Fishing Permits in Romania: What You Actually Need

The question that trips people up is simple. Do I need a permit to fish, and is that the same as the ticket I buy for the lake? In Romania the answer depends on the water, not on the species. Get this right and you fish. Get it wrong and you can lose a session to a control, or worse.

Rules, fees and close-season dates change. This is a plain-English map of how the system works, not a substitute for the official text. Confirm the current requirements with the issuing authority before you travel.

Two kinds of water, two kinds of permission

Private lakes (bălți)

Most carp fishing in Romania happens on privately run lakes. You pay the venue for a day or a session, in person or online, and you fish under its rules (hook type, retention, night fishing, bait bans, how many rods). That ticket is permission from the owner, not a state licence.

This is the simple route, especially for visitors. You make one payment, the rules are on the listing, and you can book many of these lakes without a separate government permit. How that ticket works in practice is covered in day ticket carp fishing.

Public and natural waters

On public rivers, natural lakes, reservoirs in the public domain, the Danube and its arms, recreational angling needs a recreational fishing permit issued by the National Agency for Fisheries and Aquaculture (ANPA, Agenția Națională pentru Pescuit și Acvacultură). An emergency ordinance published on 31 December 2025 (OUG 92/2025) dissolves ANPA by merging it into the State Domains Agency, which becomes ANADSPA (the National Authority for the Administration of State Domains, Fisheries and Aquaculture). The merger is still under way, so the permit rules adopted in September 2026 still name ANPA as the issuer, and the permit portal still carries its name. Whichever name you see, it is the same permit. There is also a protected close season (prohibiție) on natural habitats, set each year to cover spawning. That close season is law, not a suggestion.

The venue ticket is not the state permit

Keep the two ideas apart:

• The lake's day or session permit is permission from a private venue to fish its water. That is what you buy when you book a lake on LakeBooking.
• The state recreational permit (issued by ANPA) is what public and natural waters require. You arrange it through official channels, not through the venue.

On a private carp lake you generally only need the lake's own ticket. On public water you need the recreational permit, and you must respect the close season.

How to get the state recreational permit

Apply on ANPA's online permit portal and choose Obține permis (the portal also has an English version). In recent seasons the basic permit covering the Danube, its arms, the Black Sea and non-contracted natural waters has been issued online and free of charge. That can change. Use the official portal, not a reseller.

The process has varied slightly year to year, but it typically involves:

1. Creating an account (email; Romanian applicants use their CNP).
2. Choosing the permit type (Danube / non-contracted natural waters, or Black Sea). They are separate.
3. Completing the form exactly as your ID reads. Typos can make a permit useless at a control.
4. In some versions of the system, a short test on the current fishing rules.

Download the PDF and keep it on your phone. Carry the original ID that matches it. A control will ask for both.

Some public waters are contracted to recreational fishing associations. Those often require the association's own permit as well as, or instead of, the basic state permit. If a stretch of river is "association water" and you only have the free Danube permit, you can still be in the wrong. Ask locally before you cast.

Report your catches by 31 December

Since 7 September 2026 the permit rules are set by Order 260/2026 of the Ministry of Agriculture (MADR), which replaced Order 60/2017. The permit is still issued once a year, online. The change to watch is the catch sheet (fișa de captură), which is part of the permit. On waters that no association has contracted, you fill it in for each fishing area after every session and send it to ANPA by 31 December. Miss that deadline and you cannot get a permit for the following year. The portal has a Recuperare permis / Note de captură (permit recovery and catch notes) section for this. On association water, catches are reported through the association, so follow its rules.

The Danube Delta is a separate permission

The Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve is not covered by the basic state permit. Fishing there needs a permit from the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve Administration (ARBDD). That is a different issuer, a different portal, and a different fee. If the Delta is the trip, sort this before you leave home. Mobile signal on the water is not a plan.

Close season (prohibiție): what it actually applies to

Each year a joint ministerial order sets the close-season dates for natural fish habitats. The window is usually in spring, when carp and other species spawn. In 2026, the general close season on most natural inland waters ran from 9 April to 7 June inclusive, with shorter windows on some border waters. Treat that as an example of the typical spring window, not a date you can reuse next year.

What matters for most LakeBooking anglers:

• On rivers, the Danube, natural lakes and public reservoirs, you do not fish during the close season. Dates differ by water and sometimes by species (pike, for example, often has an earlier window). Confirm the current order before you go.
• On privately run commercial lakes (the bălți you book through the platform), the national close season on natural habitats typically does not apply. Those waters run under the owner's rules, which is why spring remains a busy time on day-ticket lakes. If you are unsure, ask the host. The listing's rules page is the first place to look; our at the lake guide covers what to have ready on the day.

That distinction is the practical one. During prohibiție, private lakes are where most carp anglers go. That is not a loophole. It is how the law is drawn. Natural habitats get the protection, while farmed and privately managed waters follow their own stocking and welfare rules.

So, which do you need?

• Private carp lake: the venue's own day or session permit. That is included when you book on LakeBooking.
• Public river, natural lake or the Danube: a state recreational permit from ANPA, plus any association permit that water requires, and no fishing during the close season.
• Danube Delta: ARBDD permit, on top of understanding the reserve's own rules and seasons.

When in doubt, the venue is the best source of truth for a private lake. Every listing shows its rules, and you can message the host before you book.

Fishing elsewhere in Europe

Rules vary by country. In England and Wales, you need an Environment Agency rod fishing licence (from GOV.UK) in addition to the fishery's ticket, including on private lakes. Anglers aged 13 to 16 need a free junior licence; under 13 do not. Scotland and Northern Ireland run different systems. Many countries also have river close seasons that do not apply on stillwaters. Check the local authority, the same way you would at home.

Ready to book?

Once you know which permission applies, choose the water. Browse carp lakes, open the carp fishing in Romania destination pages, or filter search by carp. New to it? Start with carp fishing for beginners.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a permit to fish in Romania? On a private lake you pay the venue's own day or session permit. On public waters such as rivers and the Danube you need a state recreational permit from ANPA and must respect the close season.

Is the lake's ticket the same as the state permit? No. The lake ticket is permission from a private venue. The state permit is what public and natural waters require, issued by ANPA through official channels.

Where do I get the state permit (the ANPA permit)? From ANPA's online permit portal, under Obține permis. In recent seasons the basic Danube / non-contracted waters permit has been free and issued online. Confirm on the portal; third-party sellers are not the source.

Is the ANADSPA permit different from the ANPA permit? No. ANADSPA is the authority ANPA is being merged into under OUG 92/2025. The permit rules adopted in September 2026 still name ANPA as the issuer. Whichever name you see, it is the same state recreational permit.

Do I have to report my catches? Yes. With the basic state permit, you fill in the catch sheet after every session and send it to ANPA by 31 December. Miss the deadline and you cannot get a permit for the following year. On association water, follow the association's reporting rules.

Does the close season shut private carp lakes? Usually not. Prohibiție applies to natural habitats. Privately run commercial lakes typically keep fishing under the owner's rules. Confirm with the host, and never assume a public river is open because a baltă is.

What about the Danube Delta? You need an ARBDD permit. The basic state permit does not cover the reserve.

Do children need a permit? Rules for juniors differ by water type and can change. On a private lake, ask the venue. Many have their own arrangements. On public water, check the current ANPA rules.

Does LakeBooking sell state permits? No. LakeBooking lets you book private lakes; the venue ticket is part of that booking. An ANPA or ARBDD permit is arranged separately from the official issuer.

What about fishing in the UK? You need an Environment Agency rod licence for England and Wales as well as the venue's ticket, including on private fisheries. Buy it from GOV.UK, not from a third party.