For many foreigners who get married in Romania, it is necessary to present documents such as:
- Birth certificate
- Certificate of no marriage (also called “certificate of single status”)
- Divorce or death certificates (if previously married)
If these documents are issued in another country, and you cannot travel there personally, the most efficient way is to empower someone you trust back home (a relative, a friend, or even a lawyer) through a Special Power of Attorney (SPA). Thanks to the Hague Apostille Convention (1961), this process is recognized in all member countries and avoids complicated legalization procedures.
1. Drafting and Signing the Special Power of Attorney in Romania
- You must prepare a text clearly stating what powers you give: e.g., “to obtain a copy of my birth certificate and a certificate of no marriage from the Civil Registry in [City, Country].”
- The SPA must be signed in front of a Romanian Notary Public. The notary will verify your identity and authenticate the document.
👉 Important note: be aware of the following pitfalls:
– A Romanian notary can prepare an SPA, but by default, it will only be effective within Romanian territory.
– This happens because Romanian notaries keep the signed original in their archives and only release a duplicate (Duplicat) certifying that you signed.
– Foreign authorities usually do not recognize a Romanian notary’s certification directly, so such SPAs are often refused abroad.
This leads many people to waste hundreds of euros on SPAs that cannot be used outside Romania.
A Practical Solution:
After several unsuccessful attempts, that costed me important amounts of money and time, I had an excellent collaboration with the Public Notary Office of Janina Gabriela Ratiu in Bucharest. Thanks to their professional team and in-house translator, and with the support of external specialists, they managed to prepare an SPA valid for use in the foreign country.
Instead of certifying the full text of the SPA, they authenticated only the signature, which made the document acceptable for the foreign authorities. This approach finally worked and saved me from further losses of time and money.
2. Translation and Apostille in Romania
- Once notarized, the SPA must be translated into the official language of the country where it will be used (generally English, but also French, Tagalog, Italian, etc.).
- The translation is done by a sworn translator and legalized (a notary, with a fiduciary relation with the translator, certifies the translator’s signature — Never try to translate in a place and legalize in another). It is much easier if your notary has an in-house translator and is able to prepare a bilingual document.
- Finally, you need to obtain the Apostille from the local Prefecture (Instituția Prefectului) in Romania. Since they provide apostilles, I went to Camera Notarilor Publici București. This stamp certifies the authenticity of the notary’s signature so that the foreign authority can accept the document.
👉 Important note: To avoid the need for a double apostille (one on the original document and another on its translation), you should ask the notary to prepare the document in two languages (usually Romanian and English). For this, the notary’s office must work with a certified translator. As mentioned, I always prepare my documents at the office of Bucharest Notary Jeanina Gabriela Ratiu and I have never had any problems with this delicate procedure.
3. Sending the Document Abroad
- The apostilled SPA, together with its translation, must be sent by courier to your representative in your home country.
- Always use a reliable courier service with tracking, since civil registry offices usually require the original document. We used DHL—not the cheapest courier, but very reliable. They always managed to deliver and pick up documents even in a remote village in Mindanao (Philippines) within just a few days.
4. Your Representative’s Role in the Home Country
- With the SPA in hand, your trusted person can go to the local Civil Registry, request the required certificates, and receive them on your behalf.
- If needed, your representative may also arrange for an apostille to be placed on those documents in your home country (since they must later be valid in Romania).
5. Receiving the Documents in Romania
- Once the documents are obtained and apostilled in your country, they must be sent to you in Romania.
- Upon arrival, you will need to have them translated into Romanian by a sworn translator and legalized.
- Notarial legalization of the translation (supralegalizarea traducerii): The translation itself is not automatically valid. A Romanian notary must authenticate the translator’s signature. This step happens at the Camera Notarilor Publici (the Notary Chamber), or directly at an affiliated notary’s office.
This article is not intended as legal advice. I am simply sharing my personal experience, supported by the best information available at the time — including explanations generated with the help of AI tools like ChatGPT.
Please be aware that immigration laws and procedures may change over time, and mistakes can happen. I strongly recommend verifying any legal or administrative detail directly with the Romanian authorities or a qualified immigration lawyer.
I am committed to keeping my articles up to date and accurate. If you spot an error or have constructive feedback, your comments are not only welcome — they are appreciated.