Romanian Citizenship by Romanian Descent (Current and former Territories)

Romania boasts one of the fastest-growing economies within the European Union, providing its residents and citizens with a high standard of living. Additionally, Romanian citizens enjoy visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to over 170 global destinations.  By acquiring dual Romanian citizenship you have the right to reside and work in the country, benefit from free education, and travel freely throughout the EU and Switzerland.

The Romanian constitutional principle aims at restoring the connection and sense of belonging of individuals to the Romanian state. Therefore,  the Romanian National Citizenship Authority (Autoritatea Naţională pentru Cetăţenie Română) offers reparations to those persecuted by past regimes, and their descendants, enabling them to apply for citizenship by descent.

Eligibility for Romanian citizenship by descent is available to individuals with an ancestors who was born in present-day Romania. This includes also territories that were once part of Romania (including modern-day Bukovina, Bulgaria, Hungary, Moldova, and Ukraine).

Eligibility Criteria by Descent

Direct descendants up to the second degree (including adopted minors) of a persecuted ancestor can apply for Romanian citizenship:

• Children
• Grandchildren

For descendants of individuals born in Romania or former Romanian territories, those up to the third degree (including adopted minors) are eligible to apply for citizenship:

•  Children
•  Grandchildren
• Great-grandchildren

Supporting documents for Dual Romanian citizenship

The National Citizenship Authority obliges applicants who wish to apply for Romanian citizenship by ancestry to collected and submit:

• Current U.S. passport, its notarized copy and certified translation into Romanian
• Birth certificate apostilled with a certified legalized translation into Romanian
• FBI Background check certificate apostilled and certified Romanian translation
• Criminal record from the country of residence, apostilled with a legalized translation into Romanian

Supporting documents for ancestors

Each application is case-by-case dependent, but these are the typical documents that are required by the applicant on behalf of their ancestor (where applicable):

• Original birth certificate and a legalized translation into Romanian
• Original marriage certificate and a legalized translation into Romanian
• Original death certificate and a legalized translation into Romanian

Withdrawal of the Romanian citizenship certificate or government consent for citizenship withdrawal is required. If not applicable, the foreign citizenship naturalization certificate along with the date of issuance must be provided, either apostilled or legalized by an embassy, accompanied by a notarized copy and a certified Romanian translation.

Documents confirming the ancestor’s departure from Romania are necessary solely for descendants of Nazi victims.

Services for Romanian citizenship applicants

Apoling Solutions can efficiently handle the entire process of document apostilling and translations into Romanian for citizenship by descent applications. We provide assistance in verifying your lineage through various institutions and archives, managing the apostille process, translating documents into Romanian, and coordinating with the relevant authorities until you receive your Romanian passport.

The time frame for obtaining Romanian citizenship through descent ranges from six months to two years, depending on the capacity of the National Citizenship Authority and the verification of documents with other institutions, both in Romania and internationally.

If you are contemplating applying for Romanian citizenship by descent for yourself, your child, or your parent, please reach out to us for more specific information regarding your situation. We are here to assist you.

Process and timeline

The process and timeline for obtaining Romanian citizenship by descent require applicants to submit their documents in person to the Romanian National Citizenship Authority. If you are in the USA, you can apply and submit necessary supporting documents at a Romanian consulate.  Children under 18 years old at the time of application may also be included in the citizenship request.

Romanian citizenship law allows for dual citizenship, meaning you are not required to renounce your current citizenship. Additionally, there is no requirement for proficiency in the Romanian language during this process. Once citizenship is granted, successful applicants must take an oath of allegiance. Those who acquire Romanian citizenship by descent have the option to live in Romania or abroad.

Application translation Romanian – English Romanian

Accurately and efficiently completing the application for Romanian citizenship is the first step in obtaining citizenship through Romanian descent. If you are not proficient in reading and writing Romanian, completing the citizenship application provided by the Romanian Consulate will be challenging. At Apoling, we offer translation services for Romanian citizenship applications to ensure that you can understand and fill them out correctly.