How to buy a car in Italy and bring it to Romania: PRA, radiazione and documents

As a private individual resident in Romania and not VAT-registered, do not pay a deposit for an M1 car from Italy until the VIN, PRA registered keeper, right to sell, encumbrances, originals and export arrangements are consistent. The documents, physical inspection and Romanian authorities check different things; none replaces the others. 1 2 3 4

Before paying: identity, VIN, ownership and documents

Compare the VIN on the car with the registration document, title and contract/invoice. Check the seller’s identity and right to sell, as well as the export applicant. If the seller, PRA registered keeper and radiazione applicant differ, ask for the complete chain of documents and the originals. The document must show the price and VAT treatment; an invoice or an isolated copy does not make up the Romanian file. 1 5 9 10

Request a current PRA visura using the Italian registration number. It identifies the registered keeper and vincoli/gravami recorded at that time, but it is an informative digital extract, not a final certificate of legal status or a repair history or mechanical-defect history. 1

If a fermo amministrativo appears, it must be removed before export. A recorded seizure or attachment/unavailability requires the consent of the creditor or competent authority; for a mortgage still in force, ACI requires the creditor’s authenticated consent. The rules differ. After remedying the issue, check the PRA again and stop the purchase if the position remains unclear. 6

Italian radiazione and export documents

For an ordinary permanent export, complete a radiazione per esportazione. The file includes the plates, the unified application, the applicant’s identity, the registration certificate and the ownership certificate or Documento Unico; if the applicant is not the PRA registered keeper, the original title of acquisition may also be required. The vehicle must meet the applicable periodic revisione requirement. 5

The resulting Documento Unico records the permanent export, but does not confer a right to drive. If the car leaves on its own wheels, separately obtain a foglio di via and temporary plates from Motorizzazione or through an authorised motor agency. The DU alone does not permit departure on its own wheels. 6 5

After radiazione, the Italian bollo obligation ends from the tax period following the one in which the deregistration was recorded. There is no automatic refund or reduction for the buyer; record the treatment in the document. 6

Inspecting the car and the limits of the data

The PRA and revisione do not describe repairs, chassis, brakes or diagnostics. Inspect the car; the Italian climate and registration do not prove its condition. The result concerns only items accessible on the date of inspection. 1 5 4

RAR Auto-Pass contains only data that have reached the RAR register. If data are available, the document costs 42 lei and is valid for 60 days; if not, a negative statement is issued free of charge. A negative statement does not prove a clean or complete history in Italy. The legal handover obligation concerns transfers of vehicles registered, recorded or placed on the market in Romania and does not automatically pass to the Italian seller at the first direct import. 11 12

How to bring the car from Italy

Italy–Slovenia–Hungary–Romania, possibly via Austria, is only an example corridor. Obtain written confirmation for the plates/foglio di via, insurance, VIN, owner, driver, dates, revisione/ITP and every actual country. Plates are not automatically recognised in the EU; without confirmation for one stage, choose carriage on a vehicle transporter. 6 7 13

RAR, VAT and taxation in Romania

For a used vehicle last registered in an EU state, RAR may issue the CIV directly if there is EU type approval and the approved configuration has not been modified. Otherwise, individual approval may be necessary. RAR performs the technical inspection and authenticity certification. A CoC is mandatory in the WLTP branch indicated by RAR, generally for vehicles manufactured after 31 August 2018; the year of manufacture alone does not determine the branch. 2 10 14

Authenticity certification checks the identification elements and the authenticity of the previous registration document. It is valid for one registration only, for a maximum of 60 days, and does not prove ownership, absence of financing, condition or complete history. 3 14

For VAT, a passenger car is new if it has at most 6,000 km OR if delivery takes place within at most six months of first registration. It is used for tax purposes only if it has more than 6,000 km AND delivery takes place after more than six months; equality at either threshold keeps it in the new-vehicle branch. 15 16

For a private buyer not registered for VAT, the intra-Community acquisition of a car that is new for VAT purposes is taxable in Romania at the standard rate of 21%. Submit D301 and pay VAT before registration, no later than the applicable tax deadline. If it exceeds both thresholds, as a rule no additional Romanian VAT arises, but the invoice depends on the seller and the normal or margin scheme; do not assume a net price, deduction or refund. 15 16 17

If the person applying for registration is the same person who made the intra-Community acquisition and is not registered for VAT, the file requires the ANAF certificate that VAT has been paid or is not due. Foreign documents submitted to ANAF require an authorised translation. The certificate is not the local tax clearance certificate and does not concern Swiss customs import. 18 8 16

Separately, from 25 February 2026, Article 159(5²) requires the buyer of a means of transport to have a tax clearance certificate regarding obligations to the local budget at their domicile, or equivalent electronic verification; paragraph (6) provides for the nullity of documents concluded in breach of paragraphs (5) and (5²). The text does not clarify the territorial application to a contract with a foreign seller. Before signing in Italy, ask the competent local tax authority to confirm the procedure; do not assume either an exception or automatic nullity. 19 20 9

After RAR issues the CIV, declare the vehicle with the competent local tax authority within 30 days from the CIV date, not from the contract. The proof of ownership must be recorded in the local tax records before registration. 21 9

Registration, deadlines and budget

Apply for registration at the SPCRPCIV competent for your domicile. Prepare your identity document, tax-recorded ownership document, CIV, RCA in the name of the owner/authorised keeper, valid ITP and authenticity certification, fees, and the originals of the Italian documents and plates. The ANAF certificate applies only in the relevant intra-Community branch. Some checks may be electronic. 9 18 8 22

Romanian provisional authorisation is issued in the owner’s name, requires valid RCA for the specified person and permits driving exclusively in Romania. The normal period is a maximum of 90 days, including accumulated shorter periods. If foreign registration documents are missing for a car previously registered in another state, the special branch is a maximum of five days. 18

If a Romanian resident holds the car on foreign plates, the limit is a maximum of 90 days from the vehicle’s entry into Romania, only while the insurance remains valid. The period does not run from the contract and does not extend registration, plates, revisione/ITP or insurance that expires sooner. It does not justify international transit. 23

Unknowns remain to be determined. Dated rows and transport options are alternatives; do not calculate an incomplete total.

Checklist before departure and in Romania

Frequently asked questions

When is the car ‘new’ for VAT, even if the advert calls it second-hand?

It is new if it has at most 6,000 km OR is delivered within at most six months of first registration. It is used only with more than 6,000 km AND delivery after more than six months; equality remains in the new branch. 15, 16

Which ANAF certificate is needed for an acquisition from Italy?

For the same buyer and applicant who is not registered for VAT, the certificate shows that VAT has been paid or is not due. For a car new for VAT purposes, deal with D301 and payment before registration; foreign documents require authorised translations. It is not the local tax clearance certificate. 18, 8, 16

Do the 30 days for the tax declaration start from the contract?

No. The deadline under Article 471(3) starts when RAR issues the CIV. The proof of ownership must then be recorded for local tax purposes for registration. 21, 9

Can I drive from Italy to Romania on Romanian provisional plates?

No. The authorisation is in the owner’s name, requires RCA for the correct person and works only in Romania: normally a maximum of 90 accumulated days, but a maximum of five days if foreign registration documents are missing. 18

Does a negative RAR Auto-Pass statement mean that the car has not had accidents?

No. The negative statement shows only that the RAR register has no data. Where data exist, the document costs 42 lei and is valid for 60 days; neither result certifies the complete Italian history. 11, 12

What does a CarAudit inspection in Italy include and how long does it take?

The published price is EUR 239 including VAT and travel, the report is provided within a maximum of 48 hours after the inspection, excluding weekends and holidays, and a battery diagnostic is an optional EUR 179. Up to 270 points are covered, subject to access, a lift and a lawful test drive, without dismantling. Faults arising later are excluded; the certificate is not a civil warranty and does not promise complete history, every test, transport, formalities or absence of future faults. Confirm the location and date. 26, 27, 4

For a car selected in Italy, you can request an inspection before the deposit. Confirm availability at the specific location and date. The published price is EUR 239 including VAT and travel, the report is provided within a maximum of 48 hours after the inspection excluding weekends and holidays, and a battery diagnostic costs an optional EUR 179. Coverage extends to up to 270 points, subject to access, a lift and a lawful test drive, without dismantling; faults arising later are excluded, the certificate is not a civil warranty and does not promise complete history, every test, formalities or absence of future faults. 26, 27, 4

Sources

1. ACI — Visurenet PRA extract
2. RAR — CIV for used vehicles last registered in the EU
3. RAR — authenticity certification
4. CarAudit Romania — what we inspect
5. ACI — deregistration for export
6. ACI — deregistration for export: useful information
7. Your Europe — Buying or leasing a car abroad
8. ANAF Order No. 1611/2022
9. Bucharest Prefecture — vehicle-registration guidance
10. RAR — documents for DOIIT activities
11. RAR Auto-Pass — official service information
12. Law No. 142/2023 — RAR Auto-Pass
13. Your Europe — Buying or leasing a car abroad
14. RNTR 7 — authenticity and individual approval
15. Your Europe — VAT when buying or selling a car abroad
16. ANAF Brașov — VAT and vehicle acquisitions
17. ANAF — Romanian VAT rates
18. MAI Order No. 181/2024 — registration and provisional circulation
19. Romanian Tax Procedure Code, consolidated text — Article 159
20. Emergency Ordinance No. 7 of 24 February 2026
21. Law No. 296/2020 — amendment to Article 471(3)
22. MAI service hub — vehicle registration
23. Emergency Ordinance No. 195/2002 — Article 82(4)
24. MAI Order No. 55/2025 — registration-plate tariffs
25. Buzău Prefecture — fee notice dated 2 September 2026
26. CarAudit Romania — home and order section
27. CarAudit Romania — frequently asked questions