Practical guide
Documents you need when selling
Selling for the first time? The list below is what notaries usually ask for at signing. Get them ready before you have a buyer — some take days or weeks.
For any property — apartment, house or land
1. Title deed
original. May be a sale contract, inheritance certificate, donation, court ruling, title deed, or construction contract + handover minutes. If you lost it, ask the notary how to get a duplicate — start here, it takes the longest.
2. Cadastral docs and land registry
the property must be registered in the land book with a cadastral number. If not, you need a licensed surveyor. Usually takes a few weeks. Without it, you can’t sign.
3. Land book extract for authentication
requested by the notary from OCPI a few days before signing. Valid for 10 working days.
4. Tax clearance certificate
from the local tax office. Shows you’re clear of property tax. Valid only in the month it was issued.
5. ID documents
of all owners — originals. If jointly owned in marriage, both spouses sign or grant a notarial power of attorney. Bring the marriage certificate too.
6. Notarial power of attorney
only if you can’t be present. Must be specific (exact property and transaction).
Also for apartments
7. Owners’ association certificate
signed by the administrator and president — no maintenance arrears. Usually valid 30 days.
8. Energy performance certificate
required for any home sale. Made by a licensed auditor, usually a few hundred lei, valid 10 years. The energy class must also appear in the listing.
9. Latest utility bills
the notary doesn’t ask for them, but buyers do. Good to have them ready.
Also for houses
10. Energy performance certificate
same as for apartments (item 8).
11. Building permit and reception minutes
for houses built or extended after 1990 and any new construction not yet in the land book.
12. Urbanism certificate
not mandatory for sale, but buyers may ask. Issued by the city hall within 30 days.
Also for land
13. Site plan and demarcation
part of the cadastral documentation (item 2).
14. Agricultural land: pre-emption right
the offer is posted at city hall for 45 working days. Only after their certificate can you sign. The longest step.
15. Urbanism certificate
in urban areas, buyers almost always ask for it.
If the property is mortgaged
You need the bank’s consent to sell and a statement of the outstanding balance. Usually the buyer pays the bank first from the price, then the bank issues the mortgage release. The notary coordinates — tell them up front.
Costs and who pays
- Notary fee — usually paid by the buyer, but negotiable.
- Land registry fee — paid by the buyer.
- Capital gains tax — you pay via the notary at signing: 3% if owned ≤ 3 years, 1% if longer.
- Energy certificate, cadastre, association certificate — you pay beforehand.
In short: do this in order
- Check if the property is registered. If not — surveyor, now.
- Order the energy certificate (apartment, house).
- Get the association certificate (apartment).
- Call the notary, say what you’re selling, ask if anything else is needed.
- When you have a buyer: tax certificate (signing month) and the notary requests the land book extract.
This is a general guide, not legal advice. Laws and fees change — your notary has the final say. If you spot a mistake, contact us.