Setting up a company in Romania is a relatively fast and straightforward process. The real work begins with choosing the structure that fits your business.

International companies typically consider a few main paths: forming a Romanian SRL (the local limited liability company), opening a branch of an existing foreign company, or using an Employer of Record to begin operating without a legal entity at all.

Each structure has different implications for taxation, liability, governance and how quickly the business can start operating.

An SRL is the most common choice for companies planning to build a real, independent presence in Romania. It allows full operational control, local contracts, hiring and invoicing under the company’s own name, and is generally the structure most compatible with long term growth.

A branch can suit companies that want a direct extension of the parent company rather than a separate legal entity, while an EOR arrangement can be the right fit for companies that want to hire and operate in Romania before deciding on a permanent structure.

Beyond the legal decision, company formation also involves registering with the Trade Registry, obtaining a fiscal code, opening a local bank account, and putting basic accounting and compliance processes in place from day one.

None of these steps are complicated on their own. What matters is sequencing them correctly and understanding how each decision affects the next, so the company is not just registered, but genuinely ready to operate.

Companies that treat formation as the first step of a broader Romania market entry plan, rather than a standalone task, tend to move faster once the entity is in place.

Choosing the right structure from the start makes everything that follows — hiring, banking, contracts and daily operations — considerably simpler.