Operating authorizations in Romania, by business type
Restaurant, shop, salon or warehouse? Each activity has its own list of authorizations: health, veterinary, environment, fire safety, city hall. Here is the complete map, in short.
"I have a company — can I start operating?" Not always. For many activities there is one more step between incorporation and the first customer: operating authorizations. The list depends on what you do and where.
Restaurants, cafés, food businesses
- sanitary-veterinary registration (DSV/ANSVSA) for handling food;
- public-health authorization from DSP;
- operating approval from the city hall (terrace included);
- ISU fire-safety approval or authorization, depending on area and capacity;
- mandatory contracts: pest control, used-oil collection.
Food and non-food retail
Food shops follow a similar path (DSV + DSP + city hall); non-food shops skip the veterinary part but still need the operating approval and, for some products — alcohol, tobacco — special licences.
Salons, clinics, personal services
The DSP health authorization is central; for medical procedures, additional approvals from the College of Physicians and equipment-specific authorizations apply.
Warehouses and production
Here the environmental permit matters (or a declaration, for small activities), the ISU authorization for large spaces and, for food products, DSV again.
Three frequent mistakes
- The wrong premises: you sign the lease, then find out the space cannot be authorized — check before signing;
- Unauthorized CAEN: the code exists in the articles, but the activity is not authorized at the location;
- Forgotten renewals: some authorizations expire or need re-approval when conditions change.
We first draw an "authorization map" for your business — what you need, what it costs, how long it takes — then obtain every document. You open on the date you promised your customers.
