How UAE and Gulf Investors Can Buy Property in Romania in 2026: The Legal Route
What a citizen or company from the Emirates, Saudi Arabia or Qatar can own directly, what requires a Romanian company, and how the process actually runs
Short answer: A citizen or a company from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar or any other non-EU state cannot acquire ownership of land in Romania directly. They can own apartments and buildings, and they can acquire any property, land included, through a Romanian company that they control entirely. In practice, nearly every Gulf investor who buys in Bucharest does so through a Romanian limited liability company (SRL), which can be set up in a matter of days and can be owned 100% by a foreign shareholder. This guide explains the rule, the exceptions and the sequence of a transaction.
The rule on land
Romania's Constitution (article 44) allows foreign citizens and stateless persons to acquire land only under the conditions of Romania's EU accession treaty, under other international treaties on a reciprocal basis, or by legal inheritance. Law 312/2005 implemented that rule: citizens and companies of EU and EEA member states may acquire land on the same terms as Romanians, while citizens and companies of third states may do so only where a treaty grants reciprocity.
As of 2026 there is no such reciprocity treaty between Romania and the UAE, Saudi Arabia or Qatar. The consequence is simple: an Emirati national, or a company registered in Dubai or Abu Dhabi, cannot be registered in the Romanian land book as the owner of a plot of land.
What a Gulf investor can own directly
The restriction concerns land, not buildings. A non-EU citizen or company may own an apartment, a house or a commercial building in their own name. For an apartment, the buyer acquires the unit and a share of the common parts of the building, while the interest in the land beneath is structured as a right of use rather than ownership.
For a villa or a historic house, the land is a large part of the value and the restriction bites. That is why direct ownership is realistic for apartments and penthouses, and why houses, plots and entire buildings are bought through a Romanian company.
The Romanian company route
A Romanian SRL is a legal person of Romanian nationality regardless of who owns its shares. It can therefore acquire land, houses, buildings and plots without restriction, and it may be owned entirely by a foreign natural person or by a foreign company, including a UAE free zone entity or a family office vehicle.
What the route involves:
- Incorporation at the Trade Register (ONRC), typically completed within days once documents are in order. The shareholder does not need to be present in Romania; a power of attorney is used, and the corporate or identity documents of a foreign shareholder are legalised or apostilled.
- A registered office, an administrator (who may be the investor or a nominee), and a bank account in Romania. Bank onboarding for a foreign-owned company is the slowest step and should start immediately after incorporation.
- A declaration of the ultimate beneficial owner, which is public information for Romanian companies.
- Accounting and annual filings, which a local firm handles for a modest monthly fee.
The company then signs the purchase deed before a Romanian notary. Ownership is registered in the land book (cartea funciară) at the moment of authentication, and there is no separate transfer tax in Romania.
Timeline of a purchase
- Sourcing and selection. For off-market properties this is the longest stage, because it depends on private conversations with owners rather than on listings.
- Legal due diligence: land book extract, history of title, urban planning certificate, building permits, litigation checks, and for historic monuments the specific procedure described in our guide on historic houses.
- Pre-contract (antecontract), signed before a notary, with a deposit and a closing date. It can be noted in the land book to protect the buyer.
- Company set-up in parallel, if the buyer does not already have a Romanian vehicle.
- Closing before the notary, payment through a Romanian bank account, registration in the land book.
In NOR's experience, a Gulf buyer with a company in place can plan for six to ten weeks from an accepted offer to registration for a property that is ready to sell.
Costs beyond the price
- Notary fees, set by a national tariff and calculated on the price.
- Land book registration fees.
- Legal fees for due diligence and company set-up.
- Agency commission: NOR represents buyers for a commission of 3% of the price, as published on our agency page.
- Annual building tax to the local council, between 0.08% and 0.2% of the taxable value for residential buildings.
VAT applies at 21% to new buildings and building land; the resale of older buildings is exempt as a rule. For a Gulf investor focused on historic houses and central-district apartments in older buildings, this means VAT is normally not part of the equation. Full detail is in our tax guide for non-resident owners.
Frequently asked questions
Can a UAE citizen buy an apartment in Bucharest in their own name?
Yes. Apartments and buildings may be owned directly. Land may not.
Can a Dubai company buy a villa in Bucharest?
Not directly, because a villa includes land. The standard solution is a Romanian SRL owned by the Dubai company.
Does buying property give residency in Romania?
No. Romania has no residence permit linked to the purchase of property. Residence for a non-EU investor is obtained on other grounds, such as running a Romanian company, and is a matter for an immigration lawyer.
Is there a minimum investment?
No legal minimum. NOR's off-market work is concentrated on properties above one million euro and on portfolios for institutional buyers.
Can I buy without travelling to Romania?
Yes, with a notarised and apostilled power of attorney. Bank onboarding may still require an identification step.
NOR Luxury Agency represents buyers in Bucharest's premium districts and works with a partner law firm and a tax adviser for the company and due diligence stages. The agency is certified ISO 9001:2015 and works in Romanian, English, French, German, Italian and Turkish.
This guide is general information as of September 2026 and does not constitute legal or tax advice. NOR Luxury Agency coordinates with its partner law firm and tax adviser for every transaction it represents.
Read next
- Buying a historic house in Bucharest as a foreign investor: the monument law in practice
- Taxes on Romanian property for non-resident owners: rent, resale and company ownership
- Bucharest's central heritage districts for investors: where the protected houses are and what they cost
- NOR Private Portfolio: off-market representation for Gulf investors in Bucharest