SRL - registered office
Every SRL needs a registered office. The registered office is the company's official address and it appears in company documents, at the Trade Register, in contracts, on invoices and in many platform accounts or business services.
For a game developer, the registered office does not necessarily mean you have an office where a team works. Often it is just the company's legal address, especially if you work remotely.
Common options
| Option | When it makes sense | Upsides | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| At home, in your own apartment / house | If you own it or have the owner's consent. | Simple and cheap, especially at the start. | Your personal address becomes the company address and can appear in public documents. |
| At home, via a bailment contract (comodat) | If you use your home or a close person's home as the office. | No rent, and you prove the right of use quickly. | You need the owner's consent and correct documents for the space. |
| Rented space / office | If you need a real office or want a clear split between company and home. | Looks more professional and can be useful for a team. | Higher monthly cost and a lease suitable for a registered office. |
| Office hosting at a lawyer | If you do not want to use your personal address and do not need a physical office. | Fast, clean, suitable for remote companies. | Usually temporary and with an annual cost; track the contract term. |
| Virtual office / business center service | If you want a business address and sometimes extra mail services. | Can include mail handling, a meeting room or a commercial address. | Check what documents you get and whether they are accepted by ONRC. |
Hosting the office at a lawyer or at a dedicated address usually costs extra, around 700-900 lei per year, depending on the provider and what is included.
1. Registered office at home
The simplest option is to put the registered office at the address where you live, if you own it or the owner agrees.
For a solo game developer, this can be the cheapest and fastest option. You do not need a separate office if you work remotely, and at the start it can be enough.
The downside is that your personal address becomes the company's official address. It can appear in public documents, contracts, registers and company checks.
2. Bailment contract (comodat)
If the space is not rented to the company, you can use a bailment contract. In practice, the owner gives you the right to use that address as the registered office, usually without rent.
This is a commonly used option for small SRLs, especially when the office is in a personal home or in a close person's home.
It is important that the person providing the space has the legal right to offer it and that the documents are filled in correctly. See an example in SRL incorporation document templates.
3. Rented space or office
If you need a real office, you can use a lease for the registered office. This option is more suitable if you have a team, receive people at the office, or want a clear split between home and company.
For a game studio at the start, it is often not necessary. It can become useful later, when you have employees, equipment, meetings or real operational activity in a space.
4. Office hosting at a lawyer
A very practical option for remote companies is hosting the registered office at a lawyer. The company has its registered office at the lawyer's practice, based on a legal assistance contract.
It can be a good solution if you do not want to use your personal address, do not need a physical office, and want to start quickly. Lawyer hosting is frequently used for SRLs, especially at setup or when you change the registered office. It usually costs extra, around 700-900 lei per year.
At a hosting address (lawyer or virtual office), in most cases you do not carry out actual activity there. It is only the company's official address, for registration and correspondence, not a place where you work or receive clients.
Watch out for the contract term and the mail. If the office expires and you do not extend or change it, you can end up in unpleasant administrative situations.
5. Virtual office / business center
Some companies offer virtual office or business center services. Depending on the service, you can get an address for the registered office, mail handling and sometimes access to a meeting room or temporary office.
It is a useful option if you want a business address but do not need a permanent space. Here too you usually pay an annual subscription. Check beforehand whether the service provides the documents required by the Trade Register and whether the address can legally be used as a registered office.
What to check before choosing the office
Before you choose the registered office, check:
- whether you have a document proving the right to use the space;
- whether the owner agrees;
- whether the address can be used as a registered office;
- whether activity will be carried out at the office or not;
- whether you need extra approvals for an apartment;
- how long the right to use the office lasts;
- who receives the company's mail;
- how easy it is to change the office later.
For the incorporation file, ONRC requires documents proving the right to use the registered office, and the concrete documents depend on the situation of the space. See the required documents.
Practical recommendation for game developers
If you are solo or at the start, the simplest options are:
Office at home or a bailment contract, if you do not mind the address being associated with the company.
Office hosting at a lawyer, if you want to avoid using your personal address and do not need a physical office.
If you start having a team, equipment, meetings or more serious operations, then an office or a rented space may be worth it.
The registered office is not just a formality. It is the official address where communications, notifications or important documents can arrive. Whatever option you choose, make sure you have access to the mail and that the office term does not expire without you noticing.