A practical guide to the Class II licence in Romania: who may apply, what the file must contain, how the procedure runs at ONJN and how long it really takes against the statutory 30-day term.
A Class II licence is what suppliers of gambling-related services need in order to work with Romanian licensed operators: gaming platforms and software, dedicated technical solutions, affiliates and other suppliers in the chain. Class I covers the operators themselves. Class II covers everyone supplying them.
At a glance
- Who may apply: Romanian companies, or legal entities validly incorporated in the EU/EEA or Switzerland
- Where the file is filed: ONJN, the General Authorisation Directorate
- Statutory deadline: 30 days from a complete filing
- Realistic timeline: usually 2 to 3 months from the first draft of the file
- Validity: 10 years, conditional on paying the fees on time
Who may apply
The applicant may be a Romanian company or a legal entity validly incorporated in an EU/EEA member state or in Switzerland. Integrity conditions, the absence of relevant convictions of directors and shareholders and the absence from the blacklist are verified by the General Authorisation Directorate and decided by the Supervisory Committee.
There is no share capital threshold specific to Class II, unlike the one applicable to gambling operators, but the applicant's financial standing must support the declared activity.
Documents required
Documents required by the regulations
The standard application form drafted in Romanian, proof of the representative's capacity, the certificate of incorporation or its foreign equivalent, criminal record certificates for legal representatives, shareholders and directors, the company information certificate, the shareholding structure up to the ultimate beneficial owner, sworn declarations including on the source of funds, tax clearance certificates, a description of the activity and proof of payment of the administrative fees.
Documents specific to the category
A technical description of the software, platform or infrastructure, proof of ownership of the software, game and RNG certifications, and, for affiliates, the promotional websites.
Documents issued abroad are filed with an apostille or legalisation, as applicable, together with a certified translation into Romanian.
The procedure step by step
- Choosing the legal vehicle and the category of ancillary activity.
- Eligibility screening: shareholding, ultimate beneficial owner, directors, blacklist check.
- Preparing the corporate and tax file.
- Preparing the technical documentation.
- Completing the standard application form in Romanian, signed by the legal or appointed representative.
- Filing with ONJN and paying the analysis fee.
- Review of the file and answering any requests for additional documents.
- Decision of the Supervisory Committee, within 30 days of a complete filing.
- Payment of the licence issuing fee and of the annual fee for the first year. Late payment triggers revocation of the approval by operation of law, with no further formality.
Statutory deadline against real duration
How long the procedure actually takes depends largely on how quickly the documents are prepared and submitted, and on how promptly any requests for clarification are answered. The 30-day term starts running only once the file is complete, so the total duration varies with the speed of the preparatory stages.
Frequently asked questions
How long does the licence take?
Legally, 30 days from a complete file. In practice, plan for 2 to 4 months, including document preparation and any additional documents requested by ONJN.
Do I need an establishment in Romania?
The requirement to hold premises in Romania applies to Class I licensed operators and does not apply to Class II licence holders. A Class II applicant is not required to have a permanent establishment in Romania.
What happens if the file is incomplete?
ONJN requests additional documents and the 30-day term is interrupted. Every round of additions extends the procedure, which is why the quality of the initial file matters.
Who decides on the licence?
The ONJN Supervisory Committee, based on the review carried out by the General Authorisation Directorate.
What happens immediately after approval?
Payment of the issuing fee, of the annual fee for the first year by the deadline set in the decision, and of the responsible gaming contribution within 10 days of the approval of the documentation. Only then does the activity itself begin, along with the periodic reporting obligations.
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