No queues, no counters: five digital public services that actually work in Romania — and what's still missing

No queues, no bound paper files, no trips between counters. More and more public institutions in Romania are beginning to offer functional digital services that save time and simplify bureaucratic processes which until recently were complicated.

In recent years, digitalization has begun to take shape across diverse fields: paying taxes through Ghișeul.ro, obtaining passports through the Ministry of Internal Affairs' online system, changing energy suppliers through the ANRE - POSF platform, monitoring timber transport through SUMAL or, more recently, the digital management of document flows in public administration through solutions such as ConectX.

Some of these systems are discreet but essential. Others are visible and already familiar.

A survey recently conducted by Metaminds, in partnership with AtlasIntel, shows that 90.5% of Romanians consider digitalization essential for the country's economic development, and 63% say they would like the state to implement digital identity in order to reduce bureaucracy. Even so, only 48% of respondents state that they have had a positive experience with digital public services - a sign that progress is real, but uneven.

In this context, we have selected five digital services that work better and better in Romania and that show the direction is right. Some are examples of administrative efficiency, others are models of interoperability. All are proof that digitalization is no longer a promise, but a reality in the process of consolidation.

Spațiul Privat Virtual (SPV): the tax office without needless trips

Launched in 2014, SPV is ANAF's main solution for digital communication with citizens and legal entities. The Ministry of Finance has stated that SPV has currently registered over 2.5 million users (individuals and legal entities). Enrollment became mandatory in March 2022 for companies, sole traders (PFA), liberal professions, and so on.

The platform allows the submission of declarations, the issuance of documents and the downloading of tax certificates, as well as making appointments or payments online, while also providing automatic notifications. As a result, the time spent interacting with the tax authority has been reduced by up to 80%.

"The infrastructure behind the platform ensures security at the access, application and network levels, allowing the proactive identification of risks, the isolation of cyber threats and the rapid application of remediation measures. At the same time, the solution offers extensive visibility over access activities, respecting the principles of data confidentiality and integrity, all for secure validation, but without making the user experience more difficult," says Cristian Gal, Chief Professional Services and member of the Management Board of the Metaminds company. Today, the platform is available 24/7, free of charge and accessible to everyone.

Ghișeul.ro: taxes and fines paid online

Having become operational in 2018, Ghișeul.ro interconnects over 1,700 institutions and serves more than 2.5 million users annually in their dealings with local and national authorities. In 2024, the platform recorded over 8.5 million payments, thereby confirming its essential role in the digitalization of public services. The platform offers quick access to a wide range of services: you can pay taxes and duties, fines, road vignettes (roviniete) for individuals, the judicial stamp duty, and also download your criminal record certificate through hub.mai.gov. In addition, you have access to the receipts issued and to the complete history of the payments made.

Today, Ghișeul.ro is considered a model of efficient and intuitive administrative digitalization.

SUMAL2.0: the digital guardian of the forests

In 2021, SUMAL 2.0 was launched, a digital system for monitoring the route of timber from the forest to its destination. It works with unique codes, GPS and mobile applications, connecting a network between hauliers, forestry services and authorities.

SUMAL has become a visible tool in the fight against illegal logging, demonstrating the impact of a well-implemented solution. Although it is a platform that has solved many transparency problems, the system could be improved through a more solid integration with the cadastral registers, in order to ensure full traceability of the timber mass, as well as by extending offline functionality in areas with poor signal coverage - aspects flagged by specialists and by users in the field. In parallel, the continued technical training of forestry personnel remains essential for the system to be used efficiently and correctly.

RO-ALERT: an alert in a few seconds

Every Romanian has received, at least once, a RO-ALERT message, whether it was a weather warning, a warning signaling the presence of dangerous animals, a nearby fire, or an alert in the case of a missing child. The system has become part of everyday life and, in critical moments, it makes the difference between chaos and an organized response.

Since its launch in 2018, RO-ALERT has sent geolocated emergency messages through Cell Broadcast technology, without requiring the internet or special applications. The messages appear on the phone screen even when it is locked, and the operation of the system does not depend on data networks or additional applications. In 2024 alone, over 2,700 messages were sent, rapidly alerting millions of citizens in emergency situations. It is an example of digital infrastructure with a direct impact, visible and immediate in people's everyday lives.

Pasapoarte.mai.gov.ro: digital appointments, predictable delivery

The Ministry of Internal Affairs' platform for issuing passports is one of the most functional digital solutions in public administration. In addition to issuing passports, through the platform citizens can quickly and simply request a series of essential documents, such as: the certificate for exemption from customs duties, access to the personal passport file by an authorized person or by legal heirs, as well as the certificate concerning the exercise of the right to free movement abroad.

The average processing time for a simple electronic passport has reached 3-5 working days, and the online appointment system allows the choice of date, time and location, with automatic notifications sent throughout the process. The document can be picked up in person or delivered by courier, and payment for the issuance of the simple electronic or temporary passport is made easily, through the Ghișeul.ro platform.

In crowded counties, such as Bucharest and Ilfov, appointments run out quickly, which sometimes forces citizens to look for available slots at other centers. Integration with other public platforms and the possibility of tracking the passport in transit would increase transparency and complete the digital flow.

What comes next and what still needs to be done?

Digitalization has taken its initial steps - there are functional services and real satisfaction among citizens, but systemic interconnection and coherence are lacking: over 50% of respondents say that the digital public experience has not visibly improved (Survey on the Digitalization of Public Services in Romania). In order to become a real model, Romania must ensure interoperability, digital identity and a government cloud, all in order to reduce residual bureaucracy but also to shape a coherent and integrated digital architecture.

"Romania has set out to build a great deal in improving the way we interact with the state's digital platforms - especially when it comes to the part that is visible and easy for citizens to use. However, behind these modern interfaces, there is a need for a profound transformation of the back-end infrastructure, where interoperability at the level of identity is needed, where systems must 'speak' to one another and share data and services in an intelligent and secure way, so that services function as a unified whole.

An essential step in this direction is the interoperability of digital systems, so that public institutions no longer repeatedly request the same information from citizens, but instead apply the Once-Only principle - data provided to the state a single time can be reused, and any updates are taken up and synchronized uniformly across all institutions.

These measures will make public services faster, more efficient and easier to access, significantly improving the digital experience of all citizens." - Marius Marinescu, CTO Metaminds

The survey reveals a firm desire among Romanians: 67% call for the digitalization of the health system through quick access to medical history, online appointments and telemedicine services. The need for digitalization also extends to other fields essential to everyday life: social security (pensions, benefits, allowances), education and transport.

The signal is clear - Romanians are ready for a real digital transformation. It is time for the institutions to keep pace.