Dropshipping Romania: The Ultimate Guide to Starting a Business

The Romanian e-commerce sector has officially crossed the €8 billion threshold. That isn’t just a statistic; it is a signal. The market is maturing, customers are spending more, and the opportunity for digital entrepreneurs is massive. However, the days of throwing up a generic store and hoping for the best are gone.

To succeed today, you need to move from a “hustler” mindset to a business owner mindset. This means understanding the new tax realities, navigating the lack of a dedicated Amazon fulfillment network in Romania, and choosing suppliers that don’t make your customers wait 30 days for delivery.

The Logistics Reality: How It Actually Works

Many guides overcomplicate this. At its core, the model remains the same, but the execution in Romania has specific nuances compared to Western Europe. Here is the operational flow:

• The Order: A Romanian customer buys a product from your online store.
• The Forward: You automatically forward this order to your supplier (verified tools like DSers have replaced old apps for this).
• The Shipment: The supplier ships directly to the customer. Crucial Tip: If you are shipping from outside the EU, you must be transparent about delivery times to avoid chargebacks.
• The Profit: You keep the difference between the retail price and the wholesale cost.

Before you launch, you must understand the landscape of Online shopping Romania. Romanian customers heavily prefer cash on delivery (Ramburs), though card payments are growing. Ensuring your courier partner can handle cash collection is often the difference between success and failure.

Legal and Tax Setup: SRL vs. PFA

You cannot run this business “under the table.” As of late 2025, the fiscal environment has tightened. You generally have two choices for legal incorporation:

• SRL (Micro company): This is the most popular route. As of December 2025, the minimum capital for a newly formed SRL is 500 RON. If your annual turnover later exceeds 400,000 RON, the minimum required capital increases to 5,000 RON. Micro-company income tax remains 1% for companies with at least one employee, with stricter eligibility rules than in previous years. Dividend tax is confirmed to rise to 16% from January 1, 2026, making cash flow planning essential.
• PFA (Sole Trader): Easier to set up (~100 RON fees), but often less tax efficient for high volumes. You face a 10% income tax plus significant social contributions (health and pension) capped at minimum wage thresholds.

Note on VAT: Romania’s standard VAT (TVA) rate increased from 19% to 21% on August 1, 2025. This 21% rate applies in 2026 unless further legislative changes occur. If you are dropshipping from outside the EU into Romania, you need to understand import VAT and IOSS rules to prevent your customers from being hit with surprise customs fees.

Curated Suppliers List: What to Use (And What to Avoid)

The biggest mistake new dropshippers make is using outdated tools. Stop using Oberlo. It was shut down in 2022. If you see a guide recommending it, close that tab immediately.

1. The “Speed & Local” Choice: iDropship 3.0

For the Romanian market, speed is king. iDropship.ro (recently updated to version 3.0) is a dedicated B2B marketplace for Romania. It allows you to source products that are already in the region, drastically cutting down shipping times compared to China based sourcing.

2. The “Volume” Choice: AliExpress via DSers

For access to millions of products, AliExpress remains the heavyweight. However, you need the right software to connect it to your store. DSers is the official replacement for Oberlo and handles bulk orders efficiently. Just be wary of shipping times—always filter for “AliExpress Standard Shipping” or EU warehouses.

3. The “Luxury” Choice: BrandsGateway

If you want to sell high ticket items like fashion, Swiss based BrandsGateway is the industry leader. Their Shopify integration is premium (plans start around €295/month), but they offer high margins on authentic luxury goods, shipping rapidly across Europe.

While sourcing giants like Alibaba France are excellent for bulk wholesale, dropshipping requires suppliers who ship single units. Stick to platforms like Spocket or AutoDS if you need EU/US suppliers to ensure faster delivery.

Platform Costs: Shopify Pricing in Romania

Your e-commerce platform is your digital storefront. Shopify remains the most robust option for dropshipping due to its vast app ecosystem.

Current Monthly Costs:

• Basic Plan: $39 USD/month on monthly billing (or $29 USD/month when billed yearly). This is sufficient for around 90% of new businesses.
• Grow Plan: $105 USD/month on monthly billing (or $79 USD/month when billed yearly). Ideal if you need more staff accounts and professional reporting.
• Advanced Plan: $399 USD/month on monthly billing (or $299 USD/month when billed yearly). Only necessary for high-volume or complex scaling.

Typically, new users can snag a “$1 for the first 3 months” promotion, which is an excellent way to test your concept with minimal risk.

Amazon Dropshipping: The Romanian Reality

Here is where many get confused. There is no Amazon.ro marketplace with local fulfillment. While Amazon has offices in Bucharest and Iași, they do not have a local FBA (Fulfillment by Amazon) network for selling within Romania.

Romanian customers typically order from Amazon.de (Germany). If you want to utilize the power of Amazon, you should look into selling on Amazon FBA Germany. This allows you to store products in German warehouses and ship to customers across Europe, including Romania, leveraging their logistics network.

Pros and Cons: The Practitioner’s View

Let’s strip away the hype and look at the business fundamentals.

The Advantages

• Low Financial Barrier: Unlike traditional retail, you don’t need to buy stock upfront. Your main costs are the legal setup (~500 RON), platform fees, and marketing.
• Scalability: You are not limited by shelf space. If a product goes viral on TikTok, your supplier handles the volume.

The Hidden Challenges

• Thin Margins: Advertising costs on Facebook and Google have risen. You need a healthy markup (at least 3x cost) to be profitable.
• Shipping Friction: Romanians are used to 24-48 hour delivery from local giants like eMAG. Competing with 15-day shipping times from China requires excellent customer service and unique products that people can’t find locally.

Dropshipping in Romania is no longer a “hack.” It is a legitimate business model that rewards those who treat it seriously. Focus on building a brand, ensuring legal compliance, and shortening your supply chain.