Eligible participants (eligible counterparties) with which the National Bank of Romania carries out open market operations and to which it grants standing facilities are banks, mortgage loan banks, central bodies of credit co-operatives, building societies, Romanian legal entities, and branches operating in Romania of credit institutions, foreign legal entities, which fulfill the following eligibility criteria:

• in the case of banks, mortgage loan banks, central bodies of credit co-operatives and building societies, Romanian legal entities, the maintenance of minimum reserves and the compliance with the provisions of the National Bank of Romania's regulations regarding solvency indicators; 
• in the case of branches operating in Romania of credit institutions, foreign legal entities, the maintenance of minimum reserves and the certification, at least annually, by the banking supervisory authority in the country of origin that the respective foreign credit institution observes the prudential regulations in force in the country of origin. Compliance with the provisions above shall be based on the information contained in the latest reports transmitted in due time, according to the regulations on solvency indicators.

In order to participate, on a bilateral basis, in the open market operations in lei performed by the National Bank of Romania, banks and central bodies of credit co-operatives shall have specific communication means such as Reuters, Bloomberg, etc., specific equipment for payments and communications (telephone call recording system, telex, SWIFT, fax, etc.).

In order to participate in the open market operations and lending facilities of the National Bank of Romania implying transactions in government securities and/or certificates of deposit, the banks, mortgage loan banks, central bodies of credit co-operatives, building societies, Romanian legal entities, and branches operating in Romania of credit institutions, foreign legal entities, shall be participants in the depository and settlement system - SaFIR.