An EU bank may not accept deposits from Russian or Belarusian nationals or residents once the total exceeds €100,000 per bank (Reg. 833/2014 Art. 5b, Reg. 765/2006 Art. 1u).
The cap does not apply to EU, EEA or Swiss nationals, or to holders of a temporary or permanent residence permit in one of those states.
Under Law 312/2005, non-EU citizens acquire land only under treaties on a reciprocity basis. The building can be registered in your name; for a villa, the land goes through superficies or a company.
Russian and Belarusian buyers in Romania: the short answer
Yes, as a rule. EU sanctions against Russia (Regulation 833/2014) and Belarus (Regulation 765/2006) do not contain a ban on a private individual buying an apartment or a house in Romania. Romanian law treats a Russian or Belarusian citizen like any other non-EU citizen: you can buy and register a building in your own name, while land follows a separate rule.
The real limits sit in the bank. Under Article 5b of Regulation 833/2014, and Article 1u of Regulation 765/2006 for Belarus, an EU bank may not accept deposits from a Russian or Belarusian national, or from a person residing in Russia or Belarus, once the total exceeds €100,000 per bank. Nationals of an EU or EEA state or Switzerland, and holders of a temporary or permanent residence permit there, are exempt.
In plain words: the question is not whether you may buy, but how the money moves and where it sits.
Two exceptions to the "yes": anyone listed in the EU sanctions annexes, whose assets are frozen, and the land under a villa, which a non-EU citizen does not register directly.
Is there a ban on buying property?
We read the consolidated texts of both regulations on EUR-Lex (versions of 24 July 2026). Their bans target sectors such as finance, trade, crypto-assets and trusts. None of them prohibits a Russian or Belarusian citizen from buying a residential property as a private person.
What does apply is the general rule for every non-EU citizen:
- The building: an apartment or a house can be registered in your own name in the land register.
- The land: under Article 44(2) of the Romanian Constitution and Article 6 of Law 312/2005, citizens of non-EU states acquire land only under international treaties, on a reciprocity basis. For a villa, the land is usually held through a superficies right or a Romanian company. We explain both routes in our article on land ownership in Romania.
Whether a treaty exists between Romania and Russia or Belarus that changes this is a question for your independent lawyer. We have not found one, and we do not state it as a fact.
Who is affected: the asset freeze
A different regime applies to persons listed in Annex I of Regulation 269/2014 (Russia) or Annex I of Regulation 765/2006 (Belarus). All their funds and economic resources are frozen, and no funds or economic resources may be made available to them (Article 2 of each regulation). A property is an economic resource. For a listed person, a purchase in Romania is not possible without an authorisation, and this article does not deal with that case.
The €100,000 deposit cap: what Article 5b says
The text, in short:
- Who: Russian nationals, natural persons residing in Russia, legal persons established in Russia, and companies outside the EU more than 50% owned by such persons.
- What: an EU credit institution may not accept deposits from them if the total value of their deposits at that bank exceeds €100,000.
- Exemption (Article 5b(3)): the rule does not apply to nationals of an EU member state, an EEA state or Switzerland, or to natural persons with a temporary or permanent residence permit in one of them.
The Belarusian version, Article 1u of Regulation 765/2006, is built the same way, with the same threshold and the same exemption in paragraph 4.
Two more points from the same article that matter for buyers:
The question is not whether you may buy, but how the money moves and where it sits.
- Cards and payment services. Since the amendments of October 2025 (Regulation 2025/2033), Article 5b(2) also bans issuing payment instruments, acquiring payment transactions, payment initiation services and issuing electronic money to Russian nationals and residents. The same residence permit exemption applies. Article 1u(2) does the same for Belarus (Regulation 2025/2041).
- Authorised exceptions. Under Article 5c, the national authority may authorise a deposit above the cap in specific cases, including basic needs such as rent or mortgage payments, taxes, insurance and utilities. For Romania, Annex I of the regulation points to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
A "deposit" in the regulation is a credit balance in an account that the bank must repay. In other words, the cap is about money held at the bank, not about the price of the property.
What this means for a purchase
Most homes cost more than €100,000. A Compass on the Lake villa in Balotești, for example, starts at €299,900, including 21% VAT, notary and lawyer. So the practical question is how the payment flows without the buyer holding more than €100,000 in an EU bank.
In practice there are two paths, and both need to be confirmed in advance with the receiving bank:
- Direct transfer from a bank outside the EU to the account named in the contract. For an off-plan purchase, that is the project's dedicated account. A Romanian account in your name is not a condition for buying, as we explain in our guide to a bank account in Romania for non-residents.
- A residence permit in an EU state. A holder of a temporary or permanent residence permit is outside the cap altogether.
Whether funds passing through the seller's or the developer's account count as "your" deposit is not answered by the text. That is a reading for the bank's compliance team and your lawyer, not for an article.
The table: by status
| Your status | Buy a building in your name | Land in your name | €100,000 deposit cap | Cards and payment services |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Russian or Belarusian citizen only, living in Russia or Belarus | Yes | Not directly (superficies or company) | Applies | Banned |
| Russian or Belarusian citizen with a residence permit in an EU state, EEA or Switzerland | Yes | Not directly | Does not apply (Art. 5b(3) / 1u(4)) | Not banned |
| Dual citizen: Russian or Belarusian plus an EU passport | Yes | Yes, as an EU citizen (Law 312/2005, Art. 3) | Does not apply | Not banned |
| Dual citizen: Russian or Belarusian plus a non-EU passport (e.g. Israeli), no EU residence permit | Yes | Not directly | Applies by the wording, because you remain a Russian or Belarusian national | Banned by the wording |
| Non-Russian citizen living in Russia or Belarus | Yes | Depends on citizenship | Applies to residents | Banned for residents |
| Person listed in the sanctions annexes | No, assets frozen | No | Not relevant | Not relevant |
The fourth row is the one that surprises people. The exemption in Article 5b(3) names EU, EEA and Swiss nationals and residence permit holders. It does not name other passports. Ask the bank to confirm its reading in writing.
Source of funds: what to expect
Beyond sanctions, the bank, the notary and the developer must all run anti-money-laundering checks under Romania's Law 129/2019. Two rules make the file heavier for these buyers:
- Russia is on the EU list of high-risk third countries. Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/46, published on 9 January 2026, added the Russian Federation to the list in Regulation 2016/1675. Belarus is not on that list.
- Enhanced due diligence. Article 17(1)(d) of Law 129/2019 requires extra checks for natural or legal persons established in a third country that the Commission has identified as high-risk.
Expect more questions: where the money was earned, which accounts it passed through, and a clear link between you and every transfer.
Checklist before you sign
- Check the lists. Make sure neither you nor any company you use is listed in the sanctions annexes.
- Define your status. Citizenship only, residence permit, or dual citizenship: the table above decides which rules apply.
- Ask the bank in writing. The receiving bank should confirm, before you sign, that it will accept the transfer and from which country.
- Plan the land route. For a villa, choose superficies or a company with your independent lawyer.
- Avoid trusts. Article 5m of Regulation 833/2014 bans registering and managing trusts with a Russian trustor or beneficiary, unless the person is an EU, EEA or Swiss national or a residence permit holder.
- Prepare the source-of-funds file before choosing the property.
- Hire an independent lawyer. The developer's lawyer represents the developer only. We recommend every buyer hire a lawyer of their own.
Frequently asked questions
Can a Russian citizen buy an apartment in Romania in 2026?
Yes. EU sanctions do not ban a private individual from buying a home in Romania, and the building can be registered in the buyer's name. The limits concern bank deposits and payment services, and persons listed in the sanctions annexes.
Does the €100,000 cap apply to a Russian with a Romanian residence permit?
No. Article 5b(3) of Regulation 833/2014 exempts natural persons with a temporary or permanent residence permit in an EU member state, an EEA state or Switzerland. The same applies to Belarusians under Article 1u(4) of Regulation 765/2006.
I have Russian and Israeli citizenship. Am I exempt?
Not by the wording of the regulation. The exemption names nationals of EU, EEA and Swiss states and residence permit holders, so a Russian national with a non-EU second passport stays within the cap. Ask the bank and your lawyer to confirm this in writing.
Can a Russian citizen open a bank account in Romania?
The regulation does not ban an account. It bans accepting deposits above €100,000 per bank, and since October 2025 it bans issuing payment instruments such as cards to Russian nationals and residents without an EU residence permit. Each bank also applies its own risk policy.
Can I buy a villa with land?
The house, yes. The land under it is held through a superficies right or a Romanian company, as for every non-EU citizen, under Article 6 of Law 312/2005.
The bottom line
For Russian and Belarusian citizens, buying property in Romania is allowed. The deal is decided by three things: your exact status, the route the money takes, and a complete source-of-funds file. A residence permit in an EU state changes the banking picture completely.
If you are considering a purchase in Romania, with us or anywhere else, book a half-hour call with me. We will go through your status and the order of steps, and you will know which questions to put to the bank and to your lawyer.
Moti Azulay, Compass Group Romania
Sources: Council Regulation (EU) 833/2014, consolidated version of 24.07.2026 (EUR-Lex), Articles 1, 5b, 5c, 5m and 14 · Council Regulation (EC) 765/2006, consolidated version of 24.07.2026 (EUR-Lex), Articles 1u, 1v and 2 · Council Regulation (EU) 269/2014, consolidated version of 12.10.2026 (EUR-Lex), Article 2 · Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2016/1675, consolidated version of 29.01.2026 (EUR-Lex), Annex · Law 312/2005 (legislatie.just.ro), Articles 3 and 6 · Constitution of Romania, Article 44 (legislatie.just.ro) · Law 129/2019 (legislatie.just.ro), Article 17
This article is general information only and is not legal, tax or financial advice. The rules are current as of 22 October 2026. EU sanctions change often: check the current consolidated text on EUR-Lex and confirm your case with the bank and an independent lawyer before you sign.
Now you know more.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult local professionals before any transaction.
