The Ministry of Environment has officially published the financing guide for the Rabla 2026 program for public consultation. The new edition comes with a radical transformation of the rules of the game: although the total budget has been significantly increased to stimulate the renewal of the national car fleet, the authorities are introducing an unprecedented economic and geographical barrier. Starting this year, the state will no longer issue vouchers for the purchase of cars manufactured in China.
In an effort to accelerate the disposal of old and polluting cars, the Ministry of Environment announced a substantial increase in funds. The budget for the Rabla 2026 program has been set at 300 million lei, 100 million lei more than the one allocated in the previous year.
This capital infusion aims to provide greater predictability in the domestic auto market, allowing a much larger number of Romanians to make the transition to a new car. However, buyers' freedom of choice will be strictly conditioned by where their future vehicle was assembled.
The most spectacular change in the new Financing Guide concerns the origin of eligible machines. In line with European Union directives and economic interests, Romania will grant financing exclusively for machines that comply with continental industrial chains.
Who is eligible? Only citizens who purchase vehicles produced in:
This rule definitively excludes cars produced in China, but also affects a significant part of models manufactured in Japan or South Korea that do not have production facilities on the old continent. The most visible impact on the local market will most likely be felt by affordable electric models, such as the Dacia Spring (assembled in China), but also by Asian brands in full commercial expansion (such as BYD, MG, Geely or Chery).
The values of the financial incentives were clearly delimited depending on the chosen propulsion technology, with the Ministry of Environment maintaining a clear hierarchy in favor of low- or zero-emission vehicles.
Here is how the amounts established for this year's session are divided:
| New Car Drivetrain Type | Government Voucher Value |
| Conventional (Petrol, LPG, or CNG engine) | 10,000 lei |
| Conventional Hybrid (Non-pluggable) | 12,000 lei |
| Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV) | 15,000 lei |
| 100% Electric (Zero emissions) | 18,500 lei |
The draft Ministerial Order is in the legal period of public consultation, and after the centralization of any observations, it will be finally approved in order to officially start registrations in the AFM (Environmental Fund Administration) IT application.
For dealers, the measure represents a massive reorganization of sales strategies. While manufacturers with factories on the European continent (including the domestic plants in Mioveni and Craiova) will benefit from a huge competitive advantage, importers of Asian models will be forced to rethink their pricing policies or rely exclusively on customers outside the Rabla program. It remains to be seen to what extent the Romanian car market will absorb this geopolitical shock translated into value vouchers.