Freight from Turkey to Romania

Freight from Turkey to Romania usually moves by road: trucks exit Turkey at Kapıkule, cross Bulgaria and enter Romania over the Danube at Ruse–Giurgiu or Vidin–Calafat. A full truckload from Istanbul to Bucharest typically takes 2–4 days; sea freight to Constanța is the main alternative. Goods with an A.TR pay no customs duty, but import VAT is 21% and every international road movement must be declared in RO e-Transport.

Road or sea: which route to Romania makes sense?

Trucks enter Bulgaria at Kapıkule–Kapitan Andreevo (or Hamzabeyli–Lesovo), then cross into Romania depending on the delivery address:

• Ruse–Giurgiu (Danube Bridge): the shortest line to Bucharest, Ploiești, Pitești, Brașov and central/eastern Romania.
• Vidin–Calafat (New Europe Bridge): for western Romania – Craiova, Timișoara, Arad.
• Kardam–Negru Vodă: along the Black Sea coast towards the Constanța area.

Since 1 January 2025 Bulgaria and Romania are full Schengen members, so the Bulgaria–Romania border has no routine checks. The bottleneck is Kapıkule, an EU external border.

See FCL vs LCL costs and Ro-Ro shipping Turkey–Europe.

How long does a truck from Turkey to Romania take?

A full truckload loaded in Istanbul or Thrace typically reaches Bucharest in 2–4 days, and more distant cities such as Timișoara, Cluj-Napoca or Iași in 3–6 days. Groupage adds a few days for consolidation and distribution.

These are typical ranges: Kapıkule congestion, seasonal peaks and the completeness of the customs file all affect them. Compare other destinations on our Turkey–Europe transit times page.

What documents are needed to import from Turkey into Romania?

• Commercial invoice and packing list
• Turkish export declaration
• CMR consignment note
• A.TR for industrial goods or EUR.1 for agricultural products (A.TR vs EUR.1)
• Usually a T1 transit declaration (NCTS), so goods cross Bulgaria uncleared
• The Romanian importer’s EORI number, the UIT code, and product-specific papers (phytosanitary certificate, CE conformity, etc.)

What is RO e-Transport and the UIT code?

RO e-Transport is the Romanian tax authority’s (ANAF) goods-tracking system. All international road transports on Romanian territory must be declared, whatever the goods. For imports, the Romanian consignee named in the customs declaration files the declaration and receives a UIT code.

The UIT must reach the carrier before the truck crosses into Romania and is valid for 5 days for imports; vehicles must also transmit GPS position. Missing declarations are heavily fined. Domestic moves of high fiscal risk goods (e.g. fruit and vegetables, alcohol, clothing, footwear) are declared too, above set thresholds.

Do you pay customs duty and VAT in Romania?

Under the EU–Turkey customs union, industrial goods covered by an A.TR enter Romania free of customs duty. Agricultural goods follow the EU tariff, with preferential rates where an EUR.1 applies, so the correct HS code matters.

Import VAT is still due. Romania raised its standard VAT rate from 19% to 21% on 1 August 2025, with a single reduced rate of 11% for items such as food and medicines. VAT is generally calculated on the customs value plus transport costs to the destination and paid by the Romanian importer, who needs an EORI number.

What we do

• FTL and groupage international road freight from Turkey to Romania
• FCL/LCL and Ro-Ro options to Constanța via sea freight
• Export declarations, A.TR/EUR.1 and document checks through our customs clearance services
• T1 arrangements for the Bulgarian leg: transit freight
• Sourcing and supplier support in Turkey via foreign trade consultancy

Planning shipments from Turkey to Romania? Request a quote and we will propose a route, transit time and document plan, or read more about our international road freight service.