Romania's new Territorial Planning, Urbanism and Construction Code (CATUC), enacted through Law no. 169/2026 and applicable since 25 August 2026, has substantially reorganised the legal framework governing urban planning and construction.
One area where the changes become immediately relevant for investors and developers is the urban planning certificate (certificat de urbanism).
Under CATUC, the urban planning certificate remains an instrument through which the competent authority communicates the urban planning conditions applicable to a property. However, the new Code introduces several distinct categories of certificates and establishes specific rules for certificates requested for construction or demolition of buildings and other developments.
For development projects, the changes are relevant not only procedurally. They reinforce the importance of defining the proposed investment — and understanding its planning implications — at an early stage.
A more differentiated system of urban planning certificates
CATUC now expressly distinguishes between several types of urban planning certificates, depending on their purpose.
These include certificates for information purposes, cadastral operations, construction or demolition of buildings and developments, engineering works and certain special constructions.
For investors and developers, the urban planning certificate for construction/demolition of buildings and developments is particularly important.
Under Article 257 CATUC, it is the individual administrative act through which the local public authority communicates to the holder of a real right over the property the conditions applicable to the proposed investment, including construction, demolition, modification of an ongoing construction or regularisation.
This is an important practical distinction.
The certificate is no longer approached merely by reference to a property. The proposed investment itself becomes relevant to determining the applicable planning and permitting route.
15 working days for issuance
One of the most visible changes concerns timing.
The urban planning certificate for construction or demolition of buildings and developments must now be issued within 15 working days from registration of the application.
For developers, this is relevant because the certificate usually sits close to the beginning of the permitting process.
A more clearly defined timeframe can facilitate planning of the subsequent stages of the project — particularly where permitting, financing, acquisition and construction schedules are interconnected.
The statutory deadline should, however, be distinguished from the overall duration of the permitting process. Obtaining the certificate is only one stage; the project may subsequently require planning documentation, approvals, technical documentation and ultimately a construction permit.
The certificate can be issued digitally
CATUC expressly provides that the certificate may be issued and communicated either in written or digital format, depending on the applicant's choice.
A digitally issued certificate is signed using a qualified or advanced electronic signature and has the same legal value as the paper document.
This forms part of the wider digitalisation of Romania's urban planning and construction procedures.
New standard forms applicable to the authorisation process were subsequently approved by MDLPA Order no. 975/2026 and became mandatory from 26 August 2026.
More information about the proposed investment is required upfront
Another relevant change concerns the documentation accompanying the application.
For new constructions, developments and horizontal extensions of existing buildings, Article 257 requires, among other elements:
an up-to-date land book excerpt;
a proposed site plan showing the footprint of the buildings to be constructed, demolished or extended; and
a brief description of the proposed investment, allowing the authority to assess its compliance with approved urban planning documentation and identify the necessary approvals and consents.
CATUC also provides that certain cadastral and land-book data should be obtained online directly by the public authority through the integrated cadastral and land-book system, rather than being repeatedly supplied by the applicant.
From an investment perspective, the requirement to describe and locate the proposed development more precisely means that project definition starts to matter earlier in the permitting process.
The authority must indicate the planning route
The authority's response may take several forms.
Depending on the applicable planning regulations and the proposed investment, it may issue the certificate directly, require the preparation of a detailed urban plan (PUD), or — where permitted by CATUC or the applicable PUG — require the preparation and approval of a zoning urban plan (PUZ).
Where the investment cannot be carried out and the preparation of a PUZ is not legally available, CATUC also expressly allows the authority to issue a negative urban planning certificate, which must state the factual and legal reasons preventing the investment.
For an investor assessing a development opportunity, this is potentially one of the most useful aspects of the certificate.
It can provide an early indication of whether the proposed development fits within the existing planning framework or whether an additional planning process will be required.
Approvals are separated according to their purpose
CATUC also requires the approvals and consents listed in the certificate to be grouped into two categories:
those required on the basis of the construction/demolition project for issuance of the construction permit; and
those required for approval of a PUZ, where a PUZ is necessary.
This distinction may seem technical, but it matters for project management.
For larger real estate and industrial developments, identifying which approvals belong to the planning phase and which belong to the permitting phase can make the critical path of the project easier to understand.
Longer validity periods
CATUC also changes the validity regime.
For certificates concerning construction/demolition of buildings and developments, the issuing authority establishes a validity period of between 12 and 36 months, depending on the purpose of the request, the complexity of the investment and the planning characteristics of the area.
The validity may subsequently be extended by up to 24 months. For public investment projects, CATUC allows validity of up to 60 months, subject to the statutory conditions.
Where a PUZ or PUD is required, CATUC contains a specific rule linking the usability and validity of the certificate to the approval of the relevant planning documentation.
For complex developments, longer validity can be significant, particularly where land acquisition, planning, financing and construction are spread over several stages.
What this means for investors and developers
The changes should not be read merely as an administrative simplification exercise.
They also reinforce the role of the urban planning certificate as an early-stage project assessment tool.
Before acquiring or committing significant capital to a development site, an investor should already have a clear understanding of:
the property's title and cadastral situation;
the applicable PUG/PUZ and planning parameters;
whether the intended development can be authorised directly or requires additional planning documentation;
the approvals and consents likely to be required;
the relationship between the permitting process and the transaction or financing timetable.
The urban planning certificate does not replace a legal and technical due diligence exercise. Nor does it, by itself, guarantee that a development can ultimately be authorised.
But under the new CATUC framework, it can provide important information at precisely the stage when the structure of the investment is still capable of being adjusted.
The practical takeaway
The new Romanian Urban Planning Code introduces several concrete improvements to the urban planning certificate regime: a 15-working-day issuance deadline, digital issuance, longer validity, more clearly defined documentation and a more structured indication of the planning and permitting route.
For investors and developers, however, the broader point is more important.
The certificate should not be treated as a box to tick after an investment decision has already been made.
Used together with title, planning and technical due diligence, it can form part of the process through which a development opportunity is tested before acquisition, financing or substantial project costs are committed.
Under CATUC, early project definition and early legal assessment therefore remain central to reducing development risk.