Buying an apartment in Romania in 2026
A foreigner buys an apartment directly, a house with land through a company. Prices in Bucharest and Cluj, the notary process, taxes and why a purchase brings no residence.
In short
- Prices: about $2,500 per square metre in Bucharest, about $3,300 in Cluj-Napoca, about $2,300 in Timișoara.
- A foreigner buys an apartment directly, a house with a plot or land only through a Romanian company.
- Costs: notary 0.5-1% plus VAT and 0.15% registration; 21% VAT on new builds.
- No residence for buying: residence comes through work, business, study or a nomad visa.
In detail
A non-EU foreigner can buy an apartment in Romania directly, while a house with a plot or land only through a Romanian company. Romania is one of the most affordable capital-city markets in the EU, and since 2025 it has been fully in Schengen. A purchase does not bring a residence permit. Property search and checks are described on our property in Romania page; here is the short answer.
How much an apartment in Romania costs in 2026
In September 2026 the average asking price for apartments was about 2,200 euros per square metre in Bucharest and about 2,900 euros in Cluj-Napoca, the country's most expensive city.
| City | Price per m² | 60 m² apartment |
|---|---|---|
| Cluj-Napoca | ~$3,300 | ~$200,000 |
| Bucharest | ~$2,500 | ~$150,000 |
| Timișoara | ~$2,300 | ~$140,000 |
For comparison, a square metre in Lisbon costs about two and a half times as much as in Bucharest.
What a foreigner can buy
| Buyer | Apartment | House with a plot, land |
|---|---|---|
| EU citizen | yes | yes, like Romanians |
| Non-EU citizen | yes | not directly, through a Romanian company |
| Romanian company with foreign owners | yes | yes |
A company to hold a house is an ordinary limited liability company with minimal share capital. Russian citizens should keep EU sanctions Regulation 833/2014 in mind: banks do not accept deposits over 100,000 euros from them without EU residence, so the payment route is planned in advance.
How to buy an apartment in Romania: step by step
- A Romanian tax number and a sworn interpreter at the deal if the buyer does not speak Romanian.
- Land book extract: owner, mortgage, seizures, disputes.
- Check the cadastral plan, building permit and the building's acceptance certificate.
- Preliminary contract at a notary and a deposit, usually 5-10%.
- Final contract at a notary, payment and registration of title.
You do not have to come for the deal: the purchase can be made under a notarised power of attorney with an apostille. But then it matters even more that the representative checks the land book before the deposit. Russian citizens need a Schengen visa for a viewing trip, and since November 2025 it is usually single-entry, so viewings and the deal are best fitted into one trip.
How much the purchase costs: taxes and fees
| Cost | Amount | Who pays |
|---|---|---|
| VAT on a new build from a developer | 21% since 1 August 2025 | buyer, included in the price |
| Notary | usually 0.5-1% of the price plus VAT | usually the buyer |
| Land book registration | 0.15% of the price for an individual, 0.5% for a company | buyer |
| Tax on sale | 3% if held under 3 years, 1% after | seller |
Example calculation. A resale apartment in Bucharest for 130,000 euros, about $150,000, from a private seller, with no VAT. The notary at the upper end with VAT is about $1,800, registration about $220. About $152,000 in all. The annual tax on a residential building is 0.08% to 0.2% of the taxable value, and rental income is taxed at 10% after a standard deduction. More on the taxes in Romania page.
Notary and registration are about 1.5%, an unchecked land book costs more
The law does not forbid buying an apartment in Romania on your own. But mistakes cost more than taxes: a deposit without a land book check, after which the seller's mortgage surfaces, a house with a plot in your own name instead of a company, a new build without an acceptance certificate that cannot be registered, and VAT at the old rate. We check the land book, permits and developer, calculate taxes, register a Romanian company if needed and handle the deal at the notary, including under a power of attorney. We guarantee professional work and a transparent process.
The cost of support depends on the property and whether a company is needed; our manager in the chat will calculate it.
Does buying an apartment give Romanian residence
No, Romania has no residence programme for property. Residence is obtained through work, business, study or family reunion, and the apartment meets the address requirement. Remote workers can use the Romanian digital nomad visa, and descendants of Romanians citizenship restoration.
How we help
The law does not forbid buying an apartment on your own. But mistakes cost more than taxes: a deposit without a land book check, a house with a plot in your own name instead of a company, a new build without an acceptance certificate that cannot be registered. Murblz specialists check the land book, permits and developer, calculate taxes, register a company if needed and handle the deal at the notary. Our manager in the chat will calculate the cost of support.
Property in Romania
Land book and developer checks and the deal at the notary.
Learn more →Company in Romania
A company to hold a house with a plot and land.
Learn more →Romanian citizenship
Citizenship restoration for descendants of Romanians.
Learn more →We will check the apartment before the deposit. Tell us the city, what the apartment is for and where the money will come from. We will show the taxes, the deal procedure and whether a company is needed.
FAQ
Can a foreigner buy an apartment in Romania?
How much does an apartment in Bucharest cost in 2026?
What taxes apply when buying an apartment in Romania?
Does buying an apartment give residence in Romania?
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