Germany · 100% remote · in English/German-friendly

Open a Romanian company from Germany — €990 flat.

Set up your own EU company without leaving Germany. 100% foreign ownership, incorporated remotely via power of attorney, with micro-company 1% taxation where eligible — your Romanian SRL, tax ID, VAT and bank account, done for you.

  • No travel — we incorporate via power of attorney
  • NIF tax ID, VAT registration & bank assistance
  • Micro-company 1% tax setup where eligible (2026)
Get your setup plan

What's included (€990)

  • Remote SRL formation (PoA)
  • Name, articles, CAEN codes, ONRC → CUI
  • Registered office (1st year)
  • NIF + VAT registration
  • Bank-account opening assistance

State fees, translation, apostille — separate, at cost. See pricing →

Why German founders choose a Romanian SRL

An EU company

A Romanian SRL is a full member of the EU single market — invoice clients across the EU, hold an EU VAT number and trade without internal customs barriers.

Competitive taxation (2026)

Micro-company 1% on turnover where eligible (cap €100,000, at least one employee), otherwise 16% profit tax and 16% on dividends. Often more competitive than a domestic setup — confirm your own case.

Familiar limited-liability form

The SRL is the limited-liability company you'd expect when comparing with a GmbH or UG — limited liability for owners, low minimum share capital, straightforward governance.

Faster, leaner setup

Document prep typically takes 1–2 days, then ONRC registration usually 3–5 business days — a lean alternative to a heavier domestic incorporation.

English-speaking remote service

We run the whole process in English from start to finish, coordinating with partner lawyers and accountants in Romania — no Romanian language skills needed.

Built for non-residents

100% foreign ownership, no Romanian residency required, and a NIF tax ID instead of a local personal number — designed for founders based abroad.

How it works from Germany

1. NIF tax ID

Non-residents get a Romanian tax identification number (NIF) — we obtain it for you, no Romanian CNP needed.

2. Power of attorney

A PoA lets us file everything from Germany without you travelling. Signed digitally or notarised/legalised locally.

3. Apostille & translation

Germany issues a Hague apostille where one is needed; foreign documents may need sworn translation — we coordinate it, at cost.

4. Registered office

Your SRL needs a Romanian registered address — included for the first year.

5. ONRC → CUI

We file at the Trade Register and follow it through to your registration certificate and unique tax ID (CUI).

6. VAT & bank account

VAT registration plus guidance to open a business bank account that accepts non-resident-owned companies.

Full non-resident process →

The Germany–Romania double tax treaty

Both countries are EU members, so a German founder taking money out of a Romanian SRL is covered by EU directives and by the bilateral Germany–Romania treaty at the same time. The treaty caps Romanian withholding tax on outbound payments and lets you offset Romanian tax against German tax on the same income.

Payment from your Romanian SRL to GermanyTreaty capStandard rate, no treaty
Dividends5% (holding ≥ 10%) / 15%16%
Interest0% / 3%16%
Royalties3%16%

The lower dividend rate applies where a German corporate shareholder holds at least 10% of the SRL; 15% otherwise. Between associated EU companies the EU Parent-Subsidiary and Interest & Royalties Directives can push qualifying dividends, interest and royalties to 0%. Rates per the Germany–Romania treaty as summarised by PwC; confirm eligibility for your case.

Permanent establishment & place of management

The treaty taxes the SRL in Romania unless it has a permanent establishment in Germany. The real exposure for a German founder is corporate residence, not PE: under §10 of the German Fiscal Code (Abgabenordnung) a company whose place of management (Ort der Geschäftsleitung) is in Germany is treated as German-resident and taxable in Germany on its worldwide profit — and the treaty tie-breaker for a dual-resident company points to the place of effective management. A Romanian SRL that is really run from Munich can therefore end up in the German corporate tax net regardless of where it is registered. Substance in Romania — office, local management, an employee — is what keeps management out of Germany.

Germany's CFC rules — Hinzurechnungsbesteuerung

Germany's controlled-foreign-company regime sits in §§ 7–14 of the Foreign Tax Act (Außensteuergesetz, AStG). Where German residents control a foreign company earning low-taxed passive income, that income can be attributed back to the German shareholders and taxed in Germany even if never distributed. For a company established in the EU there is a substance-based carve-out (the motive/substance test carried over from EU case law), so a Romanian SRL carrying on genuine active business with real local substance is normally outside it — a passive holding of investment income is the classic trigger. Active trading income under the micro-company regime is a very different profile from passive royalty or interest income parked offshore.

One more German-specific point worth flagging early: owning a Romanian SRL does not by itself trigger German exit tax (Wegzugsbesteuerung) — that regime is about an individual with a substantial shareholding leaving Germany, a separate question from forming an EU company while you stay put. But if you later plan to move out of Germany, the interaction with a foreign holding is exactly the kind of thing to model with a Steuerberater in advance rather than after the fact.

Worked example. A Berlin agency owner runs EU client work through a Romanian SRL with a small office and one employee in Cluj. Turnover is €95,000, inside the micro cap, so the company pays roughly 1% turnover tax ≈ €950 for the year rather than standard 16% profit tax. Because management decisions are genuinely made in Romania, the company is Romanian-resident and Germany's place-of-management rule is not triggered. Dividends paid to him carry Romanian withholding capped at 5% under the treaty (corporate holding) and he declares them in Germany with a credit for Romanian tax.

Who opens a Romanian SRL from Germany

Usually German founders who find the GmbH's €25,000 capital and notary-heavy process too heavy for a lean EU operating company — freelancers and agencies, Amazon FBA and e-commerce sellers, SaaS founders and consultants. Many keep a German entity and add the SRL as an EU operating arm. See how Romanian company formation works and the ongoing accounting.

This page is general information for German founders, not German tax advice. Your CFC exposure, corporate-residence position and VAT depend on your own facts — confirm them with a German advisor (Steuerberater).

Sources

Free: Non-Resident SRL Checklist (2026)

Documents, steps, taxes and costs to open your Romanian company remotely — in one PDF.

Other countries

Founders from other countries

From Germany — FAQ

Do I need to travel to Romania to open the company?

No. From Germany we incorporate remotely using a power of attorney. Documents are signed digitally or notarised/legalised locally — Germany issues a Hague apostille where one is required (please confirm current requirements with us).

How is a Romanian SRL different from a German GmbH or UG?

A Romanian SRL is the equivalent limited-liability company inside the EU single market. Romania (2026) offers micro-company taxation of 1% where eligible, otherwise 16% profit tax and 16% dividend tax — often more competitive than a domestic setup. We do not give German tax or legal figures; compare with your own advisor.

What taxes will my Romanian company pay?

For 2026: micro-company regime 1% on turnover (cap €100,000, at least one employee), or standard 16% profit tax; 16% on dividends; VAT at 21% standard / 11% reduced, with a registration threshold of RON 395,000. Always confirm the figures that apply to your case.

Can a German resident own 100% of the company?

Yes. Foreign individuals and companies — including German residents and citizens — can own and direct 100% of a Romanian SRL. No Romanian residency is required.

Start your Romanian company from Germany

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