Romania Archives

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Romanian Archives System
Government records in Romania are kept in a system of archives under the National Archives in Bucuresti. Church records were also added to the system during the Communist era. The system consists of a central national archive in the capital, Bucuresti, and 41 regional archives, one for each of the counties, and one for the municipality of Bucuresti. A permit is required for onsite searching of the archives, which can be any of the archives in the system. Records of the Secret Police and Military records are kept in separate archives, and are listed at the bottom of the page.

A permit is required for onsite searching of the archives, which must be obtained at the archive where you will be doing your research. The permit lasts two years, but only covers the archive where it was issued. If you want to do research at a different archive site in the system, you will need to get a permit at that site also. To obtain a permit, you will fill out an application which will be at the archive. As the permit is a photo identification, you will need to bring a passport or smaller photo with you when you apply for the permit. Permits are generally issued the same or next day. You can request records from the archive as soon as you receive your permit. There is no charge for the permit. There is a daily charge for copying or taking photographs of the records.

The address for the National Archives is:

Arhive Nationale ale Romaniei Bulevardul Regina Elisabeta 49 050013 Bucuresti 5, Romania

Each regional archive has a page on the national archives website. To access the page of a regional archive, start at the main page of the national archives site. Then, consult the national archives web site by doing the following: click on the Romanina flag to go to the Romanian version of the website. Then click on the tab labeled "Directii Judetene". A page will appear with a box that says alege, click on the arrow to the right. A list of the regional archives will appear. Chck on the archive for the county that you want. The page for this specific archive site will come up and all the information about that site will be displayed.

In addition, if you scroll down the page for the regional archive you will see a link labeled "Lista Fondurilor si Colectilor date in cercetare de catre Serviciul Judetean". If you click on the link, a PDF will come up that lists all the records in that archive. To the left of the description or name of each file is a number. You will use this number to order the file at the archive.

The addresses of the regional archives in alphabetical order, follow. Correspondence to regional archives should be addressed to: Directia Judeteanu [name of judet] a Arhivelor Nationale. Postal codes are included where available. For phone, and fax numbers and email addresses consult the page for the regional archive. Some archives also post their hours on the website.

Some cities in Romania have the same name. This can occur when the two cities were originally in different countries, or one of the cities was destroyed, another built, and then the original was rebuilt. In correspondence, two things can distinguish cities, the postal code and if you add teh county code in the address after the city name, just like the state code in a United States address. County codes appear below in parentheses after the county name. Bucuresti does not use a code, but you should specify which sector (1-6) the address is in.

Please note that all phone numbers in Romania begin with zero, this corresponds to Romania's country code of 40. For example, the switchboard at the central archive is listed as 021/303 7080, the number from outside Romania is +(40) 21 303 7080.

Judet Alba (AB): Strada. Mihai Viteazu 29; 510010 Alba Julia, Romania Judet Arad (AR): Strada. Ceaikovski 2-6; 310052 Arad, Romania Judet Bacau (BC): Strada Vasile Alecsandri 5; 600010 Bacau, Romania Judet Bihor (BH): Piata Independentei 39; 410076 Oradea, Romania Judet Bistrita-Nasaud (BN): Strada Garii 3-5; Bistrita, Romania Judet Botosani (BT): Strada Col V Tomoroveanu 9; 710078 Botosani, Romania Judet Braila (BR): Strada Plevna 8 bis; 810111 Braila, Romania Judet Brasov (BV): Strada Gh Baritiu 34; 500025 Brasov, Romania Directia Municipuilui Bucuresti; Calea Vacaresti 470 Bucuresti 4, Romania Judet Buzau (BZ): Bulevardul Nicolae Bascescu 42; 120187 Buzau, Romania Judet Calarasi (CL): Strada Pompierilor 1; 910002 Calarasi, Romania Judet Caras-Severin (CS): Strada Sesul Rosu 12; Caransebes, Romania Judet Cluj (CJ): Strada Mihail Kogalnicieanu 100, 400084 Cluj, Romania Judet Constanta (CT): Strada Stefan cel Mare 121, 900705 Constanta, Romania Judet Covasna (CV): Bulevardul Gen Grigore Balan 12, 520013 Sfantu Gheorghe, Romania Judet Dambovita (DB): Strada Plutonier Ditescu Stan 6, 130015 Targoviste, Romania Judet Dolj (DJ): Strada Libertatii 34; Craiova, Romania Judet Galati (GL): Strada Constructorilor 2; 800360 Galati, Romania Judet Giurgui (GR): Bulevardul CFR 7; Giurgiu, Romania Judet Gorj (GJ): Strada I C Popilian 32-34; Targu-Jui, Romania Judet Harghita (HR): Strada Bulevardul Fratei 6, 530112 Harghita, Romania Judet Hunedoara (HD): Strada Aurel Vlaicu 2; 330005 Deva, Romania Judet Ialomita (IL): Strada Al Odobescu 4; 920025 Slobozia, Romania Judet Iasi (IS): Bulevardul Carol I #26; Iasi, Romania Judet Ilfov (IF): Strada Leaota 2A; Bucuresti 6, Romania Judet Maramures (MM): Bulevardul Bucuresti 26; Baia Mare, Romania Judet Mehedinti (MH): Bulevardul Carol I #75; 240149 Drobeta Turnu-Severin, Romania Judet Mures (MS): Strada Crizantemelor 8; 540073 Targu-Mures, Romania Judet Neamt (NT): Strada V A Urechia 4-6; Piatra Neamt, Romania Judet Olt (OT): Strada Primaverii 15; 230002 Slatina, Romania Judet Prahova (PH): Strada Logofat Tautu 3; 100573 Ploiesti, Romania Judet Salaj (SJ): Strada Tudor Vladimirescu 26A; 450067 Zalau, Romania Judet Satu Mare (SM): Strada 1 Decembrie 1918 #13; 44001 Satu Mare, Romania Judet Sibiu (SB): Strada Arhivelor 3; 550164 Sibiu, Romania Judet Suceava (SV): Strada Stefan cel Mare 33; 720003 Suceava, Romania Judet Teleorman (TR): Soseaua Turnu Magurele 5; 140003 Alexandria, Romania Judet Timis (TM): Strada Andrei Mocioni 8; 300038 Timisoara, Romania Judet Tulcea (TL): Strada Isaccei 173; Tulcea, Romania Judet Valcea (VL): Strada General Praporgescu 16; Ramnicu Valcea, Romania Judet Vaslui (VS): Strada Mihail Kogalniceanu 2; Vaslui, Romania Judet Vrancea (VN): Strada Dimitrie Cantemir 19; 620098 Focsani, Romania

Other Romanian archives that might contain family history information include:

Consiliul National Pentru Studiera Archivelor Securitate Strada Matei Basarab 55-57 030671 Bucuresti 3, ROMANIA

Centru de Studii si Pastrare a Arhivelor Militar Istorice Strada Aleea Poarta Eroilor 110058 Pitesti, ROMANIA

Serviciul Istoric al Armatei Strada Drumul Taberei 9-11 061353 Bucuresti 6, ROMANIA