Romania on a German Licence — The Rovinietă & a 0.0 Limit

For a German driver, the legal side of driving in Romania is simple — same right-hand traffic, EU licence accepted with no IDP, 112 nationwide. The first thing to sort is the one piece of admin that does not exist at home in the same form.

The rovinietă comes first

Germany has no general road tax, so this catches people. Romania requires the rovinietă, an electronic road tax tied to the number plate that covers the whole national road network — not just motorways — and it is enforced by automatic plate-reading cameras. There is no sticker to display; the validity is held against your plate. A Romanian rental almost always includes it, but confirm at the desk, because driving without a valid rovinietă on a national road brings a separate fine. If your route continues across the region, our vignette countries guide compares how each neighbour charges.

A 0.0 limit and a thin motorway map

The alcohol limit is a true 0.0, against Germany’s 0.05 — no margin, and breath checks are common, so treat it as none before driving. The second adjustment is the network: after the Autobahn, Romania’s motorways are limited in extent, and much of your driving will be on single-carriageway national roads. There you meet mixed surface quality, slow farm vehicles, horse carts and overtaking lorries; the 90 km/h rural limit is a ceiling, not a cruising speed, and overtaking needs patience.

Speeds, fines and kit

Motorways are 130 km/h where they exist, towns 50. A minor speeding fine runs about RON 290–725 (≈ €60–150) — the speeding fine calculator shows the band. Winter tyres are required in wintry conditions, fuel is around €1.42/litre, and the car must carry a triangle, vest, first-aid kit and extinguisher.

Confirm your licence status on the driving permit checker and read the full rules on the Romania driving guide. Emergencies: 112.