The legal drinking age in Romania is 18 for buying or being served alcohol, and that limit covers beer, wine, and spirits equally. There is a wrinkle worth knowing before you travel: Romanian law sets no minimum age for consuming alcohol in a private home, only for purchasing it and for drinking in specified public places. For most visitors, the rules that matter day-to-day are less about the age itself and more about where you can legally drink and how strictly Romania polices alcohol behind the wheel.
Who Can Buy Alcohol
You must be at least 18 to buy any alcoholic beverage in Romania. The rule applies across the board: supermarkets, corner shops, bars, restaurants, and nightclubs. It comes from Law no. 61/1991, which prohibits the sale and serving of alcohol to anyone under 18 in commercial and public settings.1European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights. Purchasing and Consuming Alcohol
If you look young, expect to be asked for ID. A national identity card, passport, or driver’s license all work. Vendors who aren’t shown ID are supposed to refuse the sale, so carry something if there’s any chance of a question.
No Legal Minimum Age for Private Drinking
Romania is one of roughly a dozen EU member states with no legal minimum age for consuming alcohol itself. The European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights confirms that Romanian law regulates purchase, not consumption in private.1European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights. Purchasing and Consuming Alcohol
In practice, a teenager having a glass of wine at a family dinner at home is not breaking any law. The rules apply when a sale is involved or when someone under 18 drinks in a listed public venue. Law 61/1991 specifically bars under-18 consumption in places such as parks, stadiums, public transportation, and cultural institutions, so the line is not simply private versus public but rather where the law names a venue.
Drinking in Public Is Broadly Banned
This is the part that catches visitors out. Drinking alcohol in public places is broadly illegal under Law 61/1991, and the restriction applies to everyone, not just minors. The restricted list is long: streets, parks, stadiums, bus and train stations, airports, cultural venues, and public transportation.
A beer in the park or an open bottle on a bench will draw police attention, especially in tourist areas. Fines are issued on the spot. The places you can legally drink are licensed establishments, including bars, restaurants, and licensed outdoor terraces, and private spaces such as your home or hotel room. If you want a drink outside, sit at a licensed terrace.
Restricted Zones Near Schools and Hospitals
Law 61/1991 also creates alcohol-free zones around hospitals and medical facilities, schools at every level, youth shelters, and religious institutions belonging to faiths that prohibit alcohol. The restriction covers the surrounding sidewalks and access routes, not only the buildings themselves. Penalties for drinking or selling in these zones are higher than for an ordinary public-drinking offense.
Sporting Events
Alcohol has been banned at sporting events in Romania since 1991, and sales are restricted within a perimeter around stadiums, reportedly up to one kilometer in some enforcement actions.2Hungary Today. Romanian Gendarmes Escort Hungarian Fans from Football Match Fines for violating the stadium alcohol ban reportedly range from 100 to 500 lei. Temporary restrictions can also be imposed around large rallies or festivals, usually starting a few hours before the event.
Zero Tolerance for Drink-Driving
Romania sets one of Europe’s strictest drink-driving limits: a blood alcohol concentration of 0.0 grams per liter for every driver, with no separate allowance for experienced drivers. Any detectable alcohol is a violation.3European Commission. Road Safety Country Overview – Romania
Penalties fall into two tiers based on what the test shows:
- Up to 0.8 g/l is an administrative offense. Expect a fine typically ranging from around 1,305 to 2,900 RON and a 90-day driver’s license suspension that cannot be shortened. The suspension extends to 120 days if the violation occurs during a crash.
- 0.8 g/l or above is a criminal offense. Punishment runs from one to five years in prison or a substantial court-imposed fine, plus long-term or permanent loss of your license and a criminal record.
Refusing a breathalyzer or blood test is treated as seriously as driving drunk and carries one to five years in prison. Roadside checks are frequent, especially on transit routes and in resort areas. If you plan to drive, the only safe amount to drink is none.
Home-Distilled Țuică and Pălincă
If you spend time in the Romanian countryside, someone will offer you țuică (plum brandy) or its double-distilled cousin pălincă. Accepting is part of the culture, and the drink itself is legal: the fiscal code exempts household-produced fruit spirits from excise duties as long as production stays under 50 liters per year and the batch is not sold. Anything above that threshold, or any commercial sale, requires proper licensing and triggers excise tax.
So the short version for a visitor: 18 to buy, no minimum to drink at home, and be careful where you open the bottle. The public-drinking ban and the zero-tolerance driving rule are the two that most often trip up adults who assume the 18-year threshold is the whole story.