In brief
A building permit (Autorizație de construire) is issued for a specific building on a specific plot, so the right question is which permit covers the unit you are buying and whether it is valid. Under Law 207/2025, whose rules now appear in article 422 of the Planning and Construction Code, a preliminary contract is signed before a notary only after the permit has been registered in the land book. The permit and the extract can and should be checked before any payment.
Key takeaways
- 1A building permit is a document for a specific building on a specific plot, not "approval for a project"; ask for the permit for your unit.
- 2An urbanism certificate (Certificat de urbanism) only sets out what may be built; it does not permit building.
- 3Without a permit registered in the land book there is no notarised preliminary contract, under the rules in article 422 of the Planning and Construction Code.
- 4A new permit under Law 169/2026 is valid for 3 years from issue, which may not be extended, and is extended for the execution period from the notice of commencement of works.
- 5An online extract on ANCPI's ePay costs 20 lei, and the details of the permit are published on the authority's website within 30 days of its issue.
Why ask to see the building permit before paying?
Because the building permit is the document that actually permits building, and it is the basis for the rest of the transaction. Without it there is no preliminary contract, and without acceptance at the end of construction the developer may not hand over the property.
Many buyers hesitate to ask for the document for fear of appearing suspicious, worry that they will be shown a document in Romanian that is not a permit, or hear that the permit is "in progress". The first fear is unnecessary: an orderly developer expects the question. The second is justified and has a simple solution. And the third is exactly the situation the law has closed off.
An urbanism certificate (Certificat de urbanism) only sets out what may be built; it does not permit building.
Which permit covers the unit you are buying?
A building permit (Autorizație de construire) is not a feature of a project. It is issued for a specific building on a specific plot. In a project of several buildings, each building may receive its own permit, so the permit shown to you may cover a different building from the one you chose.
The correct answer to the question "is there a permit?" is three documents on the table: the permit covering your unit, the extract for its plot and the notice of commencement of works under that permit, all with the same cadastral number.
How do you distinguish between an urbanism certificate, a permit and an acceptance report?
| Document | What it confirms | What it does not confirm |
|---|---|---|
| Urbanism certificate (Certificat de urbanism) | What may be built on the plot and which approvals are required | It does not permit building |
| Building permit (Autorizație de construire) | The authorisation to build: number, date, areas, floors, site plan and elevations | It does not prove that the construction complies with it |
| Acceptance report (recepție la terminarea lucrărilor) | Construction has been completed and has passed acceptance | It exists only at the end of construction |
Anyone who presents an "approval" and means an urbanism certificate has not yet presented a building permit.
Can a preliminary contract be signed before there is a permit?
No. Under Law 207/2025, whose rules now appear in article 422 of the Planning and Construction Code, a preliminary contract for a property under construction is signed before a notary, and only after the building permit has been registered in the land book. An offer of a private "heads of agreement" instead of a notarised contract is in effect an offer to waive this protection.
What does "a valid permit" mean under the new code?
The new Planning and Construction Code (Law 169/2026) entered into force on 25 August 2026. Under it:
- A new permit is valid for 3 years from the date of issue (article 309).
- Its validity is extended for the entire execution period from the day on which the developer notified the authority of the commencement of works.
- The 3 years may not be extended, and a permit under which works did not start in time lapses (article 310).
- A permit issued before the code has not been cancelled; the code addresses such permits (article 314), and their validity is determined by what is written in them.
So for every permit, old or new, two questions are decisive: by when the permit requires construction to start, and when the notice of commencement of works was sent.
How do you check the permit yourself?
- A full copy of the permit with all its annexes, including the site plan and the elevations, and also an inspection of the document itself at the meeting. Compare the floors and areas with the plans shown to you.
- Identity of the applicant. Make sure that the company appearing on the permit is the company signing with you, and that it is the registered owner of the plot.
- The plot extract. Order an extract on the ePay platform of ANCPI (the National Agency for Cadastre and Land Registration), for 20 lei. Before a preliminary contract, the permit must be registered in it.
- Location. Locate the plot on the map by cadastral number in the ANCPI geoportal.
- Official publication. Under the code, the local authority publishes the details of the permit on its website within 30 days of its issue.
- Site sign. On commencement of works, the developer must put up an identification sign for the project, and this is also written in the permit itself.
- Notice of commencement of works and insurance. The notice is sent to the municipality and to the State Construction Inspectorate (ISC), and the code requires the ten-year insurance policy to be presented at the start of construction (article 556).
- Your own lawyer. The developer's lawyer represents the developer only.
Why does this check pay off particularly in Romania?
Planning information in Romania is more accessible than many Israeli investors expect: permit details are published, and an online extract costs a nominal sum. Because the check is cheap and quick, there is no reason to transfer money for a property under construction before you have seen the relevant permit and its registration in the extract.
What to do before paying and how we assist
Before any payment, including a reservation, ask the developer for the three documents and check that they relate to the same cadastral number. We go through the permit and its annexes, compare them with the extract and the proposed contract and mark discrepancies for clarification. Checking the documents with the authorities and signing the preliminary contract are carried out in Romania by a lawyer and a notary holding a local licence, and where necessary also by an independent local architect.
What is stated here is general information as of October 2026 and is not legal advice for a specific case. The new code entered into force in August 2026 and its implementing rules are still being updated.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between an urbanism certificate and a building permit in Romania?
The urbanism certificate sets out what may be built on the plot and which approvals are required, and does not permit building. The building permit is the authorisation itself, with a number, date, areas, floors and plans.
The permit was issued before the new code. Is it still valid?
The new code did not cancel earlier permits. Validity is determined by what is written in the permit: by when construction must start and how long execution lasts. It should be checked that the works started in time and that notice of this was sent.
Can a preliminary contract be signed before there is a building permit?
No. Under Law 207/2025, whose rules now appear in article 422 of the Planning and Construction Code, a preliminary contract is signed before a notary only after the building permit has been registered in the land book.
How do you check that the permit is registered against the plot?
Order an online extract on ANCPI's ePay, at a cost of 20 lei, and check that the permit is registered in it. You can also locate the plot by cadastral number in the ANCPI geoportal.
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The information in this guide is general in nature and does not constitute legal or tax advice on any specific transaction. Every transaction is assessed on its own facts.