How to Obtain a Romanian Criminal Record Certificate Online Through MAI
Get a Romanian criminal record certificate online through HUB MAI. Learn who qualifies, how to validate your account, download the signed PDF and apply at a police station if necessary.
RO Romania
Documents & Identity ~ 10 min read
8 FAQ
Updated 2026-10-15
Helpydo structures practical guidance around official or public sources. For individual cases, confirm requirements with the responsible institution.
Romanian citizens who meet the online eligibility conditions can obtain a criminal record certificate (certificat de cazier judiciar) free of charge through the Ministry of Internal Affairs' HUB MAI platform. Create or access a validated account, open Services > Documents and Approvals, select the criminal record certificate service, choose the application reason and submit. The electronically signed certificate is generated automatically and can be downloaded. It is valid for six months. If you are ineligible for online issuance, use a Romanian Police criminal records counter or another applicable official route.
What you need
- Romanian citizenship and eligibility for the electronic criminal record certificate service.
- A successfully registered and identity-validated HUB MAI account.
- Access to an accepted identity-validation mechanism, such as a qualifying Ghișeul.ro account, ROeID, a supported electronic identity card authentication method or direct HUB MAI account validation.
- Accurate personal identification details associated with the authenticated account.
- The reason for requesting the certificate, selected in the online application.
- Confirmation of the consent statement displayed in the electronic request.
- A device capable of downloading and storing the electronically signed certificate.
Eligibility
The online service is intended for Romanian citizens applying as individuals who have completed the required HUB MAI account validation. The Ministry of Internal Affairs states that electronic issuance is available to Romanian citizens who are not recorded in the Romanian criminal records system (ROCRIS).
Applicants who do not meet these conditions should use the applicable police-counter procedure. Foreign nationals may request Romanian criminal record certificates through the physical procedure, but the verified electronic service does not establish equivalent online eligibility for them.
For applicants younger than 14, the Romanian Police provides a separate application route through a parent or legal guardian. A minor's eligibility for a certificate must not be confused with independent eligibility to create and validate an online account.
How to do it
- Open the official HUB MAI service. Access the Ministry of Internal Affairs service named 'Obținerea certificatului de cazier judiciar pentru persoană fizică'.
- Sign in or register. Use a HUB MAI account or one of the supported interconnected authentication mechanisms, including Ghișeul.ro or ROeID where available.
- Complete identity validation. Follow the authentication method's instructions. If your chosen registration route requires in-person identity confirmation, complete that step before requesting the certificate.
- Navigate to the service. Open 'Servicii', then 'Acte, avize', and select 'Obținerea certificatului de cazier judiciar pentru persoană fizică'.
- Review the application. Select 'Solicită certificatul de cazier judiciar'. The system displays a request prefilled with your civil-status details.
- Choose the reason. Select the appropriate purpose of the request from the available field.
- Confirm and submit. Tick the required consent checkbox and select 'Trimite cererea'.
- Download your certificate. Open 'Vezi document' and select 'Descarcă' to save the electronically signed certificate.
- Use the original electronic document. Send the downloaded signed file to the receiving institution when electronic submission is accepted, keeping the document intact.
Can you get a Romanian criminal record certificate online?
Yes. The Romanian Police provides a free electronic service for obtaining a certificat de cazier judiciar, commonly called a criminal record certificate or police clearance certificate.
The service is delivered through HUB MAI, the Ministry of Internal Affairs' electronic services platform. Eligible Romanian citizens can submit their request and receive an electronically signed certificate without visiting a police counter after their account has been successfully validated.
The first action is to check whether you qualify for online issuance and whether your HUB MAI account has completed identity validation. If either condition is not met, the appropriate police-counter route remains available.
Who can obtain the certificate online?
The Ministry of Internal Affairs identifies the online service as available to Romanian citizens applying as natural persons who are not recorded in the national Romanian criminal records system, ROCRIS.
Applicants must also have an account registered in HUB MAI and successfully validated using an accepted authentication mechanism.
| Applicant or situation | Appropriate route |
|---|---|
| Eligible Romanian citizen with validated account | HUB MAI electronic service |
| Romanian citizen without validated online access | Complete validation or apply at a police counter |
| Romanian citizen not eligible for automatic online issuance | Police criminal records counter |
| Foreign citizen | Police criminal records counter |
| Child younger than 14 | Parent or guardian application at a police counter |
| Romanian citizen living abroad | Eligible online route or Romanian diplomatic or consular mission |
The availability of an online account does not guarantee that a certificate can be issued automatically in every case.
How do you access HUB MAI?
The official service identifies several registration and authentication mechanisms. The appropriate choice depends on the identity credentials and technical services available to you.
Option 1: Access through Ghișeul.ro
Ghișeul.ro and HUB MAI are interconnected. An eligible applicant can use the Ghișeul.ro authentication route to access the criminal record certificate service.
Official Romanian Police guidance describes electronic identity validation through a qualifying bank card enrolled in 3D Secure and issued by a Romanian banking institution. Once validation succeeds, the applicant is directed to HUB MAI to complete the request.
The criminal record certificate itself is free. Ghișeul.ro is used as an access and identity-validation mechanism, not as a criminal record certificate fee collection service.
Option 2: Register directly through HUB MAI
Applicants can create an account directly on HUB MAI and follow the identity-validation instructions displayed by the platform.
The Romanian Police's published registration guidance explains that some applicants must complete an initial in-person identity check at an authorized MAI service counter. After successful validation, the account can be used for the electronic service.
This distinction is important: submitting a certificate request online and validating a new account are separate steps. A user may need one physical visit for validation even though subsequent certificate requests can be completed electronically.
Option 3: ROeID or electronic identity card
The current HUB MAI service also lists authentication through the ROeID application and, depending on technical availability, the Romanian electronic identity card (CEI).
Use the authentication method currently offered in the portal and follow its verification requirements.
If you are already waiting for an electronic identity card, you can separately check your electronic identity card application status.
How to request your certificate in HUB MAI
After signing in with a validated account, the application is completed directly in the official portal.
- Open the 'Servicii' section.
- Select 'Acte, avize'.
- Choose 'Obținerea certificatului de cazier judiciar pentru persoană fizică'.
- Open the 'Solicită certificatul de cazier judiciar' tab.
- Review the prefilled personal information.
- Select the reason for requesting the certificate.
- Tick the consent checkbox.
- Press 'Trimite cererea'.
The platform generates the electronically signed certificate automatically for a successful eligible request. Open 'Vezi document' and use 'Descarcă' to save the file.
The certificate is generated by the Romanian Police through its official electronic service; there is no need to obtain a separate commercial criminal record certificate from an intermediary.
How much does it cost and how long does it take?
The official criminal record certificate service is free. HUB MAI lists no issuance fee.
For the online service, the portal publishes an average delivery time of one minute. This describes the service's average delivery performance, not a guarantee that every application or account validation will finish within one minute.
For Romanian citizens applying at a police counter, the certificate is generally issued immediately or within three working days.
For foreign citizens, the official service indicates approximately 30 days. Their applications can involve requests for criminal record information from other states.
How long is the certificate valid?
A Romanian criminal record certificate is valid for six months from its issue date.
The certificate generated by HUB MAI is electronically signed. Preserve the original downloaded electronic document when submitting it electronically so that its signature can be checked.
A printout is not the same as the original electronically signed file. If a receiving institution requests a paper original, confirm its acceptance requirements before relying on a printed copy.
The receiving institution may also specify how recent a certificate must be for its particular procedure. The six-month validity period should not be interpreted as overriding a separate documented submission requirement.
What if you cannot obtain the certificate online?
You can apply at any Romanian Police unit or subunit operating a criminal records issuance counter.
Applicants aged 14 or older can generally submit their own request, accompanied by an original valid identity document.
The accepted identification documents described by the Romanian Police include Romanian identity cards, passports, provisional identity cards and relevant residence or registration documents for foreign applicants.
The application must contain the necessary personal information and reason for requesting the certificate. At the counter, applicants may ask the police officer to print the request from the system and then sign it.
Applications for children under 14
A parent or legal guardian can request the certificate for a child younger than 14.
A parent must present their original identity document and the child's birth certificate. A guardian must additionally present the decision establishing guardianship.
This is a separate procedure from an adult independently accessing the electronic service.
Applying through an authorized representative
Romanian Police procedures permit applications through an authorized representative.
In Romania, a lawyer can act on the basis of an appropriate professional authorization, while another representative generally requires an authenticated power of attorney.
The representative must present a valid original identity document and the required supporting authorization and applicant identification documents.
Can you apply if you live outside Romania?
Romanian citizens abroad who satisfy the online eligibility and identity-validation requirements may use HUB MAI.
Alternatively, people residing abroad can request a Romanian criminal record certificate through Romanian diplomatic missions or consular offices.
Romanian consular authorities may also issue certificates recording the result of criminal record checks that have the legal value of a criminal record certificate and are intended exclusively for use abroad.
Where a representative applies in Romania on your behalf, the applicable power of attorney must meet the required authentication and, where necessary, apostille or legalization conditions.
How can you use the certificate?
A criminal record certificate may be requested for employment, licensing, administrative procedures or another purpose for which the receiving institution requires information about criminal records.
When applying online, select the appropriate reason in the HUB MAI request. Keep the electronically signed original file available for electronic submission.
Do not confuse a criminal record certificate with a certificate of behavioural integrity (certificat de integritate comportamentala). The Romanian Police provides a separate service for that document, which relates to the special register established under Law No. 118/2019.
If your employer or another institution specifically requests a certificate of behavioural integrity, a standard criminal record certificate may not satisfy that requirement.
What should you do if the online request fails?
Account validation is incomplete
Return to the account registration or authentication process and complete the required identity verification. A registered but unvalidated account is not sufficient for the electronic certificate service.
The portal cannot issue your certificate
Check the eligibility rules. The Ministry of Internal Affairs limits the verified online route to the relevant category of Romanian citizens not recorded in ROCRIS.
If you do not qualify, use a police criminal records counter rather than repeatedly submitting the same online request.
Your identification details do not match
Check the information associated with your official identity documents and authenticated account. Do not submit knowingly incorrect personal data.
If the discrepancy concerns the Romanian national persons register, consult the separate procedure to correct your registered personal data.
The electronic document is unavailable
Return to the official service and check the 'Vezi document' section. If the platform reports an error or does not provide the document, contact the HUB MAI support service or the Romanian Police using the official contact details.
Do not assume that a technical error means a criminal record entry exists. The portal may be unavailable or the authentication session may have failed.
Related procedures in Romania
Depending on why the certificate is required, you may also need proof of address. The guide to obtaining a domicile or residence certificate explains that separate service.
For the current criminal record certificate application, use the official Romanian Police and Ministry of Internal Affairs services listed in the sources section.
Frequently asked questions
Can I obtain a Romanian criminal record certificate completely online?
Yes, if you are an eligible Romanian citizen with a successfully validated HUB MAI account. The service generates an electronically signed certificate that can be downloaded. Some account-validation methods may initially require an in-person identity check.
Is the Romanian online criminal record certificate free?
Yes. The Romanian Police provides the official criminal record certificate service free of charge, including electronic issuance through HUB MAI.
How do I download my criminal record certificate from HUB MAI?
Sign in, open Services > Documents and Approvals, select the criminal record certificate service, choose the request reason and submit. After successful issuance, open 'Vezi document' and select 'Descarcă'.
How long is a Romanian criminal record certificate valid?
The certificate is valid for six months from its issue date. The receiving institution may impose additional requirements concerning the document's age for a particular procedure.
Can foreign citizens obtain a Romanian criminal record certificate online?
The verified HUB MAI online issuance service is intended for eligible Romanian citizens. Foreign citizens can use the applicable police-counter procedure, for which the official service indicates approximately 30 days.
Do I need a Ghișeul.ro account to request the certificate?
Not necessarily. HUB MAI supports direct registration and other authentication mechanisms, including Ghișeul.ro, ROeID and electronic identity card authentication when technically available. Successful identity validation is required.
Can I obtain the certificate at a police station instead?
Yes. Apply at a Romanian Police unit with a criminal records counter and present the required valid identification. For Romanian citizens, issuance is generally immediate or within three working days.
Is a criminal record certificate the same as a certificate of behavioural integrity?
No. The Romanian criminal record certificate and the certificate of behavioural integrity are separate documents. The latter relates to the special register established under Law No. 118/2019 and is available through a separate Romanian Police service.
Official sources
HUB MAI – Official criminal record certificate service for individuals, eligibility, application steps, fees, validity and delivery timesMinistry of Internal Affairs – How to obtain a criminal record certificate online and ROCRIS eligibilityMinistry of Internal Affairs – Criminal record certificate applications at police counters, through representatives and from abroadRelated procedures
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