I recently saw this article on the BBC: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/8556915.stm

I think this would be a great idea in Bucharest, where I am sure the problem of potholes is far greater than in Germany. Does anyone agree?

We are currently collecting information for those wanting to buy property in Romania.

The following is a statement from one of our members describing his experiences:

Mikey says,

“I bought an apartment here back in ‘06, just before we joined the EU, and I’m currently looking for a house in the country, so I can fill in the details from an EUian’s point of view.

Basically, anyone can own an apartment, you don’t need to be a resident. However, with each apartment there is a small patch of land, normally a square metre or so underneath the block, which you cannot own as a non-resident.

A lot of estate agents/websites will tell you that ‘foreigners can’t buy land in Romania unless they do so through a company’. This was true until 2007 but now it isn’t. A lot of the agents don’t seem to know this, or perhaps they prefer to ignore the changes in the law because they can charge the purchaser an extra 1-2000 Euro for setting up said company. Even many notary publics aren’t aware of the new rules, so you have to shop around to find one who does and who’ll process your land purchase.

Basically, the Romanian legislation states that non-Romanians who are not resident in Romania, but who are EU citizens, may not buy land until 2012. What this essentially means is that an EU citizen who is a legal resident of Romania CAN buy land at the moment. It then goes on to define a legal resident as “a foreigner who has the right of residence on Romanian territory”, in other words, an EU citizen holding a certificate of residence.

Thus, if you hold a passport from an EU country, and apply for the certificate mentioned in the above article, then the notary public is obligated to accept any land transactions completed in your name.

Obviously, buying land as a ‘persoana fizica’ is far more convenient than doing so as a company, which involves many more costs, taxes and adminstrative headaches (regardless of what the estate agents tell you). As the purchaser YOU have the right to choose the notary public, so it’s simple enough to ask around till you find one who is more familar with the most recent property laws.

Anyone not from an EU country, or not able to prove that they live in Romania, would still have to purchase the land through a company.”

Residence in Romania of the citizens of the EU / EEA and family members

It has long been the case that Romanian companies with EU national assignees (i.e. remaining on home payroll, outside Romania) are required to notify the labour authorities of the assignment.

However, in recent months, the Romanian authorities have become increasingly strict regarding this requirement, making on-site labour inspections and levying penalties where companies are found not to have carried out the notification. In addition, the authorities are asking for a higher level of detail for notifications than was previously the case. Emigra would therefore like to take this opportunity to remind their clients that notification is required for all EU nationals and, in fact, even for Romanian nationals, who are assigned to Romania but remain on home payroll outside Romania.

Notifications must be completed within the week prior to the assignment start date – i.e. up to five working days before the assignment begins. Submitting notifications after the assignment has already begun is a contravention of regulations and may result in significant financial penalties.

Notifications are valid for the duration of the assignment. If the assignment is extended, the notification must also be extended – again within the five working days prior to the beginning of the extension period.

Note that notifications are not required for EU nationals who are employed in Romania and move on to Romanian payroll. For these individuals, the employment contract must be registered.

I have just found this site: http://www.wwoof.ro

What is WWOOF?

WWOOF (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms) offers people the chance to volunteer on organic farms.
Volunteers (Wwoofers) provide labor to Host farms in exchange for food, accommodations, and the unique experience of living and working in the countryside.
Wwoofers benefit from the experience through the process of cultural exchange, as well as being able to discuss and learn about organic agriculture and the organic movement.
WWOOF host farms benefit through the help they receive from volunteers.

For more information on WWOOF in general, about it’s values, practices and history, please see the international website at www.wwoofinternational.org and www.wwoof.org.