral verification, urban planning checks, pre-emption rights management and environmental designation review. The service fee below covers all coordination work.
Implementation note: The Law 17/2014 pre-emption process for agricultural land adds significant time and paperwork — price accordingly. Large development land acquisitions (>1ha) should be quoted individually after an initial assessment. Confirm all fee amounts before publication.
LAND ACQUISITION SERVICE — ROMANIA
buyer service fee
LAND ACQUISITION SERVICE INCLUDES:
- Foreign buyer eligibility assessment — EU vs non-EU, SRL route if required
- Land type identification — intravilan vs extravilan, category and zoning
- ANCPI Carte Funciară extract — title, boundaries, encumbrances
- Cadastral plan and boundary survey review — topographic verification
- Urban planning check — PUG/PUZ/PUD, permitted uses and building coefficients
- Pre-emption right check (drept de preempțiune) — state and neighbour rights
- Agricultural land pre-emption compliance (Law 17/2014) for extravilan
- Environmental and heritage designations review (Natura 2000, protected areas)
- Infrastructure access confirmation — road, utilities, connection feasibility
- Antecontract review — English translation and legal advice before signing
- Notary coordination — bilingual notary, full document pack
- ANCPI title registration — ownership recorded in the Land Book
- Post-purchase planning guidance — next steps for building permit / development
FEE SCHEDULE — LAND ACQUISITION
- Building plot acquisition — full buyer service from €2,000
- Agricultural land acquisition (extravilan) — Law 17/2014 compliance from €2,500
- Large development land acquisition (>1 ha) from €3,000
- Land due diligence only — ANCPI, zoning, pre-emption check from €600
- Antecontract or sale agreement review (English) from €300
- Change of land use coordination (integrare în intravilan) from €1,500
- Notary fees (separate — payable to notary) ~0.5–1% of price
- ANCPI registration tax (separate) ~0.1–0.5% of price