Romania Mandates Accreditation and Licenses for Service Providers

The National Agency for Payments and Social Inspection (ANPIS) reiterated that social service providers may operate only after obtaining a certification of accreditation, as required by Law no. 197/2012 on quality assurance in the social services sector. Accreditation is granted indefinitely, but providers must secure at least one operating licence for a service within two years; failure to do so leads to withdrawal of accreditation and removal from the electronic register of social services.

Holding an accreditation certificate alone does not confer the right to deliver services; a separate licence is required for each service. Running a social service without a licence constitutes a contravention punishable by a fine of 50,000–80,000 lei, and non‑compliance with the enforcement measures after such a fine is treated as a criminal offence under article 348 of the Penal Code.