Romania: Procedures for recovering work history and contesting pension decisions

In Romania, citizens facing missing work history records or incorrect pension decisions have specific legal procedures to follow. For work periods completed before April 1, 2001, which are not automatically recorded in the digital database of the National House of Public Pensions, individuals must provide physical proof such as workbooks or certificates from former employers or archive holders.

If a work history book is lost entirely, the legal first step is to publish the loss in the Official Gazette. If a company has ceased operations, requests for documentation must be directed to authorized economic operators holding the archives. Pensioners who discover discrepancies after retirement can request a recalculation of their benefits by submitting missing documentation to their local pension house without a statute of limitations.

Regarding the contestation of pension decisions, Law no. 360/2023 dictates that decisions issued by territorial pension houses can be challenged directly in court. The appeal must be filed within 45 days of the decision's communication. These legal disputes are exempt from judicial stamp tax, meaning pensioners do not have to pay a fee to request the annulment or modification of a decision through the competent tribunal.