Why the CAEN code for custom software development has changed
If your company writes custom software for clients, the CAEN code you've had for years as your main activity has just changed number, even though the activity itself stays identical. Romania has moved, through INS (National Institute of Statistics) Order no. 377/2024, to a new classification of economic activities — CAEN Rev.3 — aligned with the European NACE Rev.2.1 nomenclature. The new classification has been in force since 1 January 2025, but the deadline by which all companies, sole traders (PFA) and individual enterprises must update their codes at the Trade Registry Office is 25 September 2026.
The update doesn't mean your activity has changed — if you had code 6201 for custom software development, its direct equivalent in Rev.3 is 6210, with the same name and the same content, according to the explanations published by ONRC itself. The update procedure is, in most cases, free, as long as you don't add or remove activities from your scope of business, and only convert existing codes to the new classification. What matters in practice is not to leave it until close to the deadline, when the companies register offices get crowded.
It's worth spelling out the exact legal framework too: INS Order no. 377/2024 approved the new classification, and Government Decision no. 284/2025 set an 18-month transition period from publication, which fixed the final deadline at 25 September 2026. For a software company, that means every official document — from the trade registry certificate to bids submitted for public tenders — should ideally reflect the correct Rev.3 code as soon as possible, not the old Rev.2 one.
CAEN code 6210: the main activity for custom software development
Code 6210 in CAEN Rev.3 — “Custom software development activities (client-oriented software)” — covers exactly the work a custom software development company does: writing, programming, modifying, testing and supporting software products built at a specific client's request, as opposed to standard software sold as an identical product to multiple buyers. If most of your invoices are for projects built to a single client's specifications, this is the code that correctly describes your company's main activity.
The good news is that the change is, as ONRC's official conversion page confirms, a direct equivalence: the same content, the same field of activity, just a different number. If your company already had 6201 as its main object of activity, you don't need a shareholders' resolution or an amendment to the articles of association just to move to 6210 — it's a simple administrative conversion, not a change in what you're authorised to do.
What secondary codes to add, depending on what you actually do
Few software development companies do only programming with nothing else around it — and secondary codes exist exactly for the related activities. If, besides writing code, you also offer genuine IT consultancy — architecture audits, technology recommendations, digital strategy for the client, without necessarily delivering code — the relevant code is 6220, “IT consultancy,” which under Rev.3 absorbed and merged what used to be two separate codes, 6202 and 6203.
If, in addition, you also do maintenance or technical support that isn't strictly about the code you write — computer setup, data recovery, installing third-party software at the client's premises — the right code as a secondary activity is 6290, “Other information technology service activities,” the direct successor to the old code 6209. None of these secondary codes should replace 6210 as your main activity, as long as custom programming remains the core of the business.
Quick table: CAEN Rev.2 vs Rev.3 codes for IT
For quick reference, here is the correspondence between the old CAEN Rev.2 codes and the new Rev.3 codes, as they appear in ONRC's official explanations and in the conversion guides published after the new classification came into force. The table covers exactly the codes relevant to a software company: custom development, consultancy, other IT services, data processing and, as a completely new addition to the nomenclature, web portals and online marketplaces.
Keep this table on hand when you fill in the update request at ONRC — the form asks you to explicitly state the new codes, and a conversion mistake can force you to repeat the procedure or leave you with an incorrect classification on your company's trade registry certificate. For codes you don't find here, always check the full table officially published by ONRC, not just summaries from secondary sources, because some codes were reorganised in more complex ways than a simple renumbering.
| Rev.3 code | Old Rev.2 code | Name |
|---|---|---|
| 6210 | 6201 | Custom software development (client) |
| 6220 | 6202 + 6203 | IT consultancy |
| 6290 | 6209 | Other IT service activities |
| 6310 | 6311 | Data processing, web hosting |
| 6391 | part of 6312 | Web portal activities |
When you also need the data-processing code (6310)
Companies that don't just write code but also host and operate the application for the client — managing the server, running the production database, answering for uptime — usually also need code 6310, “Data processing, web hosting and related activities,” the successor to 6311 from Rev.2. This is the typical case for companies with their own SaaS products, or those offering “software as a service” to a client, rather than just delivering source code once.
The practical difference between 6210 and 6310 is simple: the first describes building the software, the second describes operating it over time, for someone else or for your own product. A company that develops a platform and then also hosts it for the client, on a monthly subscription, has solid reasons to keep both codes active — one as the main activity, the other as secondary, depending on which activity generates more of the revenue.
The new code for web portals and marketplaces (6391)
If your company doesn't build custom software for third parties but develops and operates its own marketplace, online directory or price-comparison site, Rev.3 brings a new, more precise code than what existed before: 6391, “Web portal activities,” split off from what was previously included, more vaguely, under 6312. The difference matters because a portal's activity — revenue from listings, commissions or advertising — is structurally different from custom software development, even if the technical team behind it partly does the same things.
In practice, if you've built your own platform and the main revenue comes from operating it — commissions, subscriptions, advertising — not from billing development hours to third-party clients, 6391 describes your business more accurately than 6210. In that case, 6210 can stay as a secondary code, useful for any custom development projects you take on alongside operating your own portal, without being the main activity declared at ONRC.
How to actually carry out the update at ONRC by 25 September 2026
Updating CAEN codes to Rev.3 is done at the Trade Registry Office your company is registered with, either directly or through ONRC's online portal, where available for your type of company. If you're not adding or removing activities — just converting existing codes to the new nomenclature — the procedure normally doesn't require a statement from the shareholders or an amendment to the articles of association, which makes it fast and free of extra notary costs.
If, instead, you take the opportunity to add a new secondary code — for example 6220 or 6310, which you didn't have before — the process additionally requires a resolution from the shareholders and, potentially, an amendment to the articles of association, exactly as with any other change to the scope of business. It's worth clearly separating, before you go to the registry desk, what's a straight conversion and what you're actually adding as a new activity.
If your company often works with public institutions or corporate clients who check the scope of business before contracting, updating early — not in the last week before the deadline — avoids a situation where an “old” trade registry certificate raises unnecessary questions in a tender or a due diligence process. It's a small administrative detail, but one that can slow down the signing of a large contract if left until the last minute.
- 01Check the current code on your company's trade registry certificate
- 02Identify the Rev.3 equivalent from the official ONRC table
- 03Submit the update request before 25 September 2026
- 04Separately add any new secondary code, if your actual activity has expanded
Common mistakes when choosing the CAEN code for software
The most common mistake is picking an "other activities" code as the main one, out of convenience, even though the company actually does clearly defined custom development — this creates inconsistencies when a large client or an institution checks the company's registered activity before signing a contract. The second mistake is the idea that a "broader" CAEN code offers more flexibility; in reality, relevant secondary activities can be added at any time, and a precise main code doesn't limit what you do, it clarifies it.
The third confusion, common especially among small companies, is the assumed link between the CAEN code and the tax regime — the code itself doesn't decide whether you pay micro-enterprise tax or corporate profit tax, but certain consultancy codes can carry special eligibility rules under tax law, which is why it's worth checking with an accountant before choosing 6220 as your main activity rather than a secondary one.
Sources and further reading.
Frequently asked questions
What CAEN code applies to custom software development?
6210 under CAEN Rev.3 — "Custom software development activities (client-oriented software)". Until 1 January 2025, this code was 6201 under CAEN Rev.2; the content of the activity stayed identical, only the number changed.
What changed between CAEN Rev.2 and Rev.3 for IT companies?
The codes have been renumbered and, in the case of IT consultancy, merged: the former 6202 and 6203 become a single code, 6220. The overall structure stays recognisable, but the exact numbers need to be checked against the official conversion table.
By when do I need to update my CAEN code to Rev.3?
The deadline set by government decision is 25 September 2026. The procedure is free at ONRC if you're only converting existing codes, without adding or removing activities from the company's scope of business.
Which CAEN code do I choose if I also do IT consultancy, not just programming?
You add 6220, “IT consultancy,” as a secondary activity alongside 6210. If most of your revenue comes from consultancy rather than delivered code, it's worth reassessing which code should even be your main one.
Do I need a separate CAEN code if I host the client's application on my own server?
As a rule, yes — 6310, “Data processing, web hosting and related activities,” covers ongoing operation and hosting, distinct from 6210, which covers building the software.
Does the CAEN code affect whether I'm taxed as a micro-enterprise or on profit?
Not directly — the tax regime depends on turnover and other criteria, not on the CAEN code itself. That said, some consultancy codes have had special eligibility rules over time, so check the current situation with your accountant before choosing 6220 as your main activity.
Let's see what can be automated in your business.
A free 30-minute session: we'll tell you what can be automated, how long it takes and what it costs, with a fixed price after discovery.