Courts and Codes
Claims are heard by the judecătorie or tribunal by value, with commercial matters handled in dedicated sections. Enforcement is carried out by executori judecătorești, independent enforcement officers operating under court supervision with access to banking and registry data.
Ordonanța de Plată - and the Notice That Precedes It
The ordonanța de plată is a fast procedure for certain, liquid and due money claims. The court decides largely on documents and can issue an order requiring payment within a short period.
The precondition is what matters. The creditor must first serve a somație - a formal notice giving the debtor fifteen days to pay - and must be able to prove service when filing. An application made without that step is rejected, and the time lost is the time it would have taken to do it properly. On Romanian files the sequencing is as important as the substance.
Three Years
The general limitation period is three years, running from when the creditor knew or ought to have known of the claim. Serving the somație does not itself interrupt the period - only commencing proceedings does - so on an aged claim the notice and the filing should be planned together rather than treated as separate stages months apart.
Statutory Commercial Interest
Romania implements the EU Late Payment Directive with a statutory rate for commercial transactions set above the ordinary civil rate, running from the due date without a reminder, together with a fixed sum in compensation for recovery costs. Because the payment order procedure requires the claim to be certain and liquid, quantifying the interest correctly at the notice stage strengthens the later application.
How Long Does a Romanian Claim Take?
| Stage | Typical Duration | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Somație - mandatory notice 15 days for the debtor to pay | 3–4 weeks | Low |
| Ordonanța de plată Filing to order | 2–4 months | Low |
| Ordinary proceedings Where the claim is contested | 1–2 years | High |
| Enforcement Executor judecătoresc - accounts, assets | 2–5 months | Medium |
How Does SXB Global Handle a Romanian Case?
We serve the somație properly and document service, because that single step determines whether the fast route is available at all. Where the claim is aged we plan the notice and the filing as one sequence rather than allowing the fifteen days to become three months. Contact is conducted in Romanian. Where legal proceedings become appropriate, SXB Global coordinates the instruction of appropriately authorised local counsel. Legal services are provided by the relevant independent legal professionals.