Best Crypto Cards in Romania (2026)

Romania regulates crypto under the EU's MiCA (Markets in Crypto-Assets) framework. The ASF (Autoritatea de Supraveghere Financiara, Financial Supervisory Authority) oversees financial markets, while the BNR (Banca Nationala a Romaniei, National Bank of Romania) handles monetary policy.

Romania implemented the EU's 5th Anti-Money Laundering Directive (5AMLD) through its AML law. Crypto service providers must register with the Ministry of Finance and comply with KYC/AML requirements. The ONPCSB (National Office for Prevention and Control of Money Laundering) monitors crypto transactions.

Gnosis Pay, Plutus, and Wirex operate under EU e-money or payment institution licenses, providing full EEA regulatory protection for Romanian users. Crypto.com and KAST serve Romania under global coverage.

Romania benefits from full MiCA protections as an EU member, giving users access to EU-licensed crypto card issuers.

Romania applies a 10% flat tax on crypto gains, one of the lowest in the EU. Crypto income is classified as "income from other sources" (venituri din alte surse) under the Fiscal Code (Codul Fiscal).

Example: You bought ETH at RON 5,000 and spend RON 15,000 through your card. Gain = RON 10,000. Tax = RON 1,000 (10%).

Each card transaction is a taxable disposal event. Annual reporting to ANAF is required via the Declaratia Unica (Single Declaration, Form D212). The tax year runs January-December, with the filing deadline on May 25 of the following year.

Stablecoin strategy: Fund your card with USDC to minimize taxable events. At 10% tax, Romania is still favorable - a RON 1,000 gain costs only RON 100 in tax.

Romanian crypto card applications require a carte de identitate (Romanian national ID card) or pasaport (passport) for citizens. EU/EEA citizens can use their national ID. Non-EU residents need a passport plus permis de sedere (residence permit).

The CNP (Cod Numeric Personal, 13 digits) is the primary identifier. Proof of Romanian address via factura de utilitati (utility bill), extras de cont bancar (bank statement from BCR, BRD, or Banca Transilvania), or contract de inchiriere (rental agreement).

EU-licensed issuers like Gnosis Pay and Plutus verify against EU databases automatically. Physical cards ship to Romanian addresses within 7-14 business days. Virtual cards are available immediately for Apple Pay and Google Pay use.

Low Tax + Strong FX Savings = High Value

Romania's 10% crypto tax is among the EU's lowest. Combined with zero FX fee cards replacing the 1-2% markup from BCR/BRD, total savings are significant.

Card Selection by Use Case

• Gnosis Pay (4% cashback, free): Best EEA self-custody card
• Plutus (3% + perks, free tier): Best for subscription rebates
• KAST (2%, free): Best no-fee starter
• Wirex (up to 8%): Best for power users

Spending Scenario: RON 5,000/month (~EUR 1,000)

USDC funding avoids the 10% tax on cashback gains. RON 1,800/year covers 6+ months of Netflix or 30 restaurant meals in Bucharest.

FX Savings vs Romanian Banks

BCR and BRD charge 1-2% FX markup on non-RON transactions. A zero FX card saves RON 600-1,200/year on RON 5,000/month foreign-currency spending - effectively doubling your cashback benefit.

Local Payment Infrastructure

Card acceptance is strong across urban Romania: shopping malls (Baneasa, AFI Cotroceni, Iulius Mall), supermarkets (Kaufland, Lidl, Mega Image, Carrefour), restaurants, and cafes in Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca, Timisoara, and Iasi accept contactless Visa/Mastercard. Apple Pay is widely supported. Cash is still common at piata (outdoor markets) and in rural areas.

EU-licensed issuers: Gnosis Pay (4%, self-custody), Plutus (3% + perks), and Wirex (up to 8%) operate under EU licenses covering Romania. Crypto.com (up to 5%) and Bybit (2%) also serve Romanian users.

Local/regional: Tradesilvania is Romania's leading crypto exchange, offering RON trading pairs. Coinzilla and other local platforms serve the Romanian market but do not offer card products.

ether.fi (3%, credit-based) offers a borrow-to-spend model. In Romania's 10% tax environment, keeping ETH in staking while spending borrowed funds can optimize tax timing.

Romania's strong fintech adoption (3M+ Revolut users) means crypto card awareness is growing rapidly.