Under Law 255/2010, compensation is paid to owners within 90 days of the decision fixing it. The expropriator deposits the money before the expropriation decision.
Once the list of corridor properties reaches the local authority, no permits may be issued for them. If expropriation is not approved within 2 years, the restrictions are lifted.
An owner who disputes the amount goes to court, which appoints three experts: its own, the expropriator's and the owners'. The expropriation itself is not halted.
Expropriation in Romania: the short answer
In Romania, private property can be expropriated only for a public-utility purpose set by law, and only with just and prior compensation. That is what Article 44(3) of the Constitution says. Two laws set out how it works:
- Law 255/2010 covers most infrastructure projects: national, county and local roads, railways, metro, airports, water and sewerage, energy, hospitals and more (Art. 2). Under this law, ownership passes by an administrative decision once compensation has been deposited. In court you can dispute the amount, not the expropriation itself.
- Law 33/1994 is the general law. Under it, expropriation is ordered by a court judgment (Art. 1).
Put simply: expropriation almost never comes as a surprise. It starts with a decision approving a corridor and a list of properties, and the corridor appears in documents you can check before you buy.
How a plot gets onto a corridor: the four stages
Law 255/2010 sets four stages (Art. 4):
- Project approval. The Government, or the county or local council, approves the project's technical and economic indicators, its location and the start of expropriation (Art. 5(1)). The expropriation corridor (culoar de expropriere) and the list of properties to be expropriated are approved with them (Art. 5(3)).
- Deposit and notice. The expropriator deposits the compensation for each owner (Art. 7). It notifies owners by post and posts the list at the local council and on its website. Owners have 20 days to submit proof of title. The notice also sets a date to vacate, which cannot be less than 30 working days (Art. 8).
- Transfer of ownership. Within 5 working days of those deadlines, the expropriation decision is issued (Art. 9(1)). Ownership passes on the day it is issued, after the compensation has been deposited (Art. 9(4)). The decision is issued even if owners did not respond or did not agree to the amount (Art. 9(3)).
- Closing formalities. A commission checks title (Art. 18), the amount is set, and payment follows within 90 days of the decision fixing the compensation (Art. 21).
When you can no longer build or buy
This is the part that matters to a buyer. The law "freezes" plots on a corridor at an early stage:
- No permits. Once the cadastre agency (ANCPI) sends the local authority the list of properties on the corridor, no approval, consent or permit may be issued for them (Art. 13(1)). Permits issued to third parties after a certain stage are void (Art. 30(1)).
- No rezoning. From publication of the decision approving the project, acts moving a corridor property from outside to inside the built-up area are void (Art. 29(2)).
- Void deals. Contracts signed after the decision on the amount of compensation is posted are void (Art. 29(1)).
- The freeze is not forever. If the start of expropriation is not approved within 2 years of the list being sent, the restrictions end and are struck from the land register (Art. 13(3)).
Compensation: how it is set and how to challenge it
The offer. An authorised valuer, a member of the valuers' association ANEVAR, prepares a valuation report. The report also takes into account the minimum values published by the chambers of notaries (Art. 11(7)–(8) of Law 255/2010).
The challenge. An owner who disagrees with the amount can go to court within the general limitation period, running from the day they received the decision on the compensation. They cannot challenge the transfer of ownership itself, and the claim does not suspend it (Art. 22(1)). The court appoints a panel of three experts: one of its own, one for the expropriator and one for the owners (Art. 22(5)). A claim over the amount is exempt from court stamp duty (Art. 23(1)).
What compensation includes. Under Law 33/1994 (Art. 26), compensation is the real value of the property plus the damage caused to the owner. The usual sale price of similar properties in the same administrative unit is taken into account. Under a binding High Court ruling (HP 78/2021), in a Law 255/2010 case the court also considers both: the notaries' values and the criteria in Article 26.
And holders of other rights? Usufruct, habitation and surface rights end on expropriation, and their holders are entitled to compensation (Law 33/1994, Art. 28(3)). A mortgage transfers to the compensation (Art. 28(2)).
Expropriation almost never comes as a surprise. The corridor appears in documents you can check before you buy.
The two laws side by side
| Law 33/1994 | Law 255/2010 | |
|---|---|---|
| Applies to | Expropriation for public utility in general | National, county and local infrastructure listed in Art. 2 |
| Who decides | The court (Art. 1) | The expropriator, by administrative decision (Art. 9) |
| When ownership passes | When the expropriator meets the obligations set by the judgment (Art. 28(1)) | On the day of the expropriation decision, after the deposit (Art. 9(4)) |
| What can be challenged | Both expropriation and compensation, in court | Only the amount of compensation (Art. 22(1)) |
| Setting compensation | Three-expert panel, real value plus damage (Arts. 25–26) | ANEVAR valuer, then a three-expert panel in court (Arts. 11, 22) |
| If the project is not built | Former owners can ask for the property back if unused within a year (Arts. 35–37) | Return under this law needs case-by-case review |
A nearby example: the A0 ring motorway
Bucharest's A0 ring motorway is a national project run by the national roads company, CNAIR. According to the Romanian legislative portal's index, Government Decision 37/2021 launched expropriation for the northern section, and its list of localities includes Balotești. CNAIR publishes an expropriations section for each project, with the decisions and their annexes. The status of each section is covered in our article on the A0 ring motorway.
For a buyer, this means: if a plot is near the route of such a project, check the decision's annex and the cadastral number, not just the general map.
How to check a plot before you buy: 6 steps
- An urbanism certificate for information (certificat de urbanism). Under the new Planning Code, Law 169/2026, Art. 253(4)(a), for projects that require expropriation the certificate includes data on the properties earmarked for it. Anyone may request one (Art. 254).
- The general and zonal plans (PUG and PUZ). Under Art. 46(1)(k) of the Code, the general plan includes the properties proposed for expropriation. How to read them is in our article on building permits and the PUZ.
- A current land register extract. Look for notations of restrictions, expropriation or a corridor. See how to read a land register extract.
- Government and council decisions. Search the legislative portal and CNAIR's site for expropriation decisions in the locality, and check the annexes against the cadastral number.
- Ask the town hall. The lists are posted at the local council (Art. 8(1)). Ask in writing whether the plot lies on an approved or planned corridor.
- A contract clause and your own lawyer. Ask the seller to declare they know of no expropriation procedure, and have an independent lawyer check the documents. See our pre-signing legal checklist.
Frequently asked questions
Can an expropriation under Law 255/2010 be stopped?
The procedure is not suspended because of a dispute over possession or title (Art. 13(2)). After the expropriation decision you can challenge the amount of compensation in court, but not the transfer of ownership (Art. 22(1)).
When is the money paid?
The compensation is deposited before the expropriation decision (Art. 7), and payment to owners follows within 90 days of the decision fixing the amount (Art. 21), once they have proved their right before the commission.
Is compensation at market value?
Under Law 33/1994, compensation covers real value plus damage, taking into account the usual price of similar properties in the area (Art. 26). The valuation under Law 255/2010 also draws on the notaries' values. Anyone who disagrees can go to court.
I bought a plot and a year later it was put on a corridor. What now?
The procedure applies to you as the registered owner: notice, 20 days to submit documents, and compensation. If you were about to build, new permits for a corridor property are banned from the stage when the list is sent (Art. 13(1)). Talk to a lawyer at once.
What if the project is cancelled?
If the restrictions were registered and the start of expropriation was not approved within 2 years, they end and are struck off (Art. 13(3)). In an expropriation under Law 33/1994, property not used for its purpose within a year can return to the former owner (Art. 35).
The bottom line
Expropriation is a risk you can check. The corridor is approved by a decision, the lists are published, and the urbanism certificate and the plans show it. Whoever checks before signing will not be surprised afterwards.
If you are considering a plot or a villa near an infrastructure project, with us or anywhere else, book a 30-minute call with me. We will go through the documents to request and the questions for your lawyer together.
Moti Azulay, Compass Group Romania
Sources: Constitution of Romania, Art. 44 (legislatie.just.ro) · Law 255/2010, consolidated text (legislatie.just.ro), Arts. 2, 4, 5, 7–9, 11, 13, 18, 21–23, 29–30 · Law 33/1994, consolidated text (legislatie.just.ro), Arts. 1, 25–28, 35–37 · Planning and Construction Code, Law 169/2026 (Monitorul Oficial 661, 10.8.2026), Arts. 46, 253–254 · Government Decision 37/2021 (legislatie.just.ro)
This article is general information only and is not legal, tax or financial advice. The rules are current as of 22 October 2026. Consult an independent lawyer before buying.
Now you know more.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult local professionals before any transaction.
