According to the legal provisions, companies are required to hold permits, authorisations or licences specific to the field of activity when they start trading and during the course of their business. In some cases, permits, authorisations or licences have a validity period and must be re-acquired or renewed. Not all economic activities require authorisations or permits.

In the vast majority of situations, arrangements to obtain permits, authorisations or operating licences must be made after the establishment of the company or place of business. Permits, authorisations or licences can be obtained only if certain quality, hygiene, volume and safety conditions imposed by the national legislation applicable to the field of activity are met.

The most common permits and authorisations for business activities carried out in Romania are as follows:

• veterinary health and food safety permit/authorisation;
• fire safety permit/authorisation;
• permit for selling foodstuffs;
• environmental authorisation;
• health authorisation to operate;
• authorisation from the local administrative unit;
• authorisation to operate from an occupational health and safety perspective;
• operating licence and activity profile;
• activity-specific operating licences, including for: catering facilities, gambling activities, waste collection/recycling activities, real estate agencies, travel agencies, accommodation establishments, pawnbrokers and money exchanges, transport services, vehicle maintenance and repair facilities, car washes, driving schools, pharmacies and healthcare establishments, educational facilities, provision of electronic communications networks and services, postal services, etc.

In Romania, there are private companies that provide assistance and support in obtaining permits, authorisations or licences, depending on the specificities of the field of activity.

In accordance with Article 4 of Law No 162/2017, the audit firm authorised in a Member State has the right to perform statutory audit in Romania, under the following conditions:

• the key audit partner performing the statutory audit on behalf of the audit firm to be authorised as financial auditor in Romania;
• the authorised audit firm must be registered in the Electronic Public Register of financial auditors and audit firms, in accordance with the provisions of Article 14 and 16 of Law No 162/2017;
• the audit firm must prove that it is registered with the competent authority of the home Member State and that the certificate attesting the registration of the audit firm in the home Member State issued by that competent authority must not be older than 3 months.

ASPAAS informs the competent authority of the home Member State regarding the registration of the audit firm in Romania.