Top-Rated Debt Collection Agency in Romania
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How does debt collection work in Romania?
Debt collection in Romania starts with an amicable phase led by SCA Chirita si Asociatii, Debitura's licensed local partner: reminders and a formal payment demand, aimed at full payment or a written instalment agreement. Most straightforward claims are resolved at this stage. If the debtor still does not pay, escalation to court is a separate, approved step, never automatic.
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The four steps from unpaid invoice to recovered cash
- Step 1 - Amicable collection: reminders, a formal payment demand and negotiation, handled locally by a local, licensed partner. Most undisputed claims are resolved in this phase, without going to court.
- Step 2 - Enforceable title: if the debtor still does not pay, your partner assesses the legal route to obtain an enforceable title and you approve a fixed-price quote before anything proceeds.
- Step 3 - Enforcement: with a legal title, the competent enforcement authority can attach wages, bank funds and other assets until the claim is recovered.
- Step 4 - Insolvency: if the debtor turns out to be insolvent, your proof of claim is filed and any distributions are monitored on your behalf.
Every step is tracked in your dashboard, and nothing escalates without your approval. The full legal detail for Romania, timelines, costs, courts and enforcement, follows in the guide below.
Debt collection in Romania - the complete 2026 guide
This guide covers Debt Collection Romania end to end: the amicable phase, going to court, enforcement and insolvency, written for creditors, finance teams and in-house counsel recovering unpaid invoices from debtors based in Romania, whether the claim is domestic or cross-border.
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Why you can trust this guide
At Debitura, we uphold the highest standards of impartiality and precision to bring you comprehensive guides on international debt collection. Our editorial team boasts over a decade of specialized experience in this domain.
Questions or feedback? Email us at contact@debitura.com , we update this guide based on your input.
Debitura By the Numbers:
- 10+ years focused on international debt collection
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- $100M+ recovered for clients in the last 18 months
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Written by Lars Holdgaard, Founder of Debitura (+10 years in global B2B debt recovery). Every page is reviewed by top local attorneys to ensure legal accuracy and practical steps you can use.
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Debt collection in Romania - quick answers
How much does debt collection cost in Romania?
Debt Collection Romania cases run on Debitura's No Cure, No Pay model: you pay nothing upfront and a success fee only once the debt is actually recovered. On top of that, Romanian law lets you recover statutory costs from the debtor where the claim qualifies: a fixed EUR 40 minimum compensation for recovery costs on B2B and B2G invoices under Legea nr. 72/2013 (the Late Payment Law, transposing EU Directive 2011/7/EU), plus statutory late-payment interest. Under the same law, B2B invoices are due within 60 calendar days by default (30 days if no term is agreed) and B2G invoices within 30 days (60 days for public-health bodies).
How long does debt collection take in Romania?
For debts that qualify, Romania's ordonanța de plată (the payment order procedure) resolves a claim within 45 days of filing under the Codul de procedură civilă (the Civil Procedure Code), Art. 1013-1024. Before filing, the creditor must first send the debtor a somație de plată (a formal payment demand) giving at least 15 days to pay; once the case is filed, the court issues a 10-day citation notice to the debtor, who then has at least 3 days before the hearing to file an opposition. If the debtor does not oppose, the order becomes enforceable and payment is due within 10 to 30 days, even while any appeal is pending. Ordinary court proceedings for disputed or higher-value claims generally take longer, since they involve a full evidentiary hearing rather than the payment order's fast-track review.
What is the limitation period for debt collection in Romania?
Most debt claims in Romania are time-barred after 3 years from the date the debt becomes due, the general limitation term (prescripție extinctivă) set by Codul civil (the Civil Code) Art. 2517, unless a specific law sets a different period. The clock resets, interrupting the limitation period, when the debtor acknowledges the debt, the creditor files a lawsuit or arbitration claim, or the creditor serves a formal punere în întârziere (default notice), under Codul civil Art. 2537. Tracking this deadline matters in practice: once the three years lapse without interruption, a debtor can raise the limitation period as a defence and defeat an otherwise valid claim.
What statutory interest applies to unpaid debts in Romania?
Statutory interest in Romania depends on the type of debt. For B2B and B2G debts, penalty interest is the Banca Națională a României (BNR, the National Bank of Romania) reference rate plus 8 percentage points under Legea nr. 72/2013, currently around 14,50% a year (a 6,50% reference rate as of the BNR's 8 July 2026 decision). For general civil debts, penalty interest is the reference rate plus 4 points under Ordonanța Guvernului nr. 13/2011, currently around 10,50% a year.
What documents do I need to start debt collection in Romania?
To start debt collection in Romania you need the underlying contract or invoice showing a debt that is certain, liquid and due, proof of delivery of the goods or services, and evidence that a payment demand was sent to the debtor. This last point matters for court: fast-track instruments such as the ordonanța de plată only proceed once the creditor has already sent the debtor a somație de plată (formal payment demand) giving at least 15 days to pay. Where the underlying contract exists in writing, the signed agreement itself strengthens the claim; for cross-border EU claims, the standard forms for the European Payment Order or the European Small Claims Procedure are used instead of a domestic filing.
Which court handles a debt collection claim in Romania?
Which court hears a Romania debt claim depends on its value: claims up to 200.000 RON go to the judecătorie (the local first-instance court) under Codul de procedură civilă Art. 94, and claims above 200.000 RON go to the tribunal (the county court), which also hears appeals from judecătorie decisions, under Art. 95. The same 200.000 RON split also routes cross-border European Payment Order claims, and for cross-border EU claims up to EUR 5.000, the European Small Claims Procedure offers a further streamlined option (see Cross-border debt collection in Romania, below).
| Claim value | Competent court |
|---|---|
| Up to 200.000 RON | Judecătorie (local court), first instance |
| Above 200.000 RON | Tribunal (county court), first instance; also hears judecătorie appeals |
Who does what in Romania debt collection?
Recovering a debt in Romania, whether through a debt collection agency in Romania for the amicable phase or through court, involves several distinct professionals, each under a different legal regime.
Debt collection agencies in Romania
Since 1 January 2017, debt-recovery activity in Romania may only be carried out by the original creditor or by an entity registered with the Autoritatea Națională pentru Protecția Consumatorilor (ANPC, the National Authority for Consumer Protection), under Ordonanța de urgență a Guvernului nr. 52/2016 (Government Emergency Ordinance 52/2016). Registration requires commercial-registry and tax certificates, founding documents, clean criminal records for administrators, and a declaration that staff pay is not based solely on collection results; registered entities must also file an annual report with ANPC between 1 January and 1 March.
Executor judecătoresc (the judicial enforcement officer, or bailiff)
The executor judecătoresc, governed by Legea nr. 188/2000 (Law 188/2000), enforces court decisions and other enforceable titles once amicable recovery has failed: notifying and communicating judicial acts, attempting amicable recovery, applying conservatory measures, and carrying out enforcement itself (Art. 7). Territorial competence for seizing assets sits with the executor of the court-of-appeal district where the assets are located (Art. 9(2)). Debitura's partner works with executori judecătorești in the correct court-of-appeal district, so the right officer is engaged from the start.
Lawyers (avocați)
A lawyer becomes necessary once a claim needs to go to court: drafting and filing the case, representing the creditor at the hearing, and helping enforce the resulting judgment. Lawyers in Romania are regulated by the Uniunea Națională a Barourilor din România (UNBR, the National Union of Romanian Bar Associations) and must hold a valid practising licence. Debitura's Romanian partner, SCA Chirita si Asociatii, is a lawyers' partnership licensed by the Baroul Cluj (the Cluj Bar Association) and arranges a fixed-price quote before any court filing, so you approve the cost upfront.
Which laws and courts apply to debt collection in Romania?
The civil court system in Romania
Romania's civil courts are split by claim value under the Codul de procedură civilă (Legea nr. 134/2010, the Civil Procedure Code): the judecătorie (local court) hears claims up to 200.000 RON in first instance (Art. 94), while the tribunal (county court) hears claims above that value in first instance and also decides appeals from judecătorie decisions (Art. 95). Further appeals may reach higher courts. Once a title is enforceable, enforcement itself is carried out by an executor judecătoresc (the judicial enforcement officer) under the same Code, not by the court directly.
Key debt collection legislation in Romania
The main statutes governing debt collection in Romania are the Codul civil (Legea nr. 287/2009, the Civil Code), which sets the general 3-year prescripție extinctivă (limitation period) and governs obligations; the Codul de procedură civilă (Legea nr. 134/2010), which governs civil actions, the ordonanța de plată and executarea silită (enforcement); Legea nr. 72/2013, which transposes the EU Late Payment Directive (2011/7/EU) and sets statutory late-payment interest and maximum payment terms, 60 days for B2B invoices and 30 days for B2G invoices (60 days for public-health entities); and Legea nr. 85/2014, which governs insolvency and bankruptcy, with a 50.000 lei debt threshold for opening proceedings and insolvency presumed after 60 days of non-payment.
Consumer and data protection
Debt-recovery activity itself is regulated under Ordonanța de urgență a Guvernului nr. 52/2016 (OUG 52/2016), which since 1 January 2017 restricts recovery activity to the original creditor or an entity registered with the Autoritatea Națională pentru Protecția Consumatorilor (ANPC, the National Authority for Consumer Protection). ANPC oversees registration and compliance, and registered entities file annual reports with it between 1 January and 1 March. Personal data handling by any party involved is governed by the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), directly applicable in Romania as an EU member state.
Alongside ordinary court proceedings, the Codul de procedură civilă also provides the ordonanța de plată as a faster, lower-cost alternative for certain, liquid and due civil-contract debts, including B2B and B2G claims, and Legea nr. 85/2014 provides a separate insolvency track once a debtor can no longer pay its debts as they fall due.
Step 1 - How does amicable (pre-legal) debt collection work in Romania?
Amicable debt collection in Romania is led by SCA Chirita si Asociatii, our licensed local partner, and aims to recover payment without going to court. Before contacting the debtor, the partner typically confirms the debt is still outstanding and verifies the debtor's current contact and registry details. Reminders then typically progress from a first phone or written contact to escalating written notices, giving the debtor several opportunities to settle before any formal legal step is taken. Where reminders alone do not resolve the claim, the next step is a formal somație de plată (payment demand), which can be served by a bailiff or sent by registered mail. Most straightforward, undisputed claims are resolved at this stage.
| Timing | Action |
|---|---|
| Day 0 | First contact: reminders and direct negotiation with the debtor. |
| Day 15-30 | If unresolved, a formal somație de plată (payment demand) is sent, giving the debtor at least 15 days to pay under the Codul de procedură civilă. |
| Day 30-60 | Negotiation continues; a written instalment agreement can be reached at any point. |
| Day 60-90 | If the debtor still does not pay, escalation to court, most often via the ordonanța de plată, becomes an option you approve. |
Amicable collection suits undisputed claims such as unpaid invoices or loan repayments; disputed debts, or debts needing an immediate conservatory measure such as a sechestru asigurător (precautionary attachment) before litigation, typically move to a legal track sooner. Escalation to court is a separate, approved step, never automatic. Typical triggers are a lack of response to the somație de plată, a broken instalment agreement, or a debtor who is deliberately avoiding contact. A debtor who responds positively can also settle by agreeing a payment plan directly with the partner, without any further escalation.
Step 2 - How do you obtain an enforceable title in Romania?
If amicable collection fails, Romania offers two main routes to an enforceable title: the fast-track ordonanța de plată (the payment order procedure) for straightforward debts, and ordinary proceedings for disputed or more complex claims.
Ordonanța de plată (the payment order procedure)
The ordonanța de plată, Codul de procedură civilă Art. 1013-1024, applies to certain, liquid and due civil-contract debts, including B2B and B2G claims. Before filing, the creditor must send the debtor a somație de plată (formal payment demand) giving at least 15 days to pay. Filing costs a 200 lei court fee, and the court then issues a 10-day citation notice to the debtor, who has at least 3 days before the hearing to file an opposition. The case is resolved within 45 days. If the debtor does not oppose, the order becomes enforceable, payment is due within 10 to 30 days, and the order remains provisionally enforceable even if the debtor appeals.
Ordinary proceedings
Disputed debts, or claims the ordonanța de plată does not cover, go through ordinary civil proceedings instead: a full hearing where the court examines evidence and arguments from both sides before ruling. These proceedings generally take longer than the payment order procedure, since there is no equivalent 45-day resolution deadline, and legal representation becomes more important given the additional procedural steps involved. Court fees for ordinary proceedings follow a separate, claim-value-based schedule, unlike the ordonanța de plată's fixed 200 lei fee. Because an unopposed ordonanța de plată is provisionally enforceable, a creditor does not have to wait for any appeal to be resolved before starting enforcement.
Determining the competent court
Which court hears the case follows the same value-based split as the rest of Romanian civil procedure: claims up to 200.000 RON go to the judecătorie (the local court), and claims above that threshold go to the tribunal (the county court), which also hears appeals from judecătorie decisions, under Codul de procedură civilă Art. 94-95.
| Route | Use when |
|---|---|
| Ordonanța de plată | Undisputed, certain and liquid civil-contract debts (incl. B2B/B2G); resolved within 45 days; 200 lei court fee. |
| Ordinary proceedings | Disputed or complex claims, or claims the ordonanța de plată does not cover; no fixed statutory resolution deadline. |
Whichever route applies, the resulting title, an unopposed ordonanța de plată or a final court judgment, is what allows enforcement in Step 3 below.
Step 3 - How does debt enforcement work in Romania?
Once you hold an enforceable title, judicial enforcement in Romania, executarea silită, is carried out by an executor judecătoresc (the judicial enforcement officer, sometimes called a bailiff), under the Codul de procedură civilă.
The executor judecătoresc's role
Under Legea nr. 188/2000, the executor judecătoresc notifies and communicates judicial acts, attempts amicable recovery even at this stage, applies conservatory measures, and enforces the title directly (Art. 7). Territorial competence for seizing assets sits with the executor of the court-of-appeal district where the assets are located (Art. 9(2)).
Poprire (garnishment)
Poprire lets the executor freeze a debtor's bank accounts, securities and future income, including wages, by serving notice directly on the terț poprit (the garnishee, such as the debtor's bank or employer); no prior warning to the debtor is required, and the funds freeze on notice. A portion of the debtor's income remains protected from seizure by law.
Sechestru asigurător (precautionary attachment)
Before an enforceable title even exists, a creditor with a written and exigible claim who has already started litigation can ask the court for a sechestru asigurător, freezing the debtor's seizable assets under Codul de procedură civilă Art. 952-957. The court typically requires a cauțiune (a security deposit); if it is not paid, the measure automatically ends, and the debtor can lift it by offering the court adequate alternative security.
| Enforcement method | What it does |
|---|---|
| Poprire (garnishment) | Freezes bank accounts, securities and future income, including wages, via notice to the terț poprit (garnishee). |
| Sechestru asigurător (precautionary attachment) | Freezes seizable assets before an enforceable title exists, once litigation has started. |
| Asset seizure | Movable and immovable assets are identified and seized by the executor judecătoresc for sale, once an enforceable title is held. |
Bailiff fees are regulated and vary with the complexity of the case, and certain assets and a minimum standard of living are protected from seizure by law, balancing the creditor's right to recover against the debtor's basic needs. Enforcement generally requires a valid executor title, such as a final court decision, an unopposed ordonanța de plată, or a notarial act with enforceable force. Judicial executors act under court supervision throughout enforcement, and a debtor can challenge specific enforcement measures before the courts.
Step 4 - How do insolvency procedures affect debt recovery in Romania?
If a debtor in Romania cannot pay its debts, creditors can turn to formal insolvency proceedings under Legea nr. 85/2014 (privind procedurile de prevenire a insolvenței și de insolvență, the Insolvency Law), where the debtor's assets are distributed among creditors in a statutory order of priority instead of through individual enforcement.
When insolvency proceedings open
Insolvency proceedings can open once a debtor has a certain, liquid and due debt exceeding the valoare-prag (the debt threshold) of 50.000 lei, whether the proceedings are triggered by a creditor or the debtor itself. For claims by employees, the threshold is 6 average gross salaries per employee, per Legea nr. 85/2014 Art. 5 pct. 72. Insolvență (insolvency) itself is defined as an insufficient availability of funds for certain, liquid and due debts, and is presumed once the debtor has not paid for 60 days past the due date, under Art. 5 pct. 29.
| Threshold | Value |
|---|---|
| Debt threshold to open proceedings (creditor or debtor) | 50.000 lei |
| Debt threshold for employee claims | 6 average gross salaries per employee |
| Presumption of insolvency | 60 days of non-payment past the due date |
Reorganizare judiciară and faliment
Once proceedings open, Romanian insolvency law provides two main outcomes. Reorganizare judiciară (judicial reorganisation), Art. 5 pct. 54, lets the debtor pay its debts according to a court-approved schedule of claims. Faliment (bankruptcy), Art. 5 pct. 45, is the collective, competitive and equal liquidation of the debtor's assets when reorganisation is not possible or fails. Whether reorganizare judiciară or faliment applies depends on the debtor's ability to present a viable repayment plan and the court's assessment of the case.
Creditor's role and priority of claims
Creditors must register their claims within the proceeding to be considered for repayment, and claims are then paid in a statutory order of priority, with secured and preferential claims generally satisfied before ordinary, unsecured claims. Once the proceeding closes, a descărcare definitivă de obligații (definitive discharge of obligations), Art. 5 pct. 261, extinguishes the gap between the debts owed when the proceeding opened and what was actually paid. For a creditor, the practical decision is whether pursuing a claim inside insolvency proceedings is worthwhile given the debtor's likely asset recovery and your claim's priority ranking; secured creditors with priority claims are generally better placed than ordinary unsecured creditors, and timelines vary with the size and complexity of the estate and the court's docket. Insolvency-court decisions can generally be challenged on appeal, so the process is not necessarily final at first instance. Throughout the process, Debitura's partner monitors the case and keeps you informed of key deadlines and distributions.
Fees, interest and who pays what in Romania
- Our fee: success-based - No Cure, No Pay (see pricing).
- Court & enforcement fees: state fees apply only if the case escalates to legal action.
- Statutory debtor items: late-payment interest and recoverable collection costs are added to the debt where the law allows.
- Who keeps what: recovered principal is yours; statutory costs and interest follow local rules.
Statutory interest and costs in Romania
| Interest type | Rate |
|---|---|
| Dobânda legală remuneratorie (statutory reference rate) | BNR (Banca Națională a României) reference rate, currently 6,50% p.a. |
| Dobânda legală penalizatoare, general civil debts | Reference rate + 4 points, currently around 10,50% p.a. (Ordonanța Guvernului nr. 13/2011) |
| Dobânda legală penalizatoare, B2B/B2G debts | Reference rate + 8 points, currently around 14,50% p.a. (Legea nr. 72/2013) |
Legea nr. 72/2013 also lets a creditor claim a fixed EUR 40 minimum compensation for recovery costs on B2B and B2G invoices, on top of statutory interest, and caps payment terms at 60 days for B2B invoices and 30 days for B2G invoices (60 days for public-health bodies). Where a claim goes to court, the ordonanța de plată (payment order procedure) carries a fixed 200 lei filing fee, and Romanian law generally allows a successful creditor to recover its court costs from the debtor. Statutory interest keeps accruing until the debt is actually paid, so a faster resolution also reduces what the debtor ultimately owes.
Cross-border debt collection in Romania
Romania is an EU member state, so EU cross-border recovery instruments are genuinely available alongside the domestic routes above.
European Payment Order
The European Payment Order (EPO) follows the same 200.000 RON judecătorie/tribunal split as domestic claims, the proceedings are conducted in Romanian, and the opposition fee is 100 RON. If the debtor does not oppose, the order becomes enforceable across the EU; a request to review or annul the order must be filed within 10 days of service.
European Small Claims Procedure
The European Small Claims Procedure (ESCP) is available for cross-border claims up to EUR 5.000. Claims start at the judecătorie (the local court), proceedings are in Romanian, and the court fee is 50 RON for claims up to 2.000 RON or 200 RON above that. An appeal against the judecătorie's decision goes to the tribunal, within 30 days.
Recognition of judgments from other EU countries
Beyond the EPO and ESCP, Regulation (EU) 1215/2012 (Brussels I recast) generally governs the recognition and enforcement of civil and commercial judgments between EU member states, including Romania, without a separate exequatur procedure for most claims.
Find a Local Debt Collection Lawyer
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LEGALITY is a premier law firm in Bucharest offering effective Debt Collection services in Romania, positioning itself as the go-to partner for debt recovery since 1999, with over 22 years of experience and notable awards and memberships.
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Hammond Si Asociates is a premier law firm in Bucuresti offering effective Debt Collection services in Romania, established in 2004, renowned for its expertise in corporate M&A, commercial law, and litigation, with accolades and memberships enhancing its trusted reputation.
Andreea Taralunga Law Office is a premier law firm in Bucharest offering effective Debt Collection services in Romania, established in 2011, operating on a "no win, no fee" basis, and affiliated with TCM Group and Debitura for international reach.
GRECU | GORDE Attorneys at Law is a premier law firm in Cluj-Napoca offering effective Debt Collection services in Romania, recognized for their expertise since 2011 and backed by memberships in Baroul Cluj and Uniunea Națională a Barourilor din România.
SCA Toader, Georgescu and the Associates is a premier law firm in București offering effective Debt Collection services in Romania, established in 2003, and is a trusted member of the Bucharest Bar Association and the Union of Liberal Professions of Romania.
Grecu Partners is a premier law firm in Bucharest offering effective Debt Collection services in Romania, established in 2006, recognized for excellence in Intellectual Property, and serving clients in Romania and Bulgaria, with memberships in key European legal associations.
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SCA Chirita Si Asociatii is a premier law firm in Romania offering effective risk-free Debt Collection services, positioning itself as the go-to partner for debt recovery since 2011, with accolades like the "Firma de Aur" award and memberships in IURISGAL and Legal 500; as an exclusive Debitura partner in Romania, it provides No Cure No Pay debt collection based on Debitura's risk-free standard terms and pricing.
Law Office Arsulescu is a premier law firm in Timisoara offering effective Debt Collection services in Romania, positioning itself as the go-to partner for debt recovery with a foundation in 2019, national coverage, and membership in the Timiș Bar Association.
Frequently Asked Questions
Explore our most common FAQs below, or reach out directly at contact@debitura.com if you need help with a specific case.
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