Key point: where an accident occurs in Romania but one or both vehicles are registered and insured abroad, medical assessment follows the same principles. What mainly changes is the entity to which the claim is addressed.
REMA may document injuries and the trauma score, but does not determine fault, policy validity, applicable law or the entity legally required to pay.
01 / Identifying the situation
Drivers' nationality does not determine
who pays.
The practical questions are which vehicle caused the harm, its registration country, insurer, validity of cover in Romania and whether a correspondent has been appointed.
- the vehicle and driver considered responsible;
- registration country;
- motor liability insurer;
- validity of cover in Romania;
- Green Card correspondent, if any;
- possible contribution of each driver.
A foreign citizen may drive a Romanian-insured vehicle and a Romanian citizen may drive a foreign-registered one. The vehicle's legal and insurance status is the principal practical criterion.
02 / At the accident scene
What should be obtained
and retained.
- registration number and country;
- copy of the Green Card or frontier insurance document;
- insurer name and policy period;
- driver and owner details;
- police records or amicable statement where legally permitted;
- photographs of vehicles, positions and documents;
- witness details;
- medical records from the first examination onward.
For some EEA-registered vehicles, cover can be verified through national bureaux even if no separate paper is shown.
03 / EU and EEA
The at-fault vehicle is insured
in a European state.
Where it is registered and insured in the EU or EEA, the injured person should identify the foreign insurer's Romanian correspondent. The correspondent may open the claim, verify the policy, request evidence, assess harm and issue the offer or reasoned response within its mandate.
Use the BAAR correspondent search. If none can be identified, notify BAAR.
04 / Outside the Union
Green Card cover is decisive,
not the label “non-EU”.
For a vehicle registered outside the EU, verify whether its country participates in the international Green Card System and whether the document was valid for Romania on the accident date.
With a valid Green Card, the claim is generally handled by the Romanian correspondent or by BAAR where none is appointed. System membership and agreements can change, so status should be checked for the accident date using current BAAR and Council of Bureaux information.
05 / Temporary cover
When frontier insurance applies.
Frontier insurance is intended for vehicles normally based in another state that require cover on entry and circulation in Romania. It may matter where the state does not benefit from a recognised national bureau guarantee, no valid Green Card exists or the relevant agreements were suspended or ended.
According to BAAR, frontier insurance concluded in Romania is valid for 30 days. If such a vehicle causes the accident, BAAR should be notified and will indicate the procedure and claim handler.
06 / Unconfirmed cover
If the foreign policy is not valid
in Romania.
A policy issued abroad does not automatically prove territorial cover. The period, vehicle, covered territories, exclusions, authenticity and confirmation by the insurer or competent national bureau must be checked.
If the at-fault vehicle had no valid cover, the claim may fall within BAAR's role as compensation body under Law no. 132/2017. Subject to statutory conditions, BAAR may intervene for bodily injury or death caused by uninsured vehicles and, under separate conditions, unidentified vehicles.
07 / Two foreign vehicles
If both drivers are insured abroad.
This does not exclude settlement in Romania. For each vehicle, identify registration country, insurer, validity and correspondent. If one driver is responsible, the request goes to that vehicle's insurer, correspondent or BAAR. With shared fault, two insurers or compensation mechanisms may be involved.
Each driver's contribution is determined from accident evidence and is not decided by the REMA report.
Conversely, if a Romanian-insured vehicle is at fault and the injured person occupied a foreign vehicle, the claim goes to the Romanian RCA insurer. Foreign nationality, residence or vehicle registration does not prevent bodily injury compensation or trauma score assessment in Romania.
08 / Rule and exceptions
Which law applies to the accident.
The general Rome II rule is the law of the country where the damage occurs. For an accident and injury in Romania, Romanian law is the starting point.
Exceptions exist. If the injured person and the person whose liability is invoked habitually resided in the same other country, that country's law may apply. A manifestly closer connection to another country may also matter.
The exception may be important where both foreign drivers come from the same state. REMA does not determine applicable law.
09 / Medical assessment
A REMA report can be prepared
for a foreign policy.
The insurer's nationality does not change the medical method. The report may document initial injuries, complications, permanent consequences, causation, prior health and the total trauma score. Joint ASF/Ministry of Health Order no. 1/2,293/2022 concerns bodily harm from vehicle accidents and does not require a Romanian-issued policy.
The report may be filed with the correspondent, BAAR or a Romanian RCA insurer, or used in negotiation or court as appropriate. The same injuries and consequences are assessed by the same medical criteria regardless of the claim handler.
If amicable compensation is determined under Romanian law, one traumatic point is linked to twice the gross national minimum basic salary at the accident date. The medical score, monetary point value, adjustments, shared fault and other losses remain separate. REMA does not guarantee an amount.
Assessment may be requested by the injured person, insurer, correspondent, BAAR or the Policyholders Guarantee Fund where competent. The file should identify the accident, claim, vehicles, police records, complete medical records, handler requests and treatment in Romania or abroad.
Foreign medical records should identify the provider, date, diagnosis, investigations, treatment, recommendations and functional progress. Translation may be requested; whether an authorised translation is required depends on the destination and claim handler. Translation does not replace the original.
10 / Practical checklist
Steps for the injured person.
- 1
Identify the vehicle and policy
Obtain accident records, vehicle details and a copy of the foreign insurance.
- 2
Check the correspondent
Use BAAR; if none exists, send notification to BAAR.
- 3
Open the claim
Request written confirmation of the claim number and required documents.
- 4
Document medical progress
Keep Romanian and foreign records and obtain REMA at the appropriate medical time.
- 5
File the request and report
Ask for the detailed calculation and reasons for exclusions or reductions.
The correspondent may seek clarification and review causation, evidence, the scale, stabilisation and prior health. The report should not be disregarded merely because the policy is foreign; rejection should be reasoned. See why an RCA offer may be lower.
Conclusion: an accident in Romania can still be handled where one or both vehicles are insured abroad. First identify the at-fault vehicle's cover and claim handler. The country of insurance changes the administrative route, not the medical criteria. Where both drivers are foreign, fault is shared or another country's law is invoked, medico-legal and legal analysis should remain separate.
11 / Frequently asked questions
Important clarifications.
Can a foreign driver obtain a REMA report in Romania?+
Yes. Foreign nationality or residence does not prevent assessment of injuries from a vehicle accident. Identity, accident records, medical documents and appropriate examination are required.
Must the report be prepared in the insurer's language?+
The report is prepared in Romanian. A Romanian correspondent can use it in the claim. A translation may be required if it must be sent directly abroad.
Does BAAR prepare the REMA report?+
No. It is prepared by a medical expert assessor. BAAR may request or receive it in a claim it manages.
Must policy confirmation be awaited before REMA assessment?+
Not for medical documentation. Policy verification and injury assessment are separate, although communication with the claim handler can clarify required records and timing.
Is compensation lost if the foreign insurer has no Romanian correspondent?+
No. The injured person may contact BAAR, which verifies the insurance situation and indicates the applicable procedure.
If both drivers are foreign, does Romanian law always apply?+
Not absolutely. The place of damage generally points to Romanian law, but Rome II contains exceptions, including where the injured person and liable person habitually reside in the same other country.
Does REMA guarantee payment?+
No. It documents bodily harm and the trauma score. Liability, insurance validity, applicable law and final amount are analysed separately.
12 / Sources
Framework consulted.
- Law no. 132/2017
- Joint ASF/Ministry of Health Order no. 1/2,293/2022
- Accident in Romania — BAAR
- Foreign insurer correspondent search — BAAR
- Green Card claims — BAAR
- Frontier insurance — BAAR
- Regulation (EC) no. 864/2007 — Rome II
- Directive 2009/103/EC on motor insurance
General material checked on 1 September 2026. It is not legal advice and does not replace individual analysis of the accident, policy, liability and applicable law.