ONRC
Electronic signature for ONRC: what the Trade Register requires
For online company registration and any application filed electronically with the Trade Register, the law requires a qualified electronic signature: the registration application (Law 265/2022, art. 82(1)), the articles of association (art. 82(2)) and electronic filing in general (art. 83). You sign the PDFs in the browser with the free Simplifi qualified certificate and upload them to the ONRC portal; no token needed.
- Required type: qualified electronic signature (QES); simple or advanced signatures are not accepted
- What is signed: registration application, articles of association, sworn statements, specimen signature
- Who signs: founders/shareholders, the director, or the authorised representative (lawyer) with a power of attorney
- How: PDF signed in the browser, nothing to install; Simplifi Sign is not needed for ONRC
- Cost at Simplifi: €0 for the first 5 signatures per year
Legal basis
Law 265/2022 on the Trade Register provides that the registration application sent electronically is signed with a qualified electronic signature (art. 82(1)), that the articles of association filed electronically are signed by all founders with a qualified electronic signature (art. 82(2)) and that electronic filing is done with a qualified electronic signature (art. 83).
The qualified signature has the effect of a handwritten signature (eIDAS, Art. 25(2)), so articles of association signed electronically by all shareholders are valid without notarisation, where the law does not require the authentic form (e.g. a land contribution in kind).
Law 265/2022, art. 82(1)-(2), art. 83; eIDAS, Art. 25(2)
The steps, with Simplifi
- Each founder/shareholder creates a Simplifi account and completes video identification; the qualified certificate is free
- Prepare the articles and applications as PDFs (ONRC templates or your lawyer's)
- Upload the PDF to Simplifi and send it for signature to all shareholders, in the desired order; each signs in the browser or on their phone
- Download the PDF signed by everyone (signatures show as valid in Adobe Reader)
- On portal.onrc.ro, under “Înregistrare online”, upload the signed documents and pay the fee
Amendments, changes, deregistration
The same rule applies to any later filing: change of registered office, share transfers, appointing a director, suspension or deregistration. The shareholders' resolution or the sole shareholder's decision is signed with a qualified signature and filed through the portal.
Common errors
- Document signed with an “advanced” or scanned signature: ONRC rejects it; the law expressly requires a qualified signature
- Signatures applied on different copies of the PDF: all shareholders must sign the same file, in the same flow
- PDF modified after signing (e.g. re-saved from Word): the signature becomes invalid; sign the final version
Frequently asked questions
- Can I incorporate a company fully online with Simplifi?
- Yes. Every document ONRC requires can be signed with a qualified signature in Simplifi, from the browser, and filing is done on the ONRC portal. No token or travel needed, except where the law requires an authentic deed.
- Do all shareholders need a certificate?
- Yes, each signatory of the articles signs with their own qualified certificate. At Simplifi each gets it free, in minutes.
- Is the Simplifi signature accepted at ONRC?
- Yes. It is a qualified electronic signature issued by a QTSP on Romania's Trusted List, exactly what Law 265/2022 requires.
- Do I need Simplifi Sign for ONRC?
- No. ONRC accepts signed PDFs uploaded to the portal. You sign directly in the browser.
Related questions
- Which signature the law requires, document by document
- The free qualified signature
- All institutions and portals
Sign your ONRC documents, free
Each shareholder gets a qualified certificate in minutes and signs in the browser.