CAEN Rev. 3: the update deadline is extended to 25 March 2027

The Government has extended the CAEN Rev. 3 transition period by six months: until 25 March 2027, CAEN Rev. 2 and CAEN Rev. 3 codes can be used in parallel. The original deadline expired on 25 September 2026, when, according to ONRC data, only 37.24% of the professionals required to update had changed their object of activity. The decision was adopted at the Government meeting of 1 October 2026 and applies to companies, PFAs (sole traders), individual and family businesses and other professionals registered in the trade register.

In brief

• Legal act: Government decision amending HG No. 656/1997 approving the Classification of Activities in the National Economy – CAEN
• Authority: the Government of Romania; the update is made at the National Trade Register Office (ONRC)
• Who is affected: professionals registered in the trade register who have not yet updated their object of activity to CAEN Rev. 3
• New deadline: 25 March 2027 (instead of 25 September 2026)
• Status: 37.24% of the professionals required to update had done so by the original deadline
• Cost: the new registration certificate is issued free of charge (Order of the Minister of Justice No. 2938/C/2024)

What exactly has changed?

The decision of 1 October sets a new six-month period during which both versions of the classification are accepted. According to the Government's press release, the aim is to avoid administrative bottlenecks, reduce the pressure on operators, allow recoding to continue gradually and ensure a transition without operational interruptions.

The Government stresses that the measure is transitional and does not remove the obligation to update. In other words, the switch to CAEN Rev. 3 has not been abandoned — only the deadline has moved.

How is the update made at ONRC?

The procedure is regulated by Order of the Minister of Justice No. 2938/C/2024:

• the professional submits a registration application to the trade register office stating the main object of activity according to CAEN Rev. 3; the application form has an option "update of object of activity according to CAEN Rev.3";
• after registration, the trade register office issues, free of charge, a new registration certificate, together with up-to-date specific information from the trade register containing the updated object of activity;
• the update can be made separately, through a dedicated application, or together with the registration of another entry in the trade register (for example, a change of registered office or administrator);
• certificates issued before the update remain valid until the date on which the object of activity is updated.

Why does the CAEN code matter for non-refundable grants?

Almost all programmes for companies check eligibility by CAEN code: the activity for which you are requesting funding must be authorised and appear in a list of eligible codes in the guide. Many guides launched in 2025–2026 already have lists drawn up on CAEN Rev. 3, and some include correspondence annexes between versions.

When the new classification came into force, AFIR stated that throughout the transition period it accepts both versions of the codes, provided that they reflect the beneficiary's actual activity and are consistent with the purpose of the investment. The agency's recommendation was that beneficiaries check the correspondence between their actual activity and the new code, including for projects already submitted or under implementation.

What this means for your business

Our recommendation: do not postpone the update until March 2027 if you are preparing to submit a project in the coming months. A few practical reasons:

• Split codes. In some fields (trade, construction, transport, IT) one Rev. 2 code corresponds to several Rev. 3 codes. If you choose the wrong new code, you may fall outside the eligible list of a call.
• Age of the code. Some guides require the funded activity to have been authorised from a certain date or for a minimum period. Check in the guide how the Rev. 2 → Rev. 3 update is treated before submitting, and keep proof of the correspondence.
• Consistency of documents. The certificate of good standing, the business plan and the funding application must use the same code. Inconsistencies are a frequent cause of clarification requests during the evaluation stage.
• Projects under implementation. If you already have a funding contract, check what the contract says about changes in the trade register and notify the authority if necessary.

You can quickly check whether your activity fits an open programme with the eligibility check.

Frequently asked questions

By when must the CAEN code be updated to Rev. 3?

By 25 March 2027. Until that date, CAEN Rev. 2 and CAEN Rev. 3 codes can be used in parallel, under the decision adopted by the Government on 1 October 2026.

Does updating the CAEN code at the trade register cost anything?

Order of the Minister of Justice No. 2938/C/2024 provides that, after the update is registered, the trade register office issues free of charge a new registration certificate and up-to-date specific information on the professional.

I set up my company in 2025. Do I need to do anything?

Professionals who registered after INS Order No. 377/2024 came into force declared their activity directly under CAEN Rev. 3, according to Order No. 2938/C/2024. Check which version appears on your certificate of good standing; if it already shows Rev. 3 codes, you have nothing left to update.

Can I submit a project now with a CAEN Rev. 2 code?

During the transition period both versions are recognised, but each funding guide sets its own list of eligible codes. Check in the call guide which version the list uses and whether there is a correspondence annex. AFIR, for example, has announced that it accepts both versions if they reflect the actual activity and are consistent with the investment.

Will the deadline be extended again after March 2027?

Nothing has been announced to that effect. The Government has stated that the measure is transitional and does not remove the obligation to update.

Official sources

• Government of Romania — Press release on the normative acts adopted at the meeting of 1 October 2026
• ONRC — Order of the Minister of Justice No. 2938/C/2024 on the implementation of CAEN Rev. 3
• AFIR press release — The new CAEN codes, information for funding beneficiaries

Information checked on 2 October 2026. Conditions may be changed by the managing authority — check the guide in force before you submit.