​Starting today, a criminal record should be obtained online in just a few clicks on the Ghișeul.ro platform, which is linked to another MAI platform, but the testing of this pilot project by HotNews.ro shows that at least some users may be out of luck, and you will face with errors when searching the police database.

The Ministry of Digital Technology, led by Sébastien Bourduilla, and the Ministry of the Interior, led by Lucian Bodet, announced on Wednesday that they have launched a pilot project to issue criminal records in an electronic system.

• “Starting today, February 1, the pilot version of the program allows issuing criminal record certificates to natural persons of Romanian citizenship who are not registered in the National Criminal Record Registration System of Romania – ROCRIS.
• Citizens have at their disposal two access mechanisms for obtaining an account certificate: directly through authorization on the portal hub.mai.gov.ro or by access Ghiseul.rothe two platforms are interconnected.”, This is stated in the joint communiqué of the two ministries.

Access “directly through the MAI portal” actually means going to the identity verification counter

Just “direct access by logging into the portal hub.mai.gov.ro” actually means going to the police station counter to verify your identity:

• “Applicants will fill out the form available on the platform and in order to accurately establish their identity, they will physically appear only once at the MAI counter which provide public services.
• In the first phase, identity certification will be done by presentation to police units that issue records certificates, after which, during this year, identity certification can be done at all MAI institutions that offer public services (eg: community services for driver’s licenses, passports, identity cards).
• After validating the account to issue a criminal record certificate, citizens will go to the “services” section, select the reason for applying from the available list, send a pre-filled application with civil status data, and the system will automatically generate a criminal record certificate with an electronic signature.
• The validity period of the issued certificate is 6 months from the date of issue.
• The system provides an opportunity to check the authenticity of the document by the registration number of the registration certificate and the person’s KNP.” it is stated in the press release.

Getting a criminal record through Ghișeul.ro related to the MAI portal gives errors

So HotNews.ro tested the second option of obtaining a criminal record file through Ghișeul.ro, which, according to Minister Sebastián Bourduilla, should allow access to the file “in a few clicks” without visiting a police station.

Even through this platform, it’s not entirely easy.

First you must be registered i.e. have an account at Ghiseul.ro. But this is not enough. You must verify your electronic identity with a 3D Secure bank card.

• “The request for recording is made as follows electronic identification confirmation procedure using a registered 3D Secure bank card, issued by a Romanian banking institution. After verification, they will be redirected to the hub.mai.gov.ro platform to fill out the standard application online.”, it is stated in the press release.

What errors did I get?

Since I have an account on Ghiseul.ro and have been successfully using this online card payment platform for local taxes and fees for some time, I took my phone and bank card and tested the platform to get a criminal record as well.

• Step 1. Authentication at Ghiseul.ro

After logging in to Ghiseul.ro, if you click on “criminal record”, you will receive a message that the electronic identity verification procedure will follow.

• Step 2. Confirmation of identity with a bank card

I have successfully passed the 3D Secure card verification.

You must have your mobile phone with you as you will receive a verification code via SMS

• Step 3. Verification of the Ghiseul.ro MAI account

After confirming your identity with a bank card, Ghișeul.ro sends you to the platform of the Ministry of the Interior – hub.mai.gov.ro, where you are informed that in order to have access to all services on this platform, you must fill in additional information :

• Identification number, county of birth, CNP, phone number, email address also used on Ghișeul.ro, and email address verification code.

After receiving the email address verification code, I faced with the first mistakes.

You have to click the blue button to get the verification code by email, but after waiting for a few minutes and checking if I am getting messages from other addresses, I have not received any code from MAI.

So I pressed the button again. Apparently I also received the verification codes by email late. I entered each in turn and although both were within the deadline, they did not expire, I didn’t go through this step until the third time.

• Step 4. Criminal record request

Everything is simple here, click the button with a request to record.

• Step 5: Submit a criminal record request

Immediately another window opens with filled personal data, where you are offered to choose the reasons for which you want to get a criminal record.

From the menu of many authorities, I selected “ADR”. But my application was rejected on the grounds that it appeared error in the database of the General Inspectorate of the Romanian Police (IGPR).

I looked more carefully in the templates menu and chose “Other reasons”. But the result was the same – “error searching IGPR database.”

• I sent a screenshot of the error message to the address provided by MAI, and that was the end of my experience of obtaining a criminal record online through Ghișeul.ro.

Shortly after that, I logged back into Ghișeul.ro, from where I tried to log into the MAI Service Hub again, but I couldn’t access it at all for a few minutes.

The same error occurs if you try to create a backup from the browser. Later, access from Ghiseul.ro to the MAI Hub was restored.

I tend to think that the problems are more related to the Home Office application, a system that is not due to go live until July 2023.