Registering with a family doctor: documents needed, step by step

To register with a family doctor you need three things: your ID document, proof of insured status and the request to be registered on the doctor’s list. Registration is free, you can do it with any doctor who has an open list, regardless of your residence, and for a newborn you need the birth certificate and the parent’s document. The rules are set out in Order MS/CNAS no. 2,861/789/2022 (the rules of the framework contract). Below you have the exact list of documents and the steps, including for children.

The documents needed (the exact list)

For an adult, when registering on a family doctor’s list you need:

• The ID document — identity card (CI) or booklet, in original;
• Proof of insured status, which may be:
  • a certificate from your employer stating that the health social insurance contribution (CASS) is withheld, or
  • a certificate from the health insurance house (CAS), or
  • proof of paying the contribution (for people who insure themselves on their own account — for example freelancers, self-employed professionals);
• The registration request on the doctor’s list (also called a registration request by transfer if you are coming from another doctor) — it is filled in and signed at the practice.

The categories exempt from paying the contribution (children, pupils/students under the conditions of the law, pregnant women, pensioners under certain conditions, people without income who are dependants, etc.) prove their status with the specific document for their situation (for example a pupil/student certificate, a pension slip, a document attesting the situation).

For a newborn and children

A child is registered through a parent or legal representative, with:

• the child’s birth certificate (or ID card, if the child is 14 or over);
• the parent’s/representative’s ID document;
• the registration request, signed by the parent.

A newborn is usually taken onto the list of the mother’s family doctor, with the parent later confirming this or choosing another doctor.

How much it costs and who can register

Registration is free. No fee is charged for joining the list of a family doctor who is under contract with CAS.

You can register even if you are not insured at the moment, but then access to services covered by CAS is limited (you are entitled to the minimal package, not the basic one). To benefit from full services, regularise your insured status — see the guide on how to check whether you are insured.

How you choose and how you find a family doctor

You have the freedom to choose any family doctor with an open list (one who still accepts patients), regardless of your residence. In practice:

1. Search for family doctors in your area. In our directory you will find the family doctors in Cluj-Napoca and all family doctors in the county.
2. Contact the chosen practice and ask whether the list is open and whether it is accepting new patients.
3. Book an appointment to sign the request and hand over the documents.

A doctor can refuse registration only if they have reached the maximum number of patients on the list; otherwise, registration proceeds normally.

The steps to follow, in brief

1. Choose the doctor with an open list.
2. Prepare the documents: ID card, proof of insured status, and for a child the birth certificate + the parent’s document.
3. Go to the practice and fill in the registration request.
4. Sign the request; the doctor adds you to the list.
5. If you are coming from another doctor, the practice handles the transfer from the old list — you do not have to “de-register” separately.

Usually, being present in person is necessary for the signature. Some practices also accept submitting documents by electronic means — ask the practice directly.

When you can change your doctor

After registering, you can change your family doctor after at least 6 months from the date of registration on the current list. Under 6 months, a change is possible only with a well-founded reason, for example:

• a change of residence/domicile;
• the doctor leaving or ceasing activity;
• other justified situations.

The change procedure is, in essence, the same registration on the new doctor’s list — you will find the details in the guide How to change your family doctor.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Believing you have to register with a doctor in your neighbourhood — it is not mandatory; you can choose freely.
• Coming without proof of insured status — without it you can still register, but you are left with only the minimal package of services.
• Not confirming in advance that the list is open — a practice with a full list cannot take you.
• For a newborn, delaying registration — the sooner it is done, the sooner the child has access to check-ups and vaccinations through the family doctor.

Quick summary

• Documents: ID document + proof of insured status + the registration request.
• Child: birth certificate + the parent’s document; a newborn, usually on the mother’s doctor’s list.
• Cost: free; you can choose any doctor with an open list.
• Change: after 6 months, or earlier with a well-founded reason.

Sources

• Order MS/CNAS no. 2,861/789/2022 approving the methodological rules for applying the framework contract — legislatie.just.ro
• Law 95/2006 on the reform of the health field — legislatie.just.ro
• Casa Națională de Asigurări de Sănătate (the National Health Insurance House) — primary medical assistance, the family doctor — cnas.ro
• Casa de Asigurări de Sănătate Cluj (the Cluj Health Insurance House) — casjcluj.ro