Business Setup in Poiana Brașov (2026)

Good to know

Good to Know

You do not need a Romanian or EU citizen as a partner, sponsor, or director — a single foreigner can own and run an SRL alone.
Because Poiana Brașov is part of Brașov municipality rather than its own legal jurisdiction, all registry filings, notaries, and tax offices you'll deal with are the standard Brașov-city ones — there's no separate 'Poiana Brașov' business registry.
The official minimum share capital is nominal (RON 500), but banks are sometimes wary of accounts for companies with only the bare minimum capital, so many founders voluntarily declare a somewhat higher amount.
If you're a non-EU citizen, budget real extra time and cost for apostilling and certified-translating your home-country documents before the Romanian process even starts — this is usually the actual bottleneck, not the ONRC step itself.
The attractive 1% micro-company tax rate requires having at least one employee on the books, which in practice usually means formally employing yourself as director.
A Romanian registered office address is mandatory; most solo foreign founders in this area use a virtual office or co-working address service in Brașov city rather than leasing physical office space in Poiana Brașov itself.
There's no Poiana Brașov-specific business tax or registration process — a foreign-owned business here is registered and taxed exactly like anywhere else in Romania, filed through the Brașov county Trade Registry.
Romania's 1% micro-enterprise tax on turnover (rather than profit) is one of the most competitive small-business regimes in the EU, but the eligibility cap was tightened to EUR 100,000 annual revenue starting 2026 (down from EUR 250,000), and it now strictly requires at least one employee.
Many single-founder SRLs satisfy the 'one employee' micro-enterprise requirement by putting the owner-director on payroll at the national minimum wage — a common and legal workaround, but it does add payroll/social-contribution obligations.
Dividend tax jumped from 10% to 16% starting January 2026, which meaningfully changes the math on taking profit out of an SRL versus reinvesting or paying yourself a salary.
A PFA (sole trader) is the simplest route for a solo freelancer, but non-EU nomads need an existing Romanian residence permit before they can register one — it isn't a standalone path to legal residence.
An SRL now requires a small minimum share capital (reintroduced for 2026) and, if you don't open a Romanian bank account within 60 business days of incorporation, the company risks being flagged fiscally inactive.

Corporate Tax Regime

Minimum Turnover Tax Large Companies: Only relevant to large firms with turnover above EUR 50 million — not applicable to typical small foreign-owned nomad businesses; set at 0.5% of adjusted turnover for 2026 and scheduled for repeal in 2027.

VAT

Standard Rate Percent: 19
E Invoicing: Since 2026, businesses must transmit invoices through the mandatory RO e-Factura electronic invoicing system within 5 business days of issuance, including invoices to VAT-registered non-resident businesses without a local establishment.
Registration Threshold: RON 395,000

Reduced Rates Percent

Dividend Tax

Rate Percent: 16
Note: The dividend tax rate rose from 10% to 16% for any distributions made on or after 1 January 2026, applied regardless of which year the underlying profit was earned.

Micro Enterprise Tax 2026

Rate Percent: 1
Filing Frequency: Micro-enterprise tax is calculated and paid quarterly, by the 25th of the month following the relevant quarter.
If Threshold Exceeded: The company owes standard 16% corporate income tax starting from the quarter in which the EUR 100,000 revenue limit is exceeded, with no option to revert to the micro regime for the following period.
Threshold In Local Currency: RON 498,000
RON figure is an approximation of the EUR 100,000 legal threshold, which is technically fixed by law in EUR and converted at the National Bank of Romania's year-end reference rate — so the exact RON cut-off shifts slightly each year.

Conditions

Annual revenue must not exceed the RON equivalent of EUR 100,000 (this cap was lowered from EUR 250,000 as of 1 January 2026).
Must have at least one employee (many single-founder SRLs satisfy this by putting the owner-director on payroll at minimum wage).
Shareholders must not hold more than 25% of another company also applying the micro regime.
Must not be in dissolution/liquidation and must have filed prior annual financial statements on time.

Standard Corporate Income Tax

Rate Percent: 16
Note: Applies to companies that don't qualify for or opt out of the micro-enterprise regime; calculated on taxable profit, not turnover.

Structure Options For Foreigners

Other Forms Rarely Used By Foreigners: Romania also has an II (Întreprindere Individuală, a sole proprietorship with a slightly broader scope than a PFA, taxed identically), and partnership forms SNC/SCS with unlimited-liability general partners — these see little use by foreign founders due to liability exposure or being rarely relevant to solo nomads/small foreign-owned businesses.

SRL Company

Bookkeeping: Mandatory double-entry accounting; SRLs must submit quarterly financial statements and generally hire a licensed accountant.
Legal Nature: A separate legal entity; shareholder liability is capped at their capital contribution.
Who Can Register: Any foreign national can found and be the sole director of a Romanian SRL; a personal visit is typically required to open the local company bank account.
Registration Body: Trade Register Office (ONRC) — for Poiana Brașov/Brașov, filings go through the Brașov county Trade Registry.
Minimum Share Capital: RON 500
Romania reintroduced a minimum share-capital requirement for newly incorporated SRLs starting 2026 (roughly RON 500); before that, share capital could be nominal.
Bank Account Rule 2026: Newly registered companies have 60 business days from incorporation to open a Romanian bank/treasury account; failing to do so can get the company declared fiscally inactive, suspending its VAT code and expense deductibility.
Description: SRL (Societate cu Răspundere Limitată) is Romania's standard limited liability company — the default choice for foreign entrepreneurs who plan to scale, hire, or want liability protection.

Typical Setup Cost Via Agency

Note: Figure derived from commonly quoted EUR 500–1,500 total setup cost (registration, notary, accountant/lawyer fees) via an expat-focused incorporation service; official ONRC filing fees alone are lower.

Amount USD Range

Low: 543
High: 1628

Amount Local Range

Low: 2490
High: 7470
Currency Local: RON

PFA Sole Trader

Best Fit: Solo freelancers/consultants with moderate income and low operational complexity who value simplicity over liability protection.
Legal Nature: Not a separate legal entity from the individual — the freelancer trades under their own name and bears full, unlimited personal liability for business debts.
Caen Code Limit: A PFA can register a maximum of 5 CAEN activity codes, versus effectively unlimited codes for an SRL.
Who Can Register: EU/EEA/Swiss citizens can register with just a passport or ID card plus a Romanian registered address. Non-EU foreigners need a valid Romanian residence permit (e.g. the digital nomad visa) to register a PFA, and typically must have foreign qualifications recognized for the activity.
Setup Speed And Cost: Faster and cheaper than an SRL — no minimum capital, fewer documents, and registration usually completed in a few business days.
Social Contributions: Separate mandatory pension (CAS) and health (CASS) contributions apply once income passes certain minimum-wage multiples, on top of the 10% income tax.
Description: PFA (Persoană Fizică Autorizată) is Romania's authorized-natural-person / sole-trader status.

Personal Tax Treatment

Note: Personal tax-residency implications are covered separately under Visa & Legal; this row covers only the business-side tax mechanics.

Income Tax Options

Real system (Sistem Real)
Detail
Flat 10% tax on actual net profit (income minus deductible business expenses); requires keeping a receipts-and-payments register.
Income norm (Normă de Venit)
Detail
Flat 10% tax on a fixed 'normative income' set by the tax authority per profession/region, regardless of actual earnings — lighter paperwork but can cost more if you earn well above the norm.

VAT Registration Trigger

Detail: Mandatory VAT registration once annual turnover exceeds this threshold; voluntary registration is possible below it.
Threshold: RON 395,000

Filing And Compliance Obligations

PFA

Annual personal tax return to ANAF declaring income under the chosen system (real profit or income norm).
Register for VAT if turnover exceeds RON 395,000, or voluntarily earlier if beneficial.
Maintain a register of receipts and payments if using the real-profit system.

SRL

Quarterly financial statement submissions and quarterly micro-enterprise tax filings/payments (or quarterly CIT advance payments if on standard regime).
Annual financial statements filed with authorities; failure to file within 5 months of the due date risks the company being declared fiscally inactive, and continued inactivity for 12 months can trigger forced dissolution by the tax authority (ANAF).
Mandatory e-Factura electronic invoicing within 5 business days of issuance.
Must maintain a Romanian business bank account (opened within 60 business days of incorporation).

Jurisdiction Note

Poiana Brașov is a resort settlement administered as part of Brașov city/county, Romania. There is no separate local business-tax regime for Poiana Brașov itself — a foreigner incorporating or registering as self-employed here follows the same national Romanian tax code and registers through the Brașov county office of the National Trade Register (ONRC), just as anywhere else in Romania.

Incorporation Process And Requirements

Common Entity Type: SRL (Societate cu Răspundere Limitată) — Romania's equivalent of an LLC — is used by the large majority of foreign-owned small businesses and freelancer-style companies.
Remote Incorporation: A non-resident founder does not need to travel to Romania — a notarized power of attorney can be granted to a local lawyer or formation agent to sign and file on the founder's behalf.
Official Registry Link: https://www.onrc.ro
Local Partner Or Sponsor Requirement: None. Romania imposes no local-partner, local-sponsor, or nationality restriction on company ownership. A foreign individual (EU or non-EU) can be the sole shareholder and sole director of a Romanian limited liability company (SRL).
Jurisdiction Note: Poiana Brașov is a resort neighborhood administratively part of Brașov municipality, not a separate legal/administrative jurisdiction. Company registration for a business based here is filed with the Brașov County Trade Registry (ONRC Brașov) under the same national Romanian company law that applies everywhere in the country.
Tax Context Relevant To Incorporation Decision: Micro-enterprise regime taxes turnover at 1–3% instead of the standard 16% corporate rate, but requires the company to have at least one employee (commonly the owner-director) and generally applies to revenues up to roughly EUR 100,000–500,000 depending on the current threshold in force.

Key Steps

1. Reserve a unique company name with the National Trade Register Office (ONRC) — checked and reserved online or in person; name reservation is typically valid for about one month.
2. Secure a registered office address in Romania (lease, ownership deed, or a virtual-office/co-working service contract) — every company must have a Romanian registered address, and generally only one company per address unless the space is subdivided.
3. Draft the Articles of Association (Act Constitutiv) in Romanian, specifying share capital, shareholders, management, and business activity (CAEN codes). Foreign-language founders must have documents translated by an authorized translator and certified by a notary.
4. Notarize the founding documents and shareholder/director specimen signatures and declarations (including a declaration of no criminal record).
5. Deposit the share capital (minimum currently RON 500 for an SRL) into a temporary or company bank account — some formation routes allow depositing this only once the account is opened.
6. Submit the complete file to ONRC (in person at the local Trade Registry desk, or via the online e-filing portal with a digital signature). Foreign shareholders/directors must also complete a foreign-investment annex declaring capital brought into Romania.
7. Receive the unique registration code (CUI) and Trade Register certificate once ONRC approves the file — this is what formally makes the company a legal entity.
8. Register for tax purposes with ANAF (Romanian tax authority), obtain a company stamp if needed, and open a permanent business bank account.
9. If applicable, register for VAT and/or an EORI number for cross-border trade, and register the company as employer if hiring (required to access the 1% micro-enterprise tax regime).

Realistic Timeline

Name Reservation: Usually issued the same day or within 1–2 working days of application.
EU Citizen Documents Ready Domestic: Approximately 3–10 business days from submission to receiving the registration certificate, once all documents are properly prepared.
Non EU Founder With Apostille And Translation: Around 3–4 weeks total, factoring in time to apostille and translate home-country documents before the formal ONRC process even begins.

Required Documents

Passport copies of all shareholders and directors (apostilled/translated if issued abroad)
Proof of registered office (lease, deed, or virtual office contract)
Notarized Articles of Association, in Romanian
Specimen signatures of directors
Declaration of no criminal record / no tax offenses (self-signed, notarization not required)
Beneficial ownership (UBO) declaration for individuals owning 25%+ of the company
Foreign-investment annex declaring capital transferred into Romania

Minimum Share Capital

SRL Current: RON 500
Sa Joint Stock: RON 90,000
SRL Higher Turnover Threshold Note: Companies with annual turnover above RON 400,000 must hold at least RON 5,000 in share capital.

Typical Cost Breakdown

Share Capital Deposit SRL: RON 500
Onrc State Registration Fee: RON 250

Notary Fees

Currency Local: RON
Amount USD Range: roughly $50–150
Amount Local Range: roughly RON 230–700

DIY Straightforward Case Total Estimate

Currency Local: RON
Amount USD Range: roughly $150–260
Amount Local Range: roughly RON 700–1,200

Registered Office Virtual Address Annual

Currency Local: RON
Amount USD Range: roughly $250–350 per year
Amount Local Range: roughly RON 1,150–1,600 per year

Full Service Formation Agent Non EU Founder Example

Currency Local: RON
Amount USD Range: roughly $1,700–1,800
Amount Local Range: roughly RON 7,900 all-in (incl. capital, ONRC fees, notary, agent package, apostille/translation, first year virtual office)

Other Entity Types Available

SA (Societate pe Acțiuni / joint-stock company) — for larger operations; minimum share capital roughly RON 90,000 (about EUR 18,000)
Branch of a foreign parent company — no separate share capital required, but not a distinct legal entity
Representative/liaison office — non-commercial, marketing/promotion only
PFA (authorized individual / sole trader) — simplified status, mainly used by freelancers in liberal professions

AI-generated estimateData refreshed July 2026

Sources cited for this category

These are the sources cited in this business permits & incorporation for foreigners research for this city. Individual figures may not each trace to one of them.

1.onrc.ro

More About Poiana Brașov

Data last updated July 2026 · Verify anything important.