Last updated: 8 October 2015
THE OBLIGATION TO AFFIX THE SEAL WAS FINALLY ELIMINATED !
In order to reduce red-tape and simplify administrative rules, the Romanian Government passed Ordinance no. 17/2015. The said ordinance provides that certain expressly mentioned entities are no longer obliged to affix their seal on the documents submitted to the public institutions and authorities. Until the entry into force of Ordinance no. 17/2015, Romania and Bulgaria were the only EU member States where seals were compulsory.
CONCERNED ENTITIES
In accordance with article V of Government Ordinance no. 17/2015, natural persons, private legal persons, as well as unincorporated entities are no longer obliged to affix their seal on statements, applications and any other documents filed with the public institutions and authorities.
Furthermore, documents or any other written deeds issued in relations between natural persons, private legal persons and unincorporated entities no longer have to bear a seal.
Nevertheless, public legal persons are still obliged to affix the seal on all documents issued they issue, hence Government Ordinance no. 17/2015 does not apply thereto.
PRACTICAL BENEFITS
The elimination of the seal will bring numerous benefits to the business environment and will put an end to situations where investors from other EU member States (where the seal is not compulsory) had to especially create seals for the documents used in Romania, either in their relations with Romanian business partners or in relation with the authorities.
Nevertheless, in practice, Romanian authorities may be reluctant to this legal change and may still request a seal on the documents issued or related to private legal entities, even if, legally, the stamp is no longer necessary.