Changing Your CAEN Codes in Romania: The 2026 Deadline Trap
In brief. Every Romanian company carries one or more CAEN codes, the statistical classifications that describe what it is legally authorised to do. In 2026 there are two distinct reasons to touch them. The first is a one off, mandatory migration: Romania has moved to CAEN Rev. 3, and every company must align its activity object to the new classification by 25 September 2026. The second is the ordinary commercial need to add, change, or restate activities as the business grows. The two are governed by the same Trade Register mechanics but carry different consequences. This guide separates them, sets out who must approve the change, the procedure, the costs and timeline, and explains how foreign owners handle both remotely.
Two things people confuse
Most owners hear "CAEN change" and assume a single task. There are two.
The CAEN Rev. 3 migration is a reclassification, not a commercial decision. From 1 January 2025 Romania replaced the old CAEN Rev. 2 nomenclature with CAEN Rev. 3, aligning it one to one with the European NACE Rev. 2.1 standard. Existing companies were given an 18 month window, running from 25 March 2025, to update their registered activity object to the new codes. That window closes on 25 September 2026. During the transition both versions are accepted in dealings with public authorities and third parties, but after the deadline the company's object must be expressed in Rev. 3 terms.
The change of activity object is the ordinary modification: a company adds a new line of business, drops one, restates its principal activity, or expands its secondary activities, often alongside a share transfer when a new owner takes the business in a different direction. This is driven by the business, not by the legislator, and happens whenever commercial reality changes.
The reason the distinction matters is that the migration is not automatic. ONRC does not convert your codes for you. If the company files for any reason before the deadline, the update should be done at the same time; if it does not, the migration is still a positive step the owner must take.
Are you converting to CAEN Rev. 3, or actually changing what your company does?
Select your situation to see which procedure applies and what it involves.
This tool is general guidance, not legal advice. The correct Rev. 3 mapping depends on your specific activities.
Why the conversion is not a formality
It is tempting to treat Rev. 3 as a relabelling exercise, swapping one number for another. In practice the mapping is not always one to one. A single Rev. 2 class may correspond to several Rev. 3 classes, or several Rev. 2 classes may collapse into one. That means a company has to decide which new code or codes genuinely reflect what it does, rather than mechanically substituting a number.
For a foreign owner this is the moment to confirm that the company is still authorised for everything it actually does, and that the principal activity is correctly stated. The principal code drives a range of downstream matters, from licensing to statistical reporting, so getting it right at migration is worth more than the filing itself.
Who must approve the change
A change of activity object is a modification of the constitutive act, and so it is decided by the company's shareholders. In a single member company, the sole shareholder takes the decision; in a company with several shareholders, it is taken by the general meeting in accordance with the constitutive act and Law no. 31/1990. The decision is then reflected in an updated constitutive act, which is what the Trade Register registers.
A pure Rev. 3 conversion that does not change what the company actually does is lighter, but it is still recorded on the basis of a decision and an updated object. Either way, the company's internal governance comes first; the filing follows.
The deadline that is closer than it looks
The migration window closes on 25 September 2026. Until then, Rev. 2 and Rev. 3 codes are both recognised. After it, the object should be in Rev. 3 form.
How long until the migration window closes?
Both Rev. 2 and Rev. 3 codes are accepted until the deadline. After it, your object should be in Rev. 3 form.
Separately, for any ordinary change of activity object decided by the shareholders, the mention must be filed with the Trade Register within 15 days of the modifying act, under the general rule of Law no. 265/2022.
A useful planning point: if you anticipate any other corporate change this year, fold the Rev. 3 update into the same filing rather than running two separate procedures.
The procedure at ONRC
The mechanics depend on which of the two tasks you are doing.
For a pure Rev. 3 update, where the company simply aligns its existing object to the new classification without changing what it does, the position is light. The professional completes the Trade Register registration application, indicating the update of the activity object in accordance with CAEN Rev. 3, and the registrar issues, free of charge, a new registration certificate and updated information from the register. There is no Official Gazette publication fee for a pure conversion.
For a change of activity object, where the company actually adds, drops, or restates activities, the file is fuller and includes: the registration application; the modifying act (decision of the sole shareholder or general meeting, or addendum to the constitutive act); the updated constitutive act; the standard declaration on own responsibility regarding the conditions for carrying out the activity at the registered office, secondary offices, or third party premises; where applicable, the owners' association consent (for residential buildings), any prior authorisations required by special laws for the relevant activity, and the power of attorney for the person handling the formalities; and proof of payment of the legal publicity fee, including the Official Gazette publication fee. The registrar resolves the application, on the basis of the documents, within one working day of filing, and may request further supporting acts. Where the change accompanies a shift in ownership or control, remember that it may also trigger an update to the beneficial owner declaration.
Do you have what a change of activity object requires?
0 of 7 ready
A pure Rev. 3 conversion is lighter and needs only the registration application. This checklist is for a genuine change of activity object.
In both cases the application may be lodged at the counter, by post or courier, or electronically through the ONRC online portal under a qualified electronic signature, at any Trade Register office.
Costs and timeline
A pure CAEN Rev. 3 conversion is the lightest of corporate filings: the registrar issues the new certificate free of charge, with no Official Gazette publication fee. A genuine change of activity object carries the standard publicity fee plus the Official Gazette publication cost, which are modest. To these official charges any professional fee is added separately.
On timing, the registrar resolves the application on the basis of the documents within one working day of filing. The practical timeline is therefore driven not by ONRC but by the preparation: drafting the decision and updated constitutive act, signing, and assembling the file. Once that is ready, registration is quick.
Doing it remotely
The entire process can be handled remotely, and in our practice it almost invariably is. A foreign owner may appoint a Romanian lawyer to prepare and lodge the file on the company's behalf. Where the lawyer acts under the legal assistance agreement, the mandate requires no notarisation or apostille. Where a separate power of attorney is issued abroad, it will ordinarily need to be notarised and apostilled under the Hague Convention and accompanied by a certified Romanian translation. Neither route requires the owner's presence in Romania, and electronic filing under a qualified signature is available throughout.
Why this matters now
The Rev. 3 migration is one of those obligations that is easy to defer until it becomes urgent. The deadline of 25 September 2026 is a hard date, and the conversion requires a judgement about which new codes fit, not a mechanical swap. For owners who run their company from abroad, the sensible course is to combine the migration with any other change already planned and to confirm, at the same time, that the principal activity and all secondary activities are correctly stated. A company whose object no longer matches what it does is exposed on more than the statistical front; anyone checking the company in the Trade Register will see the mismatch, and it can complicate licensing, banking, and contracting.
Don't let a missed CAEN conversion sit on your file until it causes a problem.
We review your current object against CAEN Rev. 3, identify the correct codes, and file the update with the Trade Register, entirely remotely and in English.
How we can help
We handle both the CAEN Rev. 3 migration and ordinary changes of activity object end to end and entirely remotely. We review the company's current object against the new classification, identify the correct Rev. 3 codes, draft the shareholders' decision and updated constitutive act, prepare the declaration on own responsibility, and file the mention with the Trade Register. The work is done in English, under a power of attorney, with no travel required, and is naturally combined with any other filing the company needs, whether you are running an existing entity or have just incorporated a Romanian SRL.
Changing CAEN codes in Romania: FAQ
