Ukrainian citizens are frequent visitors to neighboring Romania, and it is not uncommon for them to travel by private car. Find out whether Ukrainian drivers need to have a technical inspection document to cross the border and enter this country

Issuing a policy Green card for traveling abroad by car

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Starting from August 15, 2024, entry into Romania by private transport is subject to new requirements from the Romanian Border Guard Service. From now on, Ukrainian drivers are required to have a special certificate that proves that the vehicle has undergone a technical inspection. We'll tell you why this is important and what else you need to know before traveling to Romania by car.

Rules for vehicle inspection in Romania

According to the rules in Romania, foreign citizens need to monitor the condition of their car to get to Romania. And for this, you need to periodically undergo a technical inspection. It can be done at any Romanian service station that has a license for this.

The following inspection intervals are offered:

- New cars undergo MOT 3 years after the first registration;

- Cars older than 3 years and younger than 12 years undergo MOT every 2 years;

- Cars older than 12 years are subject to annual inspection;

- Vehicles for the transportation of people, taxis, carsharing or rental are subject to MOT every 6 months;

- Trucks with a weight of more than 3500 kg and less than 3500 kg undergo annual maintenance.

Earlier we wrote in detail about the rules of entry and residence in Romania in 2024

What are the penalties for not having an ITP in Romania?

In Romania, if a vehicle's MOT expires, it is equal to suspending the vehicle's registration. At the same time, Romanian legislation provides for fines for failure to pass the MOT, according to Article 102 of Romanian Law No. 195/2002 on Road Traffic.

The penalty for the lack of technical inspection in Romania is calculated in penalty points (points). Thus, driving a car without a valid MOT in Romania is punishable by 9 to 20 penalty points.

The cost of 1 penalty point is 5% of the minimum wage, which in the first half of 2024 is equivalent to 165 lei. Thus, the minimum penalty of 9 points = 1,485 lei (about 300 euros). The maximum penalty is 20 points, but another 20 points will be charged for suspended registration. Therefore, it will already be 40 points, which is 6,600 lei (approximately 1,320 euros). As you can see, the fines for the lack of maintenance in Romania are considerable.

Important! In Romania, if you pay a fine within 15 days of receiving it, you get a 50% discount.

After paying the fine, you need to keep the receipt and send it to the relevant authority that issued it. This is usually a police station, traffic police department, or an online platform if the fine was issued through an electronic system.

At the same time, the fines for the lack of technical inspection in Romania depend on the specific circumstances. For example, if a police officer stops a driver and finds out that he or she does not have a valid technical inspection, but the car's registration has not yet been suspended, only one fine for the lack of a technical inspection is issued, which will vary from 300 to 600 euros.

If the MOT has expired and the car's registration has already been automatically suspended, the driver will be issued two fines: for not having a valid MOT and for driving with a suspended registration.

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Police measures in case of unexpired MOT in Romania

If a vehicle with an expired MOT is detected, the police may immediately remove the license plates from such a car. Along with the license plates, the registration certificate is also confiscated. After that, the car is considered immobilized and its operation is prohibited, and it can only be moved by a tow truck. Which, by the way, will also be paid for by the driver.

Note. The website of the Romanian Border Police also periodically publishes news about the detection of Ukrainian citizens who were traveling from other European countries in their cars without technical inspection. It is noted that such vehicles are subject to the same requirements as those entering Romania from Ukraine.

Where and how much does it cost to undergo a vehicle inspection in Ukraine and Romania?

Owners of passenger cars with Ukrainian registration can undergo a technical inspection voluntarily at any accredited service station in Ukraine that provides these services. The cost of the inspection ranges from UAH 1,000 to 1,500 per car, while the price for trucks will be more expensive.

However, there is no reliable information on whether the inspection certificate needs to be translated into Romanian or English, or whether the Ukrainian language of the certificate will be sufficient.

As for the cost of maintenance directly in Romania, prices will be at least 30% higher than in Ukraine.

Interesting. Owners of accredited service stations near the Romanian border actively advertise their services by handing out leaflets to drivers.

What other car documents are important to have at the border with Romania?

It is worth noting that, like many EU countries, Romania requires foreign motorists to have an insurance policy that can cover losses in the event of a traffic accident.

In international standards, such a policy is called a Green Card. This document will be useful if the driver encounters an accident on the road in another country.

If a person does not have insurance, or if its validity period is expired, they will simply not be allowed to cross the border. It should be understood that insurance verification can be carried out not only when entering a particular country, but also during a routine document check by police officers in the host country.

You can purchase an insurance policy on the Visit Ukraine website at this link. The online insurance process takes a few minutes, and the finished insurance will be sent to the specified e-mail immediately after registration and payment.

Remember. When planning to travel abroad by your own car, you should take care of reliable insurance. Read more about the Green Card insurance policy for safe travel abroad here.