In brief

  • Romania’s College of Physiotherapists has introduced a new charge: 750 lei for the recertification of professional competence. It joins the list of fees collected by the college, as point k) in Article 8 of the 2018 decision on membership fees and charges.
  • The fee is paid by physiotherapists who go through the recertification procedure, meaning those who resume practice after a longer break or who have to prove their competence again, under the methodology the college approved in 2026.
  • The decision does not change the ordinary membership fee, nor any of the other charges. It takes effect on publication, that is from 13 August 2026.
Act: CFZRO Decision no. 114/2026
Published: Official Gazette of Romania (Monitorul Oficial) no. 671 of 13 August 2026
In force from: 13 August 2026

A physiotherapist who stopped practising for a few years and wants to come back has to prove their competence all over again. From 13 August 2026, that procedure also carries a price: 750 lei. Decision no. 114/2026 of the National Council of the College of Physiotherapists of Romania, published in Official Gazette of Romania no. 671 of 13 August 2026, adds one new point to the list of charges the college collects. It joins the interventions this summer with a direct effect on the health professions, among them the introduction of a single nationwide set of questions for the specialist doctor examination.

The College of Physiotherapists is the professional body set up by Law no. 229/2016 on the organisation and practice of the physiotherapist profession. Articles 19-21 of that law give it the power to set the level of the membership fee and of the charges it collects.

The list of those charges sits in National Council Decision no. 37/2018, published in Official Gazette of Romania no. 1000 of 27 November 2018 and amended several times since. Article 8(1) of that decision lists the charges, from point a) through to point j).

The decision of 13 August 2026 adds point k). It was taken at the meeting of the National Council of 3 August 2026, recorded in minutes no. 4.285.

What it changes in practice

Another professional body rewrote its payment rules in 2026: salaried financial auditors pay 1,000 lei a year from 2027, instead of a fee worked out from income.

A separate charge appears for the recertification of professional competence, set at 750 lei. This is the only substantive change in the decision, drafted as a new point under Article 8(1) of the 2018 decision.

The fee is tied to a methodology adopted in 2026 as well. The decision expressly invokes the Methodology for the recertification of the professional competence of physiotherapists, approved by National Council Decision no. 82/2026. The procedure therefore already existed; what was missing was the price.

The membership fee stays as it is. The decision extends the list of charges without touching the level of the membership fee or the other points of Article 8.

The effect is immediate. The decision provides only for publication in the Official Gazette of Romania, with no later date of entry into force, so it applies from 13 August 2026.

The cost falls on the physiotherapist who asks for recertification. This is not a general charge on all members of the college, but one attached to an individual procedure, triggered at the professional’s own request.

In another healthcare profession the equivalent fee comes round once a year: hospital evaluators now pay 840 lei a year and sit an examination annually.

The sum adds to the other costs of returning to the profession. Under the college’s methodology, recertification involves going through a competence check, and the fee now comes on top of that. The procedure itself was rewritten a month later: Decision no. 123/2026 cut the supervised practice to 150 hours, down from 420, and changed who has to go through it.

What has changed compared with the previous situation

Until 13 August 2026, Article 8(1) of Decision no. 37/2018 listed the college’s charges up to point j). The recertification of professional competence was not among them, even though the methodology governing it had been approved by Decision no. 82/2026.

It was, in other words, a procedure with no set price. The addition of 13 August 2026 fills that gap and fixes the sum at 750 lei, with no bands, discounts or exemptions written into the text.

The rest of the framework is unchanged. The Statute of the College of Physiotherapists, approved by Order of the Minister of Health no. 4.086/2024, and the internal rules on organisation and operation, approved by Order of the Minister of Health no. 4.964/2024, are cited as legal basis but are not amended.

Nor does the adoption procedure change. The decision was taken by the National Council, the competent body under Articles 19-21 of Law no. 229/2016 and Articles 11, 13 and 21 of the internal rules.

Advantages and disadvantages

What it improves

  • The recertification procedure now has a transparent, public price, instead of being charged case by case.
  • The fee is published in the Official Gazette of Romania, so any physiotherapist can check it before filing an application.
  • It is paid only by those who apply for recertification, not by every member of the college.
  • The framework is brought into line with the recertification methodology adopted earlier in 2026, which had been left without a price.
  • The ordinary membership fee does not go up.
  • The change is minimal and leaves the other charges already in place untouched.

What remains a problem

  • 750 lei is a substantial sum for a professional who is only just returning to work, and therefore has no income from practice.
  • The decision provides no exemptions or reductions, for instance where the break in activity was for medical reasons or for childcare.
  • The text does not say whether the fee is refunded if recertification is refused.
  • There is no expressly provided option to pay in instalments.
  • Immediate entry into force leaves no time to adjust for those who already had an application in preparation.
  • The recertification methodology the decision refers to is not published in the Official Gazette of Romania alongside it.

Practical advice

  1. If you are preparing your return to the profession, build the 750 lei into the budget for the procedure. The fee applies from 13 August 2026.
  2. Ask the college for the recertification methodology approved by Decision no. 82/2026 before you file your application. That is what sets out the actual steps, not the decision of 13 August 2026.
  3. Check whether your situation really calls for recertification. The 750 lei fee applies only to the recertification procedure, not to every formality at the College.
  4. Keep proof of payment and attach it to your recertification file, so as to avoid administrative delays.
  5. If you had an application under way before 13 August, ask the college how the fee applies in your case. The decision contains no transitional rule.
  6. Go through the full list of charges in Decision no. 37/2018, as subsequently amended, so you know what other costs come with membership.

Frequently asked questions

Who pays the 750 lei fee?
Physiotherapists who go through the procedure for the recertification of professional competence, under the methodology approved by Decision no. 82/2026 of the National Council of the College of Physiotherapists of Romania. It is not a general charge on all members of the college.
What does recertification of professional competence mean?
The procedure through which a physiotherapist proves their competence again, usually after a period out of practice. What it involves is set by the college’s methodology, not by the decision that fixes the fee.
Does the membership fee change?
No. The decision only adds a new point to the list of charges in Article 8(1) of Decision no. 37/2018. The level of the membership fee stays as previously set.
From what date does it apply?
From 13 August 2026, the date of publication in the Official Gazette of Romania. The decision sets no later date of entry into force.
Are there any exemptions or reductions?
The text of the decision provides no exemptions, reductions or payment in instalments. The sum is fixed, at 750 lei.
Who decided to introduce the fee?
The National Council of the College of Physiotherapists of Romania, at its meeting of 3 August 2026, recorded in minutes no. 4.285 of the same date. It has the power to do so under Articles 19-21 of Law no. 229/2016.

Original text of the legal act

The text below is reproduced in Romanian, the official form of publication.

The full text, as published in the Official Gazette of Romania

Official Gazette of Romania no. 671 of 13 August 2026 16 pages PDF, 100 KB the act starts on page 16

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This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For specific situations, consult a licensed attorney or tax advisor.