Short answer: Appreciated, not expected. Tipping is normal in restaurants and bars in Romania. About 10% is usual for table service, with 5 to 15% as the range. Outside restaurants, tips are small and optional.
Is service included?
A service charge is rare in Romania. If a venue adds one, it is usually shown on the menu and bill, and it is not a tip. A few extra lei is welcome but a second full tip is not needed. By law a business cannot make a tip a condition of serving you.
How much to tip in Romania
| Who | Usual tip | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Restaurants (sit-down) | 10%, range 5 to 15% | The payment note offers 0 to 15%. |
| Cafes and bars | Round up, or 5 to 10% | Some guides say more, up to 10 to 20% of the bill, but this is on the high side. |
| Taxis and rideshare | Round up, about 5 lei | Not expected. Check the meter and the final fare. |
| Hotel housekeeping | About 5 lei per day | Leave it with a note so staff know it is for them. |
| Hotel porters | About 5 lei per bag | |
| Tour guides | About 10% of the price | For free tours, 30 to 50 lei per person is typical. |
| Hairdressers and spas | About 10%, or round up | Give it to the person who served you. |
| Food delivery | About 5 lei | Couriers are usually tipped a small amount. A tip on a delivery order is not required to appear on the fiscal receipt. |
Amounts are in the local currency (RON). They are common customs, not rules: tip more for great service and less where it was poor.
How to tip
Since 2023, restaurants and bars must hand you a payment note with tip choices from 0 to 15%, plus a line to write your own amount. You can also say the total you want to pay when the server brings the card machine, or leave cash. Cash in lei is the most reliable way to make sure the server gets it.
Tipping by card
By law, restaurants and bars must show any tip on the fiscal receipt, whatever the payment method, and pay it out to staff in full. In practice some travel guides still advise cash, because habits vary by venue. Card tips are not available at every place.
Useful phrases
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Restul e pentru dumneavoastră | Keep the change |
| Păstrați restul | Keep the change |
| Vă rog să adăugați 10% bacșiș | Please add a 10% tip |
Tips and the law in Romania
Who keeps the tips
Law 376/2022 (in force 1 January 2023) added art. 2^3 to Emergency Ordinance 28/1999. For businesses with CAEN codes 5610 (restaurants) and 5630 (bars), tips must be shown on the fiscal receipt, recorded as a liability and shared out in full to employees under an internal procedure. Tips are not income or a cost of the business. A business may not make service conditional on a tip. Breaking the rule is fined 2,000 to 4,000 lei. The law covers only restaurants and bars, not taxis, salons or hotels.
Are tips taxed?
Under art. 2^3(10) of OUG 28/1999 (added by Law 376/2022), tips an employee receives through the employer's distribution count as income from other sources (Fiscal Code, Law 227/2015, Title IV, Chapter X). Income tax is withheld at source when the tip is paid out, at 10% according to ANAF guidance. Mandatory social contributions (CAS, CASS) do not apply. Tips cannot be reclassified as salary income.
Tips and the minimum wage
Tips are classed as income from other sources and cannot be treated as salary income, so they are not part of the wage. The national minimum gross wage is set by Government Decision and is 4,325 lei a month from 1 July 2026 (Government Decision 146/2026).
This is general information, not legal or tax advice.
Work out a tip
The tip calculator is set to Romania and the local currency: enter the bill, pick a percentage and split it between the table.
Tipping with no cash
When you have no local cash, ask whether a tip can go on the card. More and more guides, drivers and performers show a QR code instead: point your phone camera at it and you can tip by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay without installing anything. Workers in Romania can read how QR code tipping works in Romania.
Sources
- LEGE Nr. 376/2022 din 23 decembrie 2022
- Material informativ: Fiscalizarea bacșișului
- Hotărârea Guvernului nr. 146/2026 (salariul minim brut)
- Tipping In Romania Guide
- Tipping in Romania
Checked in October 2026 against the sources above. Customs change and vary between cities and venues.
Common questions
Is tipping expected in Romania?
Appreciated, not expected. Tipping is normal in restaurants and bars in Romania. About 10% is usual for table service, with 5 to 15% as the range. Outside restaurants, tips are small and optional.
How much should you tip at a restaurant in Romania?
10%, range 5 to 15%. The payment note offers 0 to 15%.
Is a service charge added to the bill in Romania?
A service charge is rare in Romania. If a venue adds one, it is usually shown on the menu and bill, and it is not a tip. A few extra lei is welcome but a second full tip is not needed. By law a business cannot make a tip a condition of serving you.
Do you tip taxi drivers in Romania?
Round up, about 5 lei.
How much do you tip hotel housekeeping in Romania?
About 5 lei per day.
Are tips taxed in Romania?
Under art. 2^3(10) of OUG 28/1999 (added by Law 376/2022), tips an employee receives through the employer's distribution count as income from other sources (Fiscal Code, Law 227/2015, Title IV, Chapter X). Income tax is withheld at source when the tip is paid out, at 10% according to ANAF guidance. Mandatory social contributions (CAS, CASS) do not apply. Tips cannot be reclassified as salary income.
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