Driving licenses and registration fees will increase in price in Romania from September 15. What happens to taxes already paid?
The wave of increases: How much will new car documents cost? The General Directorate of Driving Licenses and Registrations (DGPCI) has announced the adjustment of the tariffs for issuing car documents. The measure will officially come into force starting from September 15, when all drivers and vehicle owners will be required to pay the new amounts when submitting applications.
The tariff changes applied by the authorities are significant:
- Driving license: The price of issuing a new license (either for obtaining, renewing or replacing) increases from 89 lei to 139 lei (an increase of over 56%).
- Registration certificate (car registration certificate): Its cost increases from 49 lei to 76 lei.
- Provisional circulation permit (red numbers): Records the highest percentage increase, the fee almost doubling, from 13 lei to 25 lei.
Payment methods and the firm warning regarding old receipts
The procedure for paying the new taxes remains accessible through the digital and automated channels configured by DGPCI. Citizens can make payments quickly, without the need to present physical paper proof at the counter at the time of processing, using:
- The national online platform Ghi?eul.ro;
- Payment terminals in the SelfPay network.
However, the authorities draw attention to an essential technical detail: payments made at the old rates before September 15 will no longer be able to be used for files processed after this date. People who have already paid the fees at the current price (for example, 89 lei for the permit), but have an appointment or submit the documents starting with September 15, will not be able to use the previous payment without updating the rate to the new value.
Financial impact on drivers and recommendations from authorities
The price increases come in the context of aligning the costs of producing, printing and securing official documents with current economic realities. Although the individual amounts seem moderate, the impact is directly felt by the thousands of drivers who take exams, renew their expired licenses or register vehicles every day.
Drivers whose documents are set to expire in the immediate future are advised to expedite their actions if they wish to benefit from the old rates by September 14. Otherwise, those who schedule after September 15 must ensure that they pay the new amounts established by DGPCI from the start to avoid having their file rejected at the counter.
