Romanian Citizenship Lawyers: Help with Your Application

Obtaining Romanian citizenship can be a complex and time-consuming journey, whether you are applying by descent, through naturalization, or restoration. Our dedicated legal team specializes in navigating the intricacies of the National Authority for Citizenship (ANC), helping you gather the necessary documentation and providing expert representation. We ensure your application for Romanian citizenship is handled with professional precision, maximizing your chances of success in becoming an EU citizen.

What are the necessary steps for obtaining Romanian citizenship?

Answer: In order to be granted Romanian citizenship, an applicant must complete the following steps presented by our lawyers in Romania. These can differ according to each individual case:

A.  When intending to obtain or regain the Romanian citizenship by those who had lost it.

Regaining Romanian citizenship can be a subject of interest for those Romanian citizens who had lost their citizenship for reasons beyond their control, or it had been waved without their consent; same situation is applicable as well to their descendants up to grade three, who can regain it or opt for the situation in which they will be granted the Romanian citizenship, while maintaining, at the same time, a foreign citizenship .and a home address in Romania or abroad. This can happen if the applicant: proves through his/her behaviour, actions and attitude loyalty towards the Romanian state, does not undertake or support actions against the rule of law or national security and has not done so in the past either; is at least 18 years old; is known for good conduct and has not been convicted in Romania or abroad for an offence that makes him/her unworthy of being a Romanian citizen; and proves knowledge of the Romanian language at least at level B1 (former Romanian citizens and applicants aged 65 or over are exempt).

The President of the National Authority for Citizenship decides on granting or regaining citizenship by order. The order is sent to the applicant by registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt within 15 days of its issue. Our lawyers in Romania ca provide more details about situation A presented above.

Quick Facts
Nationalities accepted (EU/Non-EU)	Both EU and non-EU nationals meeting the conditions
Minimum residency in the country	At least 8 years of legal residence; the applicant must also hold a long-term stay or permanent residence right in Romania
Minimum residency in the country if married to a national	> 5 years from the date of the marriage
Main conditions	At least 18 years of age Decent living conditions Romanian language skills and minimum knowledge about the Romanian culture and legal system Knows the constitution and anthem
Required documents	Proof of residency for the minimum required time Proof of marriage (if applicable) Documents attesting adequate living conditions and fianancial means
Timeframe for processing the citizenship application	Under Law no. 14/2025 the Citizenship Commission must complete its review within 2 years of registering the application, a term that can be extended by up to 6 months; in practice the procedure usually takes more than a year
Dual citizenship permitted (YES/NO)	Yes
Oath requirement	Yes
The treatment of dependants	Minor children who become Romanian citizens together with their parents receive their own Romanian citizenship card and do not take the citizenship oath
Citizenshipi by descent	Yes, for former Romanian citizens and their descendants up to the third degree (art. 11 of Law no. 21/1991); descendants who were never Romanian citizens must prove knowledge of Romanian at least at level B1 (persons aged 65 or over are exempt)
Citizenship by investment	There is no citizenship-by-investment route: since Law no. 14/2025 (in force 15 March 2025), an investment is no longer a ground for shortening the residence period
Legal representative requirement	Applications are filed in person; only for a person under a judicial protection measure may the guardian file the application, with the applicant present

B. The process of obtaining Romanian citizenship by a person without citizenship, or a foreign citizen, can be done if the applicant fulfils the following conditions:

1. At the date of the application, holds a long-term stay right or a permanent residence right in Romania and has lived legally in Romania for at least 8 years or, if married to and living with a Romanian citizen, for at least 5 years from the date of the marriage.
2. The applicant proves by his/her behavior, actions and attitude, loyalty towards the Romanian state, the applicant does not do or support actions against state order or national security and declares that he/she has not done so in the past either.
3. The applicant is at least 18 years old.
4. The applicant can prove that in Romania he/she has legal opportunities for a decent living under the legal conditions regarding foreigners’ legislation.
5. The applicant is well known as having a good behavior, has not been convicted in the country or abroad for any offence that would make him/her unworthy of being a Romanian citizen.
6. The applicant can speak Romanian and has got a minimum knowledge about the Romanian culture and civilization in order to become easily integrated in the social life.
7. The applicant knows the Romanian constitution and the Romanian national anthem.

In addition to the situation presented in point B, Romanian citizenship can also be awarded to foreign nationals or stateless persons who, through activities carried out regularly for at least 3 years before the application, have made a special contribution to protecting and promoting Romanian culture, civilization and spirituality, if they meet the conditions above other than the residence requirement. The person who obtains citizenship in this manner mat choose to reside in Romania or abroad.

You can reach out to our Romanian lawyers for more details about each of these conditions.

Since Law no. 14/2025 (in force since 15 March 2025), the 8-year residence period can be reduced by up to 3 years only for applicants who are EU/EEA or Swiss citizens, or who were born in Romania to a parent legally living in Romania at the time, and who prove active participation in Romania's economic life, relevant educational achievements or a special contribution in culture, human rights, social engagement or volunteering (refugees who made serious integration efforts benefit from a similar reduction). The former reductions by half listed below, including the one for investors, no longer apply:

• The applicant is a citizen of an EU or EEA member state or of Switzerland, or was born in Romania to a parent legally resident there, and proves active participation in Romania's economic life, relevant educational achievements or a special contribution in culture, human rights, social engagement or volunteering (reduction of up to 3 years of the 8-year period)
• The applicant has obtained refugee status and has made special efforts to integrate into Romanian society (reduction of up to 3 years of the 8-year period)

Since Law no. 14/2025 (in force 15 March 2025), the 8-year period can be reduced by at most 3 years, only in the situations above, and an investment is no longer a ground for reduction. The experts at our Romanian law firm can provide more details about the reduction option.

It is important to note that when the foreign national or stateless person who makes a request for obtaining citizenship has spent more than 6 months within a given year outside of Romania, the said year will not be taken into account for the predetermined minimum period required for the application.

While the individual steps may differ according to the specific application submitted by the foreign individual, the steps for obtaining Romanian citizenship can be summarized as follows:

1. Request submission: the applicant submits the request to obtain Romanian citizenship in person at the National Authority for Citizenship (or, where the law allows, in person at a Romanian diplomatic mission or consulate), where biometric data are also taken; if the National Authority for Citizenship determines that the file is incomplete (certain documents are missing) the applicant twill be informed thereof and he will have the time to present the missing documents;
2. Request processing: the National Authority for Citizenship processes the application for citizenship and determines if the applicant will be granted Romanian citizenship;  the procedure can be suspended if the applicant is subject to an investigation in a criminal case;
3. Interview: the Committee for granting citizenship will check if the applicant has written and oral Romanian language skills, if he or she has elementary knowledge of Romanian culture and civilization as well as of he/she is integrated in the society and knows the Romanian hymn and the provisions of the Constitution.
4. Committee report: if the applicant passes the interview, the Committee will issue a report that shall stipulate the fact that the individual meets the conditions for citizenship;
5. Order issuance: the President of the National Authority for Citizenship issues the order for granting citizenship, based on the favorable report from the Committee;
6. Taking the oath of citizenship: Romanian citizenship is formally obtained on the date on which the individual takes the oath of citizenship.

Our team of lawyers in Romania can give you more details about each of these six steps, the estimated time for processing the request as well as any other additional details.

What documents are required for obtaining Romanian citizenship?

The documents that are submitted by applicants will depend on the route they have chosen for citizenship application as well as their age (in case of minor children). Our Romanian lawyers can provide you with a complete list, according to your particular situation. Below, we list the generally required documents for those who apply under the conditions described in point B:

• legalized passport, copy and its legalized translation into Romanian;

• legalized copy of the permanent residence permit for foreign nationals;

• domicile certificate proving that the individual has the legal residence in Romanian for at least 8 years or 5 years when he/she is married to a Romanian citizen; issued by the General Inspectorate for Immigration;

• statutory declaration, notarized, certifying that the individual does  not currently engage in or supports activities against national safety and has not engaged in such activities in the past;

• civil status documents (birth certificate, marriage or divorce certificate), apostilled and translated into Romanian, legalized; when these documents do not clearly state the name and surname or the place of birth, the applicant will sign a statutory declaration with the needed information, either in front of a Romanian public notary or with the Romanian Embassy in his country of origin

• proof of Romanian citizenship for the husband or wife, when applicable;

• birth certificate for the minors, if applicable;

• the parent’s approval for the child to be granted Romanian citizenship; when this statement is given in front of the authorities from a different state, the sworn Romanian translation is required;

• the minor’s consent (for those over the age of 14) for obtaining citizenship; this statement is given by the child in front of the public notary, in the presence of one of the parents;

• original police record, issued by the foreign authorities, apostilled and with a legalized translation;

• proof of accommodation: legalized copy of the rent agreement registered with the tax authorities; purchase/sale agreement and a land register excerpt; other means of accommodation proof is possible and our attorneys in Romania can give you more details.

The applicant needs to be able to show that he or she has the legal means for a decent life in Romania. This means that the applicant will provide documents that show the income from commercial activities for the last three years and, when he has opened a company in the country, he will also provide the Articles of Association (legalized copy) and the account book for the previous year.

Those who apply based on their significant contributions to the Romanian culture and civilization promotion and protection need to be able to prove their activities.

Applicants should keep in mind all of these requirements for providing the authorities with all of the needed documents. It is important to check the list of required documents before making the final submission. This allows for an adequate application and avoiding nay delays that may be caused by submitting an incomplete file.

Below, our lawyers in Romania highlight some important facts to remember:

• the data in the civil status documents need to be the same as those in the birth certificate (surname, name, date of birth, etc.);
• the needed documents are submitted in standard paper file;
• the taxes are paid before submitting the request;
• the application is submitted in person; filing by proxy under a power of attorney is no longer possible (only the guardian of a person under a judicial protection measure may file, with the applicant present); our lawyers can prepare the file and assist you;
• any documents drawn up by foreign authorities must bare the mark of the said authority;
• all individuals who wish to become citizens must know the Romanian language (oral and written skills), the Constitution, the national anthem as well as have basic knowledge of Romanian culture and civilization (including history and geography).

What are the requirements for the oath of citizenship?

Taking the oath of citizenship is the final stage of the application for obtaining Romanian citizenship and it must take place within one year from the communication of the order of the President of the National Authority for Citizenship granting the citizenship.

The oath of citizenship is an allegiance taken before the Minister of Justice or the President of the National Authority for Citizenship and/or other officials and it includes a solemn phrase through which the new citizens swear to be devoted to the Romanian homeland, its people and national interests as well as to respect the Constitutions and the laws of the country. After the oath, the National Authority for Citizenship issues a provisional citizenship certificate valid for 60 days, and the Romanian citizenship card is issued within 60 days of the oath. Children who acquire citizenship together with their parents do not take the oath and receive their own citizenship card. However, if the child turns 18 during the application process (becomes an adult) then he or she will take the oath together with the parents.

There is a situation in which the applicant who has had his citizenship application approved does not need to take the oath in the presence of Romanian officials: if he or she has a permanent disability or chronic illness that prevents this process. Medical documents are offered to justify this.

Failure to take the oath within the one-year term results in the termination of the effects of the order through which the citizenship was granted. A person who cannot take the oath because of a permanent disability or chronic illness must apply for the citizenship card within 6 months of the communication of the order; failing that, the effects of the order also cease. Our team of Romanian lawyers can help you follow through with this process so that you may not risk losing your citizenship.

What is the application procedure for Romanian citizenship?

Answer: The application for obtaining Romanian citizenship must be filed in person at the headquarters of the National Authority for Citizenship (ANC), or in person at a Romanian diplomatic mission abroad; filing through a representative is no longer possible (Law no. 14/2025), and must be accompanied by documents which testify that the applicant fulfills all the above mentioned requests.

In the case of the applicants who have been abusively deprived of their Romanian citizenship in the past and currently reside abroad, they can submit the application for regaining the Romanian citizenship, accompanied by documents which testify that the applicant fulfills all the above mentioned requests, to competent Romanian Diplomatic Missions or Consulates. The applications and all the supporting documents will be automatically redirected to the Commission for citizenship. Our attorneys in Romania can assist those who are interested in this special case regarding regaining citizenship.

How long does it usually take to obtain Romanian citizenship?

Answer: The process of obtaining Romanian citizenship usually takes more than a year. The process tends to become a hassle due to local bureaucracy and it gets even more difficult if the applicants don’t speak Romanian fluently. Nevertheless, we are here to help, as we recommend working with a specialized lawyer who can assist you in gaining or regaining your Romanian citizenship. You can contact us for further information regarding Romanian citizens’ rights and Romanian passport.

Darie & Manea Law Firm provides legal assistance and consulting to clients who need to apply for a Romanian passport or Romanian citizenship. We also handle cases which imply acquiring of birth, marriage or death certificates, as well as other official papers from all over Romania. And our Romanian lawyers would be happy to offer assistance and representation in completing the files or picking them up. 

Other information about gaining Romanian citizenship

According to the National Authority for Citizenship, the number of processed requests has grown significantly, as a result of a number of new measures meant to streamline the process. Some of the statistical data reveals the following:

• the number of citizenship application requests that have been processed by the Authority in 2020 grew by 90% compared to 2019 and 2018; the growth was recorded despite the coronavirus pandemic;
• 4.439 requests for granting or regaining citizenship were processed between January 1st 2021 and May 31st 2021;
• 1.351 citizenship certificates for minors were issued in the first three months of the year;
• the authority also processed 94 requests to renounce Romanian citizenship during the same period mentioned above.

For a free case consultation, please do not hesitate to contact our law firm in Romania.