Romania's Ministry of Finance announced on 30 September 2026 that the excise duty on standard diesel remains cut by 25% for 1–15 October 2026. The effective excise remains 2,103.22 lei per 1,000 litres, 701.07 lei less than the standard level in the Fiscal Code. With VAT, the difference is 0.85 lei per litre, or 42.41 lei for a 50-litre tank. The next review is expected on 15 October 2026, for 16–31 October.
The excise figures are the Ministry of Finance's. The per-litre and per-tank calculations are by fuel-prices.eu, with 21% VAT, and are shown below. The diesel price comes from fuel-prices.eu data, updated every two hours. Romanian prices are in lei (RON); 1 € = 5.2785 lei (National Bank of Romania, 30 September 2026).
What the Ministry of Finance announced
„Ministerul Finanțelor menține la 25% reducerea temporară a accizei aplicabile motorinei standard pentru intervalul 1–15 octombrie 2026, în urma noii evaluări bilunare prevăzute de mecanismul instituit prin Legea nr.162/2026.”
„Reducerea de 25% reprezintă o diminuare cu 701,07 lei/1.000 litri, respectiv 829,69 lei/tonă. Astfel, în intervalul 1–15 octombrie 2026, nivelul efectiv al accizei pentru motorina standard comercializată pe piața internă va rămâne de 2.103,22 lei/1.000 litri, respectiv 2.489,05 lei/tonă.”
— Ministry of Finance, press release of 30 September 2026 (in Romanian)
Our translation: “The Ministry of Finance keeps the temporary reduction of the excise duty on standard diesel at 25% for 1–15 October 2026, following the new twice-monthly assessment under the mechanism set up by Law 162/2026.” “The 25% cut means a reduction of 701.07 lei per 1,000 litres, or 829.69 lei per tonne. So between 1 and 15 October 2026 the effective excise on standard diesel sold on the domestic market will stay at 2,103.22 lei per 1,000 litres, or 2,489.05 lei per tonne.”
The size of the cut follows two indicators set by the law: the change in Platts quotations for diesel (VPM) and the change in the average pump price of standard diesel (VM). For the first half of October the ministry calculated VPM at +63.70% and VM at +35.01%, and the cut stayed at 25%, the highest step the law allows. The cut applies only to standard diesel: the excise on standard petrol stays at 3,059.80 lei per 1,000 litres.
What it means at the pump
| lei per 1,000 l | lei per litre excl. VAT | lei per litre incl. 21% VAT | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard excise 2026 (Fiscal Code) | 2,804.29 | 2.8043 | 3.3932 |
| Excise in 1–15 October 2026 | 2,103.22 | 2.1032 | 2.5449 |
| Difference = the 25% cut | 701.07 | 0.7011 | 0.8483 |
For a 50-litre tank: 701.07 ÷ 1,000 × 50 = 35.05 lei excluding VAT; × 1.21 = 42.41 lei including VAT. The 21% VAT is the standard rate in the Fiscal Code (article 291 as amended by Law 141/2025, applied since 1 August 2025) and is charged on top of the excise as well.
The diesel price today, and without the cut
On 1 October 2026 at 10:15 (Romanian time), the average price of standard diesel across the 1,120 stations reporting prices in Romania was 10.94 lei per litre (≈ €2.07 per litre at the National Bank of Romania rate of 30 September 2026, 5.2785 lei per €), as shown on our live price map. A 50-litre tank at that price costs 547.00 lei.
Without the cut, and if the excise difference were passed on in full at the pump, the average would be around 11.79 lei per litre (10.94 + 0.85), and a 50-litre tank would cost 42.41 lei more. The excise cut would be about 7.2% of the price without the cut. This is an assumption, not a measurement: pump prices also depend on international quotations, the exchange rate and retail margins, so consumers may see only part of the cut.
History of the cut
The mechanism comes from Law 162/2026 (Official Journal no. 642 of 4 August 2026), which declares a crisis on the crude oil and petroleum products market for 7 August – 31 October 2026, extendable by government decision for up to three months. The excise cut on standard diesel is set in steps of 5, 10, 15, 20 or 25% and reviewed every two weeks.
| Period | Step | Effective excise, lei per 1,000 l | Cut, lei per 1,000 l | VPM / VM |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16–31 AugustMinistry of Finance release | −20% | 2,243.43 | 560.86= 0.6786 lei/l incl. VAT | +34.13% / +23.01% |
| 1–15 SeptemberMinistry of Finance release | −25% | 2,103.22 | 701.07= 0.8483 lei/l incl. VAT | +45.65% / +25.45% |
| 16–30 SeptemberMinistry of Finance release | −25% | 2,103.22 | 701.07= 0.8483 lei/l incl. VAT | +51.19% / +27.47% |
| 1–15 October · nowMinistry of Finance release | −25% | 2,103.22 | 701.07= 0.8483 lei/l incl. VAT | +63.70% / +35.01% |
VPM = change in Platts quotations for diesel; VM = change in the average pump price of standard diesel, both calculated by the Ministry of Finance for each review.
On 16 August, the first day of the cut, the end-of-day average price of standard diesel fell to 10.10 lei per litre, from 10.59 lei the day before. In September, with the cut at 25%, the average price rose again: from 10.06 lei per litre on 1 September to 10.95 lei on 22 September, and it stayed almost unchanged at that level until 1 October.
Frequently asked questions
What is Romania's diesel excise for 1–15 October 2026?
For standard diesel, 2,103.22 lei per 1,000 litres, i.e. 2.1032 lei per litre excluding VAT and 2.5449 lei per litre including 21% VAT. It is the standard Fiscal Code level, 2,804.29 lei per 1,000 l, cut by 25%.
Did diesel get cheaper in Romania on 1 October?
No. The excise is at the same level as on 16–30 September, and in fuel-prices.eu data the average price of standard diesel on 1 October at 10:15 was 10.94 lei per litre, the same as the end-of-day average on 30 September (10.94 lei per litre).
What happens after 15 October?
The Ministry of Finance reviews the cut on 15 October 2026, for 16–31 October. If the cut were removed entirely and passed on in full at the pump, diesel would rise by 0.85 lei per litre (42.41 lei for a 50-litre tank). The crisis period under Law 162/2026 ends on 31 October 2026 unless the government extends it.
More on fuel-prices.eu
- Romania's diesel excise explained: every possible step and what each would mean at the pump.
- Live fuel prices in Romania: map of more than 1,100 stations, updated every two hours.
- Fuel prices in Romania from the EU Weekly Oil Bulletin.
- How much of the pump price is tax: excise, VAT and product.
Sources
- Ministry of Finance, press release of 30 September 2026 (the cut for 1–15 October 2026) and the earlier releases linked in the table (in Romanian).
- Law 162/2026, Official Journal no. 642 of 4 August 2026.
- Standard excise 2026: Fiscal Code, annex 1 (2,804.29 lei per 1,000 l). VAT 21%: Law 141/2025.
- Exchange rate: National Bank of Romania, 30 September 2026.
- Diesel price: fuel-prices.eu data from the Fuel Price Monitor of Romania's Competition Council, /live/romania/.
Editorial article by fuel-prices.eu, published on 1 October 2026. Calculations and assumptions are marked as such in the text, together with their hypotheses.