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

A German driving licence is valid in Romania exactly as issued. Both countries are in the EU, so no International Driving Permit, translation or registration is involved. The two things that do need attention are both missing at home: a rovinietă before you touch a national road, and an alcohol limit of zero. Traffic keeps right, and 112 reaches all emergency services, as in Germany.

Rovinietă: the vignette you cannot see

Germany charges no general road toll for cars; its toll applies to heavy goods vehicles. Romania is different. The rovinietă is compulsory on national roads and motorways, and it is held electronically against your number plate, so nothing goes on the windscreen. You can buy it at border crossings and most petrol stations. Driving in your own German-registered car, buy it at the first opportunity after entering, before leaving the border area. In a rental, it is almost always included, but ask at the desk, since the fine falls on the driver. The vignette countries guide shows how Hungary and Bulgaria handle the same thing if your route passes through.

Zero alcohol, not 0.5

In Germany, 0.5 per mille is the general limit under StVG §24a. In Romania there is no margin. UK government advice warns that any alcohol found in your system can lead to a fine and possibly prison. A small beer at a roadside restaurant in Transylvania is already too much. Keep the driving days dry and save the țuică for the evening.

How the rules compare

The red-light rule is the sharpest contrast. In Romania, running one means an automatic 30-day licence suspension, on top of the fine.

Speeding: points, then suspension

Romanian fines are calculated in penalty units, and the size of the excess decides the points under article 108:

• 10-20 km/h over: 2 points
• 21-30 over: 3 points
• 31-40 over: 4 points
• 41-50 over: 6 points
• more than 50 over: no points, but a Class IV fine and a 90-day suspension

Drivers with less than a year’s experience must stay 20 km/h below the general limits. That reduction applies on every type of road, so a first-year driver’s motorway ceiling is 110 km/h, not 130. For anyone used to unrestricted Autobahn stretches, the 130 km/h motorway ceiling is the habit to watch.

Two-lane country

Romania’s motorway network is still limited, so much of your trip will be on two-lane national roads. Expect mixed surfaces, slow lorries and, in rural areas, horse-drawn carts. Overtaking needs patience and long sight lines; on mountain passes, wait for a straight. Allow far more time for a journey than the map’s distance suggests.

Winter and the kit

Winter tyres are required whenever snow, ice or sleet covers the road. Romanian rules also require a first-aid kit, a fire extinguisher, a red warning triangle and a fluorescent jacket in the car. German drivers already carry three of the four by law at home; the extinguisher is usually the missing piece. Check a rental for all four before driving off.

Emergencies

Dial 112 for police, ambulance and fire. Unlike Germany, there is no separate 110 for police. Read the full rules on the Romania driving guide, and use the driving permit checker for any non-EU countries on the way, such as Moldova or Serbia.

Sources

• Directive 2006/126/EC on driving licences, article 2, under which EU licences are valid in every member state: eur-lex.europa.eu
• GOV.UK foreign travel advice, Romania, safety and security (any alcohol; rovinieta; equipment; winter tyres; road conditions): gov.uk
• Romanian Government Emergency Ordinance 195/2002 on road traffic, articles 49 and 50, setting the 50, 90, 100 and 130 km/h limits: lege5.ro
• Romanian Government Emergency Ordinance 195/2002, article 108, the penalty-point scale for speeding: lege5.ro
• StVG §24a (0.5 per mille in Germany): gesetze-im-internet.de