Yes, you can work in Romania with a foreign truck driving licence, but how much it lets you do depends on where it was issued. A category C or CE licence from another EU or EEA country is valid in Romania as it is. A licence from outside the EU usually has to be exchanged for a Romanian one at the driving licence service (DRPCIV) if your country is on Romania's exchange list, and you take the Romanian tests if it is not. Either way, a licence alone does not make you a professional driver. You also need the EU professional qualification, known in Romania as the atestat profesional or certificate of professional competence and shown by code 95, which the Romanian Road Authority (ARR) issues after training and exams. Haulage firms using drivers from outside the EU also need a driver attestation for international transport. None of this is a work permit. Immigration is a separate process, now run through the government's WorkinRomania online platform and the General Inspectorate for Immigration (IGI). This guide explains how your foreign truck driving licence is treated in Romania, how preschimbare permis de conducere (licence exchange) works, what ARR requires for code 95, and in what order to tackle each step.

The short answer for foreign truck drivers in Romania

To drive a heavy goods vehicle for pay in Romania, three separate things must be in order at the same time. The first is the right to live and work in Romania, which for people from outside the EU means an approved application on the WorkinRomania platform, a long stay employment visa and a single permit. The second is a driving licence in the right category, valid in Romania. The third is the professional qualification for goods transport, with valid code 95, plus the documents the job needs, such as a tachograph driver card and, for international haulage, a driver attestation.

Each element is handled by a different authority. The immigration authorities, through WorkinRomania and IGI, decide on residence and work. The public community services for driving licences and vehicle registration, coordinated nationally by DRPCIV and run at county level, deal with licences. ARR, which reports to the Ministry of Transport, deals with professional qualifications, tachograph cards and driver attestations. A document from one authority does not replace a document from another. A work permit as a truck driver does not give you a Romanian licence, and a Romanian licence does not give you the right to work.

The steps can be combined into one sequence: immigration first, then the licence exchange once you have residence, then the ARR qualification and cards.

Three permissions, three authorities

• Right to work and reside. EU, EEA and Swiss citizens work freely and register their residence. Third country nationals need a long stay employment visa and then a single permit (permis unic) issued in Romania. A new Government Emergency Ordinance on foreigners' access to the labour market replaced the previous system, in which the employer obtained a work authorisation (aviz de muncă) from IGI, with a single online platform, WorkinRomania. Our separate guide on applying for a work permit covers this in detail.
• Driving licence. Category C (rigid trucks over 3.5 tonnes) and CE (articulated or truck and trailer combinations) are the categories for most goods driving jobs. C1 and C1E cover medium vehicles. Your licence must be valid in Romania, either as an EU licence or after exchange.
• Professional qualification. Holders of C1, C1E, C or CE who drive commercially must hold the certificate of professional competence. In Romania this is issued by ARR and is widely called the atestat profesional or CPI and CPC certificate. Abroad it is known as code 95 or the driver qualification card.

Specialist work adds further layers, such as ADR for dangerous goods and a personal tachograph driver card.

Driving on a foreign truck driving licence in Romania

Licences issued in the EU or EEA

A category C or CE licence issued by another EU country is recognised in Romania without exchange, under the EU's common rules on driving licences. If you become resident in Romania you may exchange it voluntarily, and you may have to exchange it in certain situations, for example if it is lost, stolen or damaged, or after a traffic offence in Romania. The European Commission's Your Europe guide to licence exchange and recognition explains these cases and notes that once you exchange, the host country's rules on matters such as medical checks apply to you.

There is one important trap. If your EU licence was itself issued in exchange for a licence from outside the EU, for example a licence from Ukraine, Moldova or India swapped in another member state, the European Commission warns that it may not be recognised in other EU countries in the same way. Drivers in this position should check with the Romanian licence service before relying on it, especially for professional categories.

Code 95 on an EU licence, or on a driver qualification card from another EU country, is also recognised in Romania for the matching categories, as ARR confirms on its page on regulated professions.

Licences issued outside the EU

Licences from outside the EU are a national matter. The EU sets no common rule on recognising them, and Your Europe states that international driving permits and similar certificates are not regulated at EU level and may not be recognised. In Romania, the Road Traffic Code allows a visitor to drive with a valid national licence, often alongside an international driving permit depending on the issuing country and the road traffic conventions it belongs to. That rule is designed for people temporarily in Romania, not for residents working as drivers.

Once you live in Romania, the expectation is that you exchange your licence for a Romanian one, or obtain a Romanian licence by examination if exchange is not possible. In practice, a professional driver from outside the EU who plans to drive for a Romanian employer should treat the exchange as a required step, not an option. ARR's own document lists for the professional certificate and the tachograph card ask for a valid licence, or proof that the licence has been submitted for exchange, which shows how closely the two processes are linked.

How long a resident may keep driving on a foreign licence before exchanging it depends on the Road Traffic Code and the issuing country. We could not confirm one period that applies to every nationality from an official page, so ask your county licence service before driving on a foreign licence after you have taken up residence.

How preschimbare permis de conducere works

Preschimbare permis de conducere means exchanging a licence issued by another state for an equivalent Romanian licence. For licences from outside the EU, the legal framework is the Road Traffic Code and an order of the Ministry of Internal Affairs on exchanging national driving licences issued by the authorities of other states for similar Romanian documents. That order contains lists of the states whose licences can be exchanged and sets out the documents, the checks on authenticity and the deadlines.

Who can apply

You apply at the public community service for driving licences and vehicle registration in the county where you live in Romania. The right to apply is tied to having your domicile or residence in Romania, which for a foreign worker generally means holding a valid Romanian residence document such as the single permit. Romanian rules follow the EU concept of normal residence, based on living in Romania for at least 185 days in a calendar year because of personal and occupational ties. People studying in Romania for at least six months have a separate right to apply.

This has a practical consequence. Most drivers from outside the EU cannot exchange their licence before arriving, because they do not yet hold Romanian residence. The exchange usually comes after the single permit, not before the visa.

Which countries can exchange

Whether your licence can be exchanged directly depends on the issuing country. Romania exchanges licences from states listed in the order of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, based on bilateral agreements, international conventions and reciprocity, and the list is updated from time to time when new agreements are signed. For some countries the exchange covers all categories, while for others it may be limited or may require checks on how the licence was obtained. A list that is correct for category B does not automatically mean that categories C and CE will be transferred unchanged.

Because the list changes, do not rely on a list copied from a website or shared by an agent. Ask the county licence service or DRPCIV directly whether your country is covered, and whether your professional categories will be transferred. If you hold a licence from a country with which Romania has no exchange arrangement, the route is the Romanian examination, described below.

Documents and procedure

The exact list is published by DRPCIV and the county services, and you should check it before you go. Applicants are typically asked for:

• the original foreign licence, which you hand in;
• a Romanian translation of the licence by an authorised translator, where the licence is not in a format Romanian officials can read;
• your passport and your Romanian residence document;
• the official application form;
• a medical certificate from an authorised Romanian medical unit, and for professional categories a psychological assessment;
• proof that the exchange fee has been paid, at the amount the licence service currently publishes;
• consent for a criminal record check where required.

When you hand over a valid foreign licence you receive a temporary document while the file is processed. It allows driving only in Romania and only for a limited time. The licence service may contact the authorities of the issuing country to confirm that your licence is genuine and valid, which can extend the processing time. Once the exchange is complete, your foreign licence is returned to the issuing country. You cannot hold a valid foreign licence and a Romanian licence obtained by exchanging it at the same time.

Licences that cannot be exchanged directly

Some documents are refused for exchange regardless of the issuing country. These generally include international driving permits, provisional or learner licences, licences that have been suspended, withdrawn or annulled abroad, and in most cases expired licences issued outside the EU. Applications can also be refused where the holder has certain criminal convictions for road traffic offences. If your licence is refused, ask for the reason in writing so you know whether the examination route is open to you.

Taking the Romanian test when exchange is not possible

If your licence cannot be exchanged, you can obtain a Romanian licence by passing the Romanian examination. The Road Traffic Code, as amended by a government ordinance, allows holders of foreign licences who do not meet the exchange conditions to sit the exam for a Romanian licence, provided they are medically fit. According to the amendment, they are not required to complete a full driving school course first, although you should confirm with your county service how this applies to categories C and CE and to any category you do not yet hold in Romania.

The exam has two parts. The theory test is run by the public community service for driving licences, and the practical test is run by authorised examiners. For truck categories the practical test is taken in a vehicle of the right category, which you will normally need to arrange through a training provider or an employer. Ask your county service which languages the theory test is offered in.

The upside is a full EU licence recognised throughout the EU, which matters for international routes or a later move.

Category C and CE requirements in Romania

For category C the general minimum age under EU rules is 21. It can be lower, from 18, for drivers who hold the initial professional qualification under the EU directive on driver qualification. Category CE requires a category C licence first. Romania applies these EU age rules.

Professional categories also carry stricter fitness rules. Group 2 drivers, which includes all C and D categories, must meet higher medical standards on sight, hearing, heart conditions, diabetes and other conditions, and in Romania they undergo a psychological assessment. Medical validity for these categories is shorter than for a car licence, so the date on your Romanian licence may be earlier than you expect. When you exchange, the licence service may issue the professional categories with a new validity period based on your Romanian medical certificate.

Code 95 and the atestat profesional from ARR

A driving licence shows that you may drive a truck. Code 95 shows that you are qualified to drive one for a living. Under the EU directive on the initial qualification and periodic training of drivers, anyone driving vehicles of categories C1, C1E, C or CE for the carriage of goods must hold an initial qualification and then refresh it through periodic training. Exemptions exist, for example for some vehicles used for personal purposes, by emergency services or for driving lessons, but they do not cover normal haulage jobs.

In Romania, ARR organises the exams and issues the professional certificates. On its page on issuing certificates ARR lists the CPI and CPC certificates for goods and passengers, which it issues as cards, together with the ADR certificate, the driver attestation under the EU haulage regulation, and certificates for taxi, trolleybus and damaged vehicle transport.

Initial qualification

The initial qualification, called CPI in Romanian practice, is obtained by completing a course at an authorised training centre and passing an exam organised by ARR. The EU directive allows member states to offer a full initial qualification or an accelerated version with fewer course hours, and the type you complete affects the minimum age at which you may drive. The exam includes a theory test, with case studies, and a practical part. ARR publishes the question banks, the exam calendar, the locations of theory sessions and exam results.

ARR's document instructions say that the professional certificate is issued to people who have passed the exams, and the file includes the application, a copy of your identity document, a copy of a valid licence (or proof of a replacement or of a licence submitted for exchange), a photograph and proof of payment of the fee. The certificate is valid only together with a licence of the matching category, and when your licence changes the certificate must be changed too. ARR's guidance on certification documents sets this out, and fees are paid at the amounts in the current ARR tariff list, including online by bank card.

Periodic training

The qualification is not permanent. Every five years drivers must complete periodic training, which under the EU directive is 35 hours spread across course modules at an authorised centre. In Romania the periodic course leads to the CPC certificate. If your qualification expires, you cannot lawfully drive professionally until it has been renewed, even if your licence itself is still valid.

Exams in English

Language is a real barrier for many drivers from outside the EU. ARR has responded by publishing English question banks and offering theory exams in English for the CPI and CPC certificates for goods and passengers and for taxi and rental drivers. Its notice on exams held in English explains that candidates may take the exam in the language of their training course, that English theory sessions for the professional certificates are held in Bucharest on scheduled dates, and that the English practical exam is held in Bucharest within seven working days of the theory exam, subject to vehicles and staff being available. Dates can change, so check the current ARR calendar and confirm with your training centre that its course is delivered in English.

Qualifications from outside the EU

ARR's recognition rules cover professional certificates from other EU and EEA countries and Switzerland, either as code 95 on a licence or on a driver qualification card. A professional qualification issued outside the EU, such as a national certificate of competence from your home country, is not automatically recognised as code 95. The general rule under the EU directive is that third country nationals employed by an undertaking established in a member state obtain their initial qualification and periodic training in that member state, or in the member state that issued their work permit.

There is one notable exception. Romania introduced temporary measures for drivers from Ukraine, under which ARR can issue a confirmation that a Ukrainian driver qualification document is valid and accept proof of completing a CPC course. ARR lists these temporary measures and related question banks on its certificates page. If you are a Ukrainian driver, ask ARR whether these measures still apply to you and for how long.

Driver attestation for international haulage

If you will drive across borders for a Romanian haulier, there is another document to know about. Under the EU regulation on access to the international road haulage market, a haulier holding a Community licence must have a driver attestation for each driver it employs or uses who is neither an EU national nor a long term resident under the EU directive on long term residents. The consolidated haulage regulation on EUR-Lex sets out the rules.

• The attestation is issued by the authorities of the member state where the haulier is established, at the haulier's request. In Romania this is ARR, which publishes an application form for issuing or replacing the atestat de conducător auto.
• It certifies that the driver is lawfully employed or used under the employment and vocational training rules of that member state.
• The issuing state sets its validity, up to a maximum of five years, and it remains valid only while the conditions are met.
• The attestation belongs to the haulier, not the driver. The haulier makes it available to the named driver for journeys under its Community licence, keeps a certified copy at its premises, and must return it if the conditions stop being met.

The attestation is the employer's job, but a roadside inspector abroad can ask to see it, and driving without one exposes both you and the haulier to penalties. Drivers who obtain long term resident status in Romania no longer need an attestation.

The tachograph driver card

Almost every truck used for haulage has a digital or smart tachograph, and each driver needs a personal driver card issued in the member state of normal residence. In Romania ARR issues tachograph cards. Its instructions for tachograph cards list the application form, a copy of your identity document, a copy of a licence valid for at least one category from B to DE, or proof that your licence has been submitted for exchange, a photograph, proof of residence in Romania and payment of the fee.

Two points matter for foreign workers. First, citizens of countries outside the EU and EEA must provide proof of their right to work in Romania, using a form attached to the instructions. Second, proof of current residence in Romania is required. A driver card from your home country outside the EU is not a substitute, and you can hold only one valid driver card at a time. Lost or stolen cards must be reported for replacement within seven days, and a card is valid for five years.

ADR and other specialist certificates

Drivers carrying dangerous goods need an ADR certificate in addition to code 95. In Romania ARR issues it as a card after training and an exam, and ADR certificates issued in other ADR countries are recognised in Romania as equivalent to those issued by the Romanian authority, according to ARR's page on regulated professions. Drivers of abnormal or oversized transport, of damaged vehicles, of trolleybuses and of taxis and rental vehicles also need their own ARR certificates.

If a job advertisement asks for "atestat" without saying which one, ask the employer exactly which certificate is meant. For general haulage it is usually the CPI or CPC goods certificate, and tanker or chemical work usually adds ADR.

How the licence fits with your work permit in Romania

The licence exchange and the ARR qualification are not immigration procedures, and they do not replace one. A third country national who wants to work in Romania as a truck driver still needs permission to work. Under the new system, applications go through the WorkinRomania platform. The D/AM1 visa covers highly qualified workers and certain listed categories, with the employer filing. The D/AM2 visa covers permanent, seasonal and cross border workers in occupations on a list of shortage occupations, filed by an authorised placement agency or an authorised employer, which is the route most driving jobs would be expected to use. The platform states that a court has suspended the order approving the shortage occupation list, so employer registration and D/AM2 applications are disabled for now, and IGI has said that some change of employer applications cannot currently be sent through the platform. Check WorkinRomania and IGI for the current position before you plan a move.

The dependencies run in a particular order:

• You usually need Romanian residence before you can exchange a licence from outside the EU, and you need the Romanian or EU licence and a matching category before ARR can issue a professional certificate tied to it.
• You need proof of your right to work before ARR will issue a tachograph card if you are from outside the EU and EEA.
• Your employer needs to be ready for the time all of this takes after you arrive, because you may not be able to drive professionally during the first weeks.

Ask before you sign how the period before you can drive is organised and paid. Any wage figure in an offer should state whether it is gross or net, and whether daily allowances for international trips are included or paid on top. Our separate guides on finding a job in Romania from outside the EU and on employers hiring foreign workers explain how to check an employer and an offer.

Practical order of steps for a truck driver from outside the EU

1. Check your licence before you leave. Make sure it is valid, not provisional and shows categories C or CE. Note any restriction codes and the expiry date. Keep a certified copy.
2. Ask whether your country is on Romania's exchange list. Contact DRPCIV or a county licence service, or ask the employer to do so, and ask specifically about categories C and CE.
3. Complete the immigration process. The application goes through WorkinRomania, you then apply for the D/AM1 or D/AM2 visa, and after arrival you apply for the single permit. Check first whether the D/AM2 route is open, as it is currently disabled on the platform. Our separate guide on applying for a work permit covers this.
4. Exchange the licence or book the Romanian exam. Once you have residence, file the exchange at the county licence service with the medical and psychological certificates, or prepare for the exam if exchange is not possible.
5. Obtain the initial qualification. Enrol at an authorised training centre, ideally one that teaches in a language you understand, and pass the ARR exam to obtain the CPI goods certificate.
6. Apply for the tachograph driver card. File with ARR with proof of residence and your right to work.
7. Check the extras for your job. ADR for dangerous goods, and for international routes confirm that your employer has requested your driver attestation.
8. Diarise renewals. Note the expiry dates of your single permit, licence medical validity, code 95 and tachograph card. Each one can stop you working on its own.

Common mistakes and how to avoid them

Driving on a home licence after becoming resident. A foreign licence that was fine as a visitor may not cover you as a resident. If you drive without a valid licence for the category, the consequences can include fines, immobilisation of the vehicle and, in serious cases, criminal liability. Your employer's insurance may also be affected.

Paying someone to "arrange" a licence or atestat. Licences, exams and certificates are issued only by the public authorities after the official procedure. Offers to obtain a Romanian licence or code 95 without exams, or to "speed up" an exchange for a fee, are a sign of fraud. Using a forged or improperly obtained document is a criminal offence and can lead to the cancellation of both your licence and your residence permit.

Relying on a licence exchanged in another EU country. If your EU licence was originally swapped for a licence from outside the EU, check how Romania treats it before you move.

New EU driving licence rules in the pipeline

The EU has adopted a new Driving Licence Directive that will replace the current directive on driving licences and amend the directive on driver qualification. It is in force at EU level but takes effect for drivers only once member states, including Romania, have transposed it and its application date has arrived. Among other things, it changes some rules on minimum ages and professional drivers. You can see its status on the EUR-Lex record for the driver qualification directive, which lists the new directive as an amending act. Until Romania applies the new rules, the current requirements described in this guide remain the ones to follow.

Romanian national rules on licence exchange also change from time to time, for example when new bilateral exchange agreements are signed or when the Road Traffic Code is amended. Before you make decisions, confirm the current position with the county licence service for licence questions, ARR for professional certificates and tachograph cards, and WorkinRomania and IGI for immigration.

Sources and References

• Driving licence exchange and recognition in the EU, Your Europe, European Commission
• Driving licence recognition and validity, Your Europe, European Commission
• Eliberare atestate, Romanian Road Authority (ARR)
• Regulated professions and recognition of qualifications, Romanian Road Authority (ARR)
• Instructions for certification documents, Romanian Road Authority (ARR)
• Instructions for tachograph cards, Romanian Road Authority (ARR)
• Information about exams held in English, Romanian Road Authority (ARR)
• ARR territorial agencies, Romanian Road Authority (ARR)
• Directive on the initial qualification and periodic training of drivers, EUR-Lex
• EUR-Lex record of the driver qualification directive and amending acts, EUR-Lex
• Regulation on access to the international road haulage market, consolidated text, EUR-Lex