Do you have foreign documents that need to be recognized in Romania? Did you know that these documents, especially civil status papers, need to go through the transcription procedure?
Learn everything about transcribing foreign documents from our lawyers, below!
What exactly is the transcription or registration of foreign documents?
The transcription of foreign documents in Romania represents the transfer of information from a document issued by a foreign authority to a certificate issued by the Romanian authorities.
In other words, after presenting your foreign document to the Romanian authorities, they will officially register it and offer you a Romanian certificate which attest this fact.
What documents can be transcribed?
This procedure applies mostly to documents regarding your civil status (e.g. marriage, change of name, birth certificate).
Foreign court decisions cannot be simply transcribed in Romania, but are instead subject to other procedures to be officially recognized in Romania.
Why do you need to transcribe civil status documents issued abroad?
The transcription of civil status documents is mandatory in order to have your document recognized in Romania. If they are not legally registered in public records, such foreign documents cannot be used as proof of your civil status.
In other words, if you got married abroad, Romanian authorities will not recognize your marriage (and you will remain unmarried in public records) if you do not transcribe your foreign marriage certificate in Romania. In the absence of such transcription, the Romanian authorities cannot know that you got married abroad or that you changed your name, respectively.
Romanian citizens must request transcription of their foreign certificates of civil status within 6 months after returning to Romania or after receiving the said certificate from abroad. We have this obligation because our home country, in this case Romania, should always have their citizens’ civil status up to date.
Who can file the transcript and where should I apply?
The request can be made personally or through a representative authorized by a special power of attorney, authenticated by a notary public in Romania, by a diplomatic mission/consular office of Romania abroad or by a foreign notary public.
The request for transcript is addressed to each person’s local community public service of records from their last domicile in Romania. Individuals who did not have their domicile in Romania can submit the application to the Bucharest District 1 City Hall.
What documents are required for transcription?
The transcript request is accompanied by the certificate or civil status excerpt issued by the foreign authorities, in original, copy and legalized translation, as well as the following documents, depending on the case:
- copies of birth and marriage certificates, copies of ID or passport, respectively
- notary statements from both spouses, if they are Romanian citizens, or only from the Romanian spouse, regarding the name obtained after marriage, when the foreign marriage certificate does not refer to the spouses’ names after marriage
- statement made by parents requesting the transcript of their child’s birth certificate, with regard to the minor’s domicile, if the parents have different domiciles
- statement by the applicant or their legal representative that there is no other such document transcribed, registered or reconstituted in any way
How long does it take?
After submitting your application, you will receive the transcribed certificate in maximum 30 calendar days.
What are the sanctions if I will not do it on time?
Citizens who do not transcribe their documents in the legal requested term can be sanctioned with a fine between 100 and 200 lei.
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