Duplicate birth or marriage certificate: how to get one in Romania
In short
A duplicate birth or marriage certificate can be requested at any town hall / civil status service in Romania, not just where the original act was registered — the civil status archives were digitised in the SIIEASC national system. You only need your identity document and an application; the fee is set locally (usually zero or a few lei), and if the act is already digitised, the duplicate is issued on the spot or the same day.
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For years, losing a birth or marriage certificate was one of Romania’s most annoying bureaucratic ordeals: duplicates were issued only by the town hall where the act had been registered, meaning trips or correspondence with a locality you might not have visited in decades. The digitisation of civil status changed the picture completely — any civil status counter in the country can now issue your duplicate.
What digitisation changed
The Integrated IT System for Issuing Civil Status Acts (SIIEASC) digitised a century of civil status archives. The practical consequences:
- File anywhere — the act is found electronically, wherever it was drawn up;
- On-the-spot issuance for digitised acts;
- Online requests in more and more localities, with electronic identification;
- New certificates also come with a multilingual extract available, useful abroad (requested separately, at the same counter).
When it still takes longer
For very old acts or ones with inconsistencies (names spelled differently across registers, rectifications), the civil status service may need confirmation from the office holding the original register — issuance then takes a few days. The same offices handle act rectifications, a procedure separate from issuing duplicates.
Steps to follow
- Go to any civil status service. Thanks to the digitisation of civil status records (the SIIEASC system), the duplicate request can be filed at any town hall / personal records service in the country — no more trips to the locality where the act was originally registered.
- Fill in the application. The standard form asks for the act holder's details and the reason (loss, theft, damage). If you request another person's certificate, you must prove your standing: parent, child, heir or representative with power of attorney.
- Pay the local fee, if any. Many town halls issue duplicates free of charge; others charge a small local fee. The exact amount is on the town hall's website or at the counter.
- Collect the duplicate. If the original act is digitised in SIIEASC, the duplicate is printed on the spot or the same day, on secure civil status paper. For old, not-yet-digitised acts, issuance can take a few days while confirmation is obtained from the office holding the register.
Required documents
- Standard application (at the counter or on the town hall's website)
- The applicant's identity document, in original
- Special notarised power of attorney — when requesting through a representative
- Documents proving standing — for a relative's certificate (death certificate and proof of heir status, for example)
Costs
| What you pay | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Issuing the duplicate | 0 lei or a small local fee | Differs between town halls; many issue it free |
Fees change over time. Always check the current amounts on the official websites listed under “Official sources”.
How long it takes
On the spot or same day, if the act is digitised; a few days for old acts that need confirmation from the civil status office holding the original register.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get the duplicate in a different city from where I was born?
Yes — that is the big simplification of recent years. The request is filed at any civil status service in the country, and the act is retrieved electronically from the integrated SIIEASC system. Only for very old, not-yet-digitised acts might correspondence between offices be needed.
How do I get the birth certificate of a deceased parent?
Heirs and direct relatives can request the duplicate by proving their standing: the death certificate, documents attesting kinship or heir status. The request is filed the same way, at any civil status service.
I live abroad — how do I get a duplicate?
Two routes: through Romania's diplomatic missions / consulates in your country, or through a representative in Romania with a special notarised power of attorney (which can be made at the consulate).
Does the duplicate have the same value as the original?
Yes, the duplicate is a civil status certificate with identical legal value, printed on the same secure paper. The old certificate, declared lost, loses its validity.
Can I request the duplicate online?
Depends on the town hall: with civil status digitisation, more and more allow starting the request online with electronic identification (such as a ROeID account or qualified signature). Collecting the printed document is, as a rule, still done in person at the counter.