How to Get Romanian Citizenship?

A Romanian citizenship opens up the gateway for the rich benefits that the European Union offers. While you can move across EU countries without the need for multiple visas or formalities, you will also gain access to top quality education, social benefits, healthcare and much more.

If you are looking for information on how to get Romanian citizenship, this article is for you.

Romanian citizenship pathways

The pathways to Romanian citizenship are by:

Birth – As per Article 5 of Romanian citizenship law, children born on Romanian territory from Romanian citizens acquire Romanian citizenship by default. The children/grandchildren receive Romanian citizenship even if only one parent is a Romanian citizen. The child or children born abroad also acquire Romanian citizenship if one or both parents are Romanian citizens.

Adoption – If the foster parents are citizens of Romania, the adopted underage child acquires Romanian citizenship. When a single person who is a Romanian citizen adopts an underage child, the child acquires the parent’s citizenship.

Repatriation – Any person who has lost their Romanian citizenship can reacquire it if they wish to.

Request – Romanian citizenship can also be requested by those who

Have been residing in Romania for a minimum of eight years or is married to a citizen of Romania for a minimum of 5 years
Prove their attachment to the people and the state of Romania through their attitude and behavior.
Are 18 years of age or older
Prove means of existence
Have no criminal conviction record and have general good behavior
Have Romanian language knowledge

How to get Romanian Citizenship by descent?

If none of the above listed criteria apply to your situation, you may be searching for information on ‘how to get Romanian citizenship by descent?”

Many Jews lived in Romania and their history can be traced as far back as to the second century. Before as well as during the Holocaust, Jews in Romania faced persecution and antisemitism that led to many of them leaving Romania. They emigrated to many other countries including Israel.

You are eligible for applying for Romanian citizenship if you have

a parent who was a citizen of Romania at any point in their lifetime
a grandparent (one out of four grandparents) who was a citizen of Romania at any point in their lifetime
a great grandparent who was once a Romanian citizen and lost the citizenship

You can also apply for Romanian citizenship if your parent or grandparent was born in certain parts of Ukraine, Moldova, Hungary or Bulgaria that were under Romanian rule in the early 20^th century.

Both biological and adopted children of people who were Romanian citizens are eligible for Romanian citizenship.

What is meant by ‘Romanian oath of citizenship’?

Every applicant has to take the Romanian oath of citizenship within three months from the date when the citizenship was granted. The Romanian oath of citizenship is an oath of faith to the country and is taken at the National Citizenship Authority (NCA) headquarters in Romania. During the oath taking ceremony, you will receive your certificate of citizenship.

Article 20 of the Romanian citizenship law states that the oath of allegiance has to be taken before the president of the NCA and the minister of justice or the vice president of NCA who is appointed for the same.

The content of the oath of faith is as below:

“I swear devotion to the Romanian country and Romanian people, I swear to defend the rights and national interest, to respect the Constitution and the laws of Romania”.

After the oath, the applicant is given the Romanian citizenship certificate. If your minor children also acquire Romanian citizenship along with you, they need not take the oath and will be registered in your citizenship certificate.

If you are applying for Romanian citizenship as a Israeli Jew on the basis of ancestry, you can take the Romanian oath of citizenship in the consular office or diplomatic mission of Romania in Israel. In this case, the certificate is issued by the consular office or diplomatic mission head.

An applicant who fails to take the oath of faith will lose their Romanian citizenship as stated in Article 21 of the citizenship law. The only exception is for people with a chronic disease or permanent disability who are unable to take the Romanian oath of citizenship.

What are the documents required for applying for Romanian citizenship?

The exact documents you need to apply for Romanian citizenship depends on which pathway to citizenship you take. However, these are the most important documents you will need for all the pathways:

Original passport and a notarised copy.
Original documents and certified copies of civil status such as marriage, birth certificate, change of name and so on, translated into Romanian. These documents need to be notarized.
Certified copy and original criminal record document in Romania or country of origin
Written proof of Romanian descent such as birth certificate of your parent, grandparent or great grandparent

Easy way to apply for Romanian citizenship

We are committed to helping Israeli Jews acquire Romanian citizenship. We examine your case in detail before recommending the pathway to Romanian citizenship that is best suited for your situation. We also specialize in citizenship assistance for other EU countries including Portugal, Austria, Montenegro, and France .