For entrepreneurs looking to enter e-commerce without a warehouse or large capital investment, dropshipping in Romania is one of the most accessible ways to get started.
The country has a growing GDP, increasingly digitalized infrastructure, and a consumer base that's become comfortable shopping online.
Additionally, Romania’s strategic position and EU membership offer many advantages. Customs-free intra-EU trade simplifies logistics and expansion, speeds up delivery times, and keeps fees lower. These benefits work in your favor and also improve the experience for your customers.
This guide explains how to start dropshipping in Romania. You’ll discover the legal requirements for starting a business and practical tips for launching your store.
Key takeaways
- Legal compliance is non-negotiable.
You must register your business, pay taxes regularly, submit your invoices on time, and comply with data and consumer protection laws. Failing to comply can have severe consequences.
- You're responsible for product quality.
Romanian consumer protection laws require quality testing, a two-year guarantee, and clear product information in Romanian.
- Focus on customer experience.
Romanian consumers value fast delivery, affordable prices, and flexible returns. Choose suppliers with local or EU fulfillment, and build a store that's mobile-friendly and supports popular payment methods.
- Paypercut simplifies your launch and growth.
Paypercut supports cards, digital wallets, and BNPL through one integration. With fully digital onboarding, no lock-in contracts, and localized support for 29+ European markets, it's easy to start accepting online payments in Romania and scale from there.
Important legal considerations for aspiring dropshippers in Romania
Complying with all legal requirements is essential to running a successful dropshipping business in Romania. The following sections offer some guidance, but keep in mind that they do not constitute legal or tax advice. They serve only to educate you and help you plan for the process.
Consult with a certified Romanian lawyer and accountant to cover all the details and keep up with any changes.
Business models
Registering your business in Romania is mandatory. The most suitable models for dropshipping businesses are PFA and SRL. Their terms differ significantly, so make sure to review them carefully to select the best option:
Tax obligations
Your tax regime will depend on the business structure you select. For PFA entities, a 10% tax applies to income after deductions for social security and health insurance. SRL entities entail a more complex tax regime:
- Corporate tax: A micro SRL with at least one employee pays a 1% tax on turnover, i.e., total income. Macro SRLs and SRLs with no employees pay a 16% tax on net profit.
- Value-added tax (VAT): VAT is a tax that applies to products and services offered by VAT-registered businesses. In Romania, the standard rate is 21%. Registration is mandatory for businesses with an annual turnover exceeding 395,000 RON (~€80,000).
- Other taxes: You may also be liable for taxes on shareholder dividends, capital gains, luxury assets, and other earnings.
If you plan on doing business across borders, you may be eligible for special VAT systems that simplify tax compliance:
- One-Stop-Shop (OSS), which applies to sales within the EU
- Import One-Stop-Shop (IOSS), which applies to imports under €150 from outside the EU
Invoicing and accounting
According to amendments introduced in January 2026, you’ll need to issue invoices for each transaction and report them to the RO e-factura platform within 5 workdays of the issuing date.
To comply with standards, your invoices need to include all the required information, such as the series number, seller and buyer identification data, and VAT rate. Invoices for local transactions must be in Romanian, while international ones should be in English or bilingual.
As for accounting, the process again differs depending on your business model. The PFA permits single-entry accounting, which only requires registers of receipts and inventory. SRL, however, mandates double-entry accounting, including monthly trial balances and annual balance sheets. SRL businesses are also legally obligated to have an accountant.
As of January 2026, all legal entities, including SRLs and PFAs, must have an active payment account in Romania.
Data protection
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Romanian Data Protection Authority for Personal Data Processing (RDPA) enforce various requirements regarding data privacy and security. Some of them include:
- Being mindful and transparent about your data collection and processing measures
- Encrypting and anonymizing customer data, and managing access carefully
- Notifying authorities and customers in case of data breaches
- Allowing customers to easily request data correction and deletion
- Carrying out data privacy investigations and solving complaints
Consumer protection
Romania has strict laws regarding consumer rights. As the seller, you are 100% responsible for each product, even if you never touch it. Necessary actions include:
- Quality testing: Before you start selling, ensure the product complies with Romanian health and safety standards and includes warning labels if needed. Some product groups may also require testing and certification.
- Two-year guarantee: You are required to provide a two-year quality guarantee at a minimum, and offer remediation in case of product defects.
- Store information: Your store must display your company information, including its legal name, registration code and number, and the address of your workplace.
- Product information: For every product you sell, you must provide all the important details, from technical characteristics to potential risks of use.
- Language and currency: All information needs to be in Romanian and clear and easy to understand. Prices must be in RON and include the VAT.
Failing to comply with these requirements could result in fines, bans on the sale of certain goods, and even temporary suspension of activity.
How to start dropshipping in Romania: From idea to profit in 6 steps
Now that you understand the legal nuances of running a dropshipping business in Romania, it's time to move on to the practical steps.
1. Choose a niche
If you haven’t decided what you want to sell and are looking to maximize profit, understanding consumer behavior can help. Over the last few years, the following e-commerce categories stood out as popular:
- Fashion and shoes
- Beauty and personal care
- Electronics
- Food and beverages
- Household essentials
- Toys and hobby
- Over-the-counter pharmaceuticals
- Furniture and decoration
While Romanians generally value affordability, premium products are gaining popularity, especially in urban areas. It’s also worth noting that about 60% of retail transactions are made by women, whereas families with children account for 35%.
2. Create a business strategy
To turn your idea into reality, you need a plan first. Make sure you can answer these basic questions:
- What exactly will you sell? Do you want to sell affordable or high-end products?
- How broad will the product selection be?
- How much money can you allocate overall, and to different activities, such as store building and marketing?
- Who will cover the shipping costs—you, the consumer, or both?
- Will you import goods from outside the EU or sell them across the border? (crucial for deciding whether to apply for OSS and IOSS)
- How will you promote your business? Which channels will you use? How will you stand out from competitors?
You should define specific, measurable goals, along with the timeframe for completing them and the metrics you will use to measure success.
Making effective decisions will require weighing your possibilities against consumer preferences. For example, one report states that price, fast delivery, and flexibility in returns are decisive factors for Romanian consumers. Also, 41% of them say free shipping is the most critical factor in choosing an online store.
It’s also advisable to analyze the leading e-commerce and dropshipping businesses in Romania and what they offer—this is what your customers will expect from you as well. Many new sellers also study eMAG to understand pricing, delivery expectations, and category demand.
3. Find high-quality suppliers
Your supplier can make or break the customer experience, so choose carefully. Look for local partners or those who offer local fulfillment. Ideally, they should have a warehouse in Romania or another EU country. That will ensure faster delivery times and lower shipping costs, both of which Romanian shoppers value highly.
Before committing, assess suppliers based on your niche, product range, packaging quality, and the delivery and payment options they support. Also, evaluate how suppliers handle returns, stock accuracy, and fulfillment reliability, since these directly affect customer trust.
Cash on delivery is still popular in Romania, so your supplier should offer this method. For many first-time Romanian shoppers, cash on delivery is still partly a trust mechanism, not only a payment method.
To comply with Romanian regulations, order samples and test the products yourself. If they don't meet your standards, they won't meet your customers' either. Finally, make sure their pricing fits your margins so you can stay profitable as you scale.
4. Register your business
Once you’ve collected the necessary documentation, you can register your business with the National Trade Register Office (ONRC). This step will be the most time-consuming and challenging, but also the most important. The good news is that you can complete the registration online through ONRC’s portal.
5. Build your online store
Building your own website store is the best option. It gives you complete control over branding, customer experience, and long-term scalability.
If your budget allows, you can build the store from scratch. A more affordable and popular choice is platforms like Shopify and WooCommerce, which let you get started quickly with drag-and-drop builders, ready-made templates, and built-in integrations.
When choosing a platform, make sure it:
- Has an SSL security certificate
- Supports delivery tracking and other integrations you need
- Offer multiple payment methods, including cash on delivery
- Is optimized for mobile use (Romanian consumers commonly shop on their phones)
If your budget is tight, you can start selling through social media channels like Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook. Still, note that this approach offers limited functionality, less control over the buying experience, and may appear less credible to customers compared to a dedicated store.
Once your store is set up, add high-quality product photos and detailed descriptions to comply with Romanian consumer protection laws. Calculate your pricing carefully—factoring in product cost, VAT, shipping, platform fees, and your margin—and start promoting.
6. Set up your payment methods
Romanian shoppers expect flexibility at checkout, including payment methods such as:
- Payment cards, such as Visa and Mastercard
- Digital wallets, such as Apple Pay and Google Pay
- Mobile payment services, such as RoPay and BLIK
- Cash on delivery
- Buy Now, Pay Later
You'll need to decide which methods to offer based on your target audience and your platform's capabilities. Offering the right mix of payment methods can reduce checkout drop-off.
Managing multiple payment providers can get complicated quickly, especially if you plan to sell across borders, but the right payment solution can help.
For example, Paypercut lets you accept cards, digital wallets, and multiple BNPL providers through a single integration and dashboard. It also offers fully digital onboarding and handles compliance documentation on your behalf, so you can focus on growing your dropshipping business instead of the technicalities.
Simplify payments with Paypercut
Starting a dropshipping business means juggling suppliers, marketing, and customer service. Your payment setup shouldn't add to that complexity.
Paypercut is an online platform designed to get you started quickly and manage your payments with ease.
It’s built for small and mid-sized businesses in Central and Eastern Europe, and is fully localized for Romanian and many other European markets. You can offer locally favorite payment solutions, accept and hold Romanian currency, and ensure compliance with minimal effort.
Careful cost management is key for new businesses. With Paypercut’s simple and transparent pricing model, you only need to pay for successful transactions, and you’re not locked in with a long-term contract.
Additional benefits include:
- Many ways to pay: Give your customers various payment options at checkout, including card, digital wallet, split payments, QR codes, and payment links.
- No-hassle store integration: Connect Paypercut to your store easily with plugins for WooCommerce, OpenCart, and Shopify, or use the API if you have a custom website.
- BNPL support: Offer installment payments to your customers. Choose to get paid upfront or enjoy lower fees with merchant-funded BNPL.
- Built-in scaling: Expand beyond the Romanian market without rebuilding your online checkout. Sell across 29+ countries and accept 12+ currencies.
- Real human support: Talk to regional experts if you have questions or run into a problem.
Contact Paypercut today, launch your checkout in days, and set your dropshipping business up for growth.
