A real estate mortgage is extinguished by its deletion from the land book, or by total loss of the property. Repayment is the ground, not the deletion (Civil Code, Art. 2428).
ANCPI charges 75 lei per deletion operation; deleting a mortgage includes the bans on sale and encumbrance registered with it (code 2.4.2).
The registrar's decision is communicated no later than 30 days from the registration of the request (Law 7/1996, Art. 31(1)).
Deleting a paid-off mortgage in Romania: the short answer
Paying the last instalment closes the loan. It does not, by itself, clean the land book. Under Article 2428 of the Civil Code, a mortgage on real estate is extinguished by its deletion from the land book (radierea ipotecii), or by the total loss of the property. Repayment is the reason the mortgage can be deleted, not the deletion itself.
In practice there are three steps: the bank confirms in writing that the loan is fully repaid and consents to the deletion; someone files the request at the land registry office (OCPI); the registrar deletes the mortgage, together with any ban on selling or encumbering registered with it. ANCPI's tariff for a deletion is 75 lei per operation.
In plain words: until Part III of your land book extract is empty, the bank's name is still on your house, even if you owe it nothing.
For paying a mortgage off early, or moving it to another bank, see our guide to early repayment and refinancing. This article starts on the day after the last payment.
Why it matters, even if you are not selling
- The sale. A buyer's notary and bank read Part III of the extract. A mortgage there, even a paid one, means a question, a delay or a payoff letter on the day of signing.
- A new loan. A bank lending against the property wants to be first in rank. An old mortgage in the way slows everything down.
- Your heirs. A mortgage left in the land book for years is harder to remove when the bank has merged, changed its name or no longer has the file at hand.
Check one thing first: does the mortgage secure only this loan?
The Civil Code allows the parties to agree that a mortgage will secure another obligation after the first is paid (Art. 2428(3)). Some mortgage contracts are drafted to secure more than one obligation to the same bank. Before you ask for the deletion, ask the bank in writing whether any other obligation of yours is secured by the same mortgage. If there is, the bank will not release it until that is settled too.
The documents, one by one
| Document | Who issues it | What it is for |
|---|---|---|
| Confirmation of full repayment (adeverință de închidere a creditului) | Your bank | Proves the loan secured by the mortgage is paid |
| Consent to deletion (acord de radiere) | Your bank | The creditor's consent, which the registrar needs to delete the mortgage |
| Request for deletion (cerere de radiere) | You, your notary or your lawyer, sometimes the bank | Opens the file at the OCPI where the property is registered |
| Proof of payment of the tariff | You or whoever files | 75 lei per deletion operation |
| Land book extract after deletion | ANCPI | Your proof that Part III is clean |
On the form of the bank's consent, ask the bank directly which document it issues and whether it is in authentic (notarial) form. The Civil Code refers to the creditor's consent in authentic form when a provisional deletion is confirmed (Art. 899(3)), and practice varies between banks and offices. Some banks also file the request themselves after the loan is closed. Ask yours whether it does, and in how many days.
Step by step
- Pay the final amount and keep the bank's statement showing a zero balance.
- Ask in writing for the confirmation of full repayment and the consent to deletion. Ask also whether the mortgage secures any other obligation.
- Order a land book extract to see exactly what is registered in Part III: the mortgage, the ban on sale and encumbrance, and their entry numbers.
- File the request at the OCPI where the property is located, on paper or online. Online filing requires the documents to be signed with a qualified electronic signature (Law 7/1996, Art. 28^1). If you live abroad, a Romanian lawyer or notary can file for you.
- Pay the tariff: 75 lei per deletion operation. The deletion of a mortgage includes the deletion of the bans registered with it (ANCPI tariff, code 2.4.2).
- Wait for the decision. The registrar's decision is communicated within 15 days of being issued, and no later than 30 days from the date the request was registered (Law 7/1996, Art. 31(1)).
- Order a new extract and check that Part III no longer shows the mortgage or the bans.
- Keep the file: the bank's letters, the registrar's decision and the clean extract. The next buyer's lawyer may ask for them.
If the registrar refuses, you can ask for a re-examination within 15 days of being notified, and then go to court (Law 7/1996, Art. 31(2)–(3)).
If your loan was sold or the bank merged
Banks sell loan portfolios and merge. The mortgage in your land book may still name the original bank, while you paid a different one. Two rules help here:
The last instalment ends your debt. Only the deletion ends the bank's presence on your property.
- The request can be filed by any person whom the document shows is to extinguish a registered right (Law 7/1996, Art. 28(6)). It does not have to be the bank.
- If you paid an assignee who was never registered in the land book, you can ask for the deletion yourself, by presenting the original assignment document and the receipt proving payment (Art. 28(9)).
So when the loan changes hands, ask the new creditor for a copy of the assignment, not only for the closing letter. Without it, the registrar sees a mortgage in favour of one bank and a release signed by another.
Timing and cost at a glance
| Item | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Bank documents | Depends on the bank. Ask for a date in writing |
| ANCPI tariff | 75 lei per deletion operation, bans included |
| Registrar's decision | Communicated no later than 30 days from filing |
| Notary or lawyer, if you use one | Their own fee; ask for it in advance |
| Extract to confirm | Free for owners on ANCPI's platform for owners, or 20 lei online |
Selling before the mortgage is deleted
You do not have to wait. A sale can close with the mortgage still registered: the bank gives a letter stating the exact amount needed to close the loan, part of the buyer's price is paid directly to the bank at signing, and the bank then consents to the deletion. Our guide to a developer's mortgage on the land book explains the same mechanism from the buyer's side.
If you plan to sell, the cleaner route is to delete the mortgage first. A clean Part III is one less question for the buyer's lawyer and bank. Our guide to selling a villa later covers the rest of the preparation, and the tax on the sale is explained in our guide to tax on selling property in Romania.
Two practical points
- Insurance. During the loan, banks often ask to be named as beneficiary of the home insurance policy. After the payoff, ask the insurer to remove the bank, so that any future claim is paid to you.
- State-backed loans. If the loan was taken under a state programme such as Noua Casa, ask the bank whether any other entry, guarantee or consent is involved before the land book is clean.
Frequently asked questions
Is a mortgage deleted automatically when I pay off the loan in Romania?
No. A real estate mortgage is extinguished by its deletion from the land book (Civil Code, Art. 2428). Someone must file a request at the OCPI with the bank's consent. Some banks do this for you; ask yours.
How much does it cost to delete a mortgage from the land book?
ANCPI's tariff is 75 lei per deletion operation, and it includes the bans on sale and encumbrance registered with the mortgage. If you use a notary or a lawyer, add their fee.
How long does it take?
It depends first on how fast your bank issues its documents. After filing, the registrar's decision must be communicated no later than 30 days from the registration of the request (Law 7/1996, Art. 31).
Can I do it from abroad?
Yes. A Romanian lawyer or notary can file the request for you, or you can file online if the documents are signed with a qualified electronic signature. If someone signs on your behalf, they need a power of attorney; see our guide to the power of attorney in Romania.
Can I sell my property while the mortgage is still registered?
Yes. The usual route is a bank letter with the exact payoff amount, payment of that amount from the buyer's price at signing, and the bank's consent to deletion afterwards. Discuss the mechanism with your notary and an independent lawyer.
The bottom line
The last instalment ends your debt. Only the deletion ends the bank's presence on your property. It is a short, inexpensive procedure, but it does not happen by itself.
If you have a Romanian mortgage you are about to close, or you are preparing to sell, book a half-hour call with me. We will go through the steps and the documents together.
Moti Azulay, Compass Group Romania
Sources: Civil Code (legislatie.just.ro), Art. 899, 2428 · Law 7/1996 on cadastre and land registration (legislatie.just.ro), Art. 28, 28^1, 31 · ANCPI tariffs, Order 16/2019 as amended by Order 1498/2024 (reproduction), code 2.4.2 and note 10 · ANCPI
This article is general information only and is not legal, tax or financial advice. The rules are current as of 22 October 2026. Ask your bank and an independent lawyer about your own file.
Now you know more.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult local professionals before any transaction.
