Compliance · Romania
SMS Compliance in Romania
A practical overview of the rules that affect SMS messaging and marketing in Romania, with a checklist before you launch.
Key Rules for SMS in Romania
Law 506/2004 requires prior consent for commercial communications by SMS and email, enforced by the ANSPDCP together with the GDPR.
Across the EU and the UK, the ePrivacy rules (implemented through national laws, and PECR in the UK) generally require prior consent before sending marketing texts to individuals, with a limited 'soft opt-in' for existing customers buying similar products. GDPR or UK GDPR then governs how the contact data itself is handled.
Data Protection
The National Supervisory Authority for Personal Data Processing (ANSPDCP) enforces the GDPR.
Keep a record of how each contact was collected, what they agreed to and when, and make it easy for them to withdraw consent.
Practical Checklist
- Collect and record consent (or confirm an existing customer relationship) before sending, with the date and source.
- Use a registered sender ID or number that recipients can recognise as your business.
- Identify your business in every message and keep promotional and service messages separate.
- Give a simple way to opt out of marketing and process opt-outs quickly across all your systems.
- Send in the recipient's local daytime hours and keep frequency reasonable.
Contact data
Format numbers in international E.164 format with the +40 country code, remove duplicates and invalid numbers, and keep consent records linked to each number.
Timing and Language
Romania follows the Europe/Bucharest time zone (UTC+03:00 in October 2026). The usual working week is Monday to Friday. Schedule SMS campaigns for the recipient's local daytime hours, avoid public holidays and religious observances that matter to your audience, and convert send times from IST before scheduling.
In Bucharest, customers commonly use Romanian, with English. Messages in the customer's preferred language usually perform better, but check how local-language text affects character counts (for SMS) and template approval (for WhatsApp).
Digital Habits and Channels in Romania
Romania has fast and affordable mobile internet, and WhatsApp and Messenger are the main messaging apps. SMS is used for deliveries and bank codes.
Cash on delivery remains common in e-commerce, but card payments and Revolut are growing quickly, especially among younger urban customers. Black Friday is one of the biggest retail events, popularised locally by the eMAG marketplace, and Easter and Christmas are key holidays.
Romania has one of the fastest-growing economies in the EU, with a large IT and software outsourcing sector in Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca, Iași and Timișoara, car manufacturing by Dacia (Renault) at Mioveni and Ford at Craiova, and agriculture. Fixed broadband speeds are among the fastest in Europe. The standard VAT rate rose from 19% to 21% on 1 August 2025, and the currency is the leu. Law 506/2004 requires prior consent for electronic marketing, supervised by the data protection authority (ANSPDCP). Orange, Vodafone and Digi are the main mobile operators.
Regulators, Registers and Practical Rules in Romania
Romania's ANSPDCP enforces the GDPR, and ANCOM regulates telecoms. Law 506/2004 requires prior consent for electronic marketing. Orange, Vodafone, Digi and Telekom are the operators.
Romania's VAT rate rose to 21 per cent on 1 August 2025, so price messages should be checked. Messages should be in Romanian. Revolut and card payments are common.
ANCOM also manages sender ID rules for anti-fraud.
In practice, Romanian consumers respond well to clear prices in lei, delivery times and easy returns, and many still prefer cash on delivery for online orders. Keep consent records for each subscriber and include a simple opt-out, and check messages for accuracy before large sends.
General guidance, not legal advice. Check current rules with the regulator or a local adviser before launch.
Advertising Alongside Messaging
Advertising follows Law 148/2000 and the code of the Romanian Advertising Council (RAC).
This guide is general information, not legal advice, and reflects our understanding as of October 2026. Rules change, so we check current requirements for Romania before every launch.
Planning SMS campaigns for Romania?
We check the rules, set up sender requirements and run compliant campaigns.
SMS in Romania: FAQs
Do I need consent to send marketing SMS messages in Romania?
In most cases, yes, or at least an existing customer relationship and a clear opt-out. Law 506/2004 requires prior consent for commercial communications by SMS and email, enforced by the ANSPDCP together with the GDPR.
Do I need a registered sender ID for Romania?
Sender ID rules vary by country and operator. Some countries require pre-registration of alphanumeric sender IDs, others only allow numeric senders. We confirm the current requirement before launch.
Can DND Teams run SMS campaigns to Romania?
Yes. We are based in Bhopal, India, and run campaigns for international markets remotely, after checking the current rules, sender requirements and coverage for Romania.
Is this legal advice?
No. This guide is general information to help you plan. Regulations change and their application depends on your business, so take local legal advice for significant campaigns.
Related Guides and Services
Other channels in Romania
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