Ways to Acquire Romanian Citizenship
Romanian citizenship can be acquired in the following ways:
- by birth
- through adoption
- by application
Acquisition of Romanian Citizenship by Birth
Children born in Romania to Romanian citizens are citizens of Romania.
Citizens of Romania also include those who:
- were born in Romania, even if only one parent is a Romanian citizen;
- were born abroad, and both parents or one of them has Romanian citizenship.
A child found on the territory of Romania is considered a Romanian citizen if their parents are unknown.
Romanian citizenship is acquired by a foreign national or stateless child through adoption if the adopters are Romanian citizens and the adopted child is under 18 years of age.
Acquisition of Romanian Citizenship by Application on Legal Grounds
Romanian citizenship may be granted upon application to a stateless person or a foreign citizen if the following conditions are met:
- was born and resides at the time of application on the territory of Romania;
- although not born on this territory, has resided on the territory of Romania legally for at least 8 years;
- if married and residing with a Romanian citizen, for at least 5 years from the date of marriage;
- proves their behavior, actions, and loyalty to the Romanian state and states that they have not undertaken or supported, nor have they previously undertaken or supported actions against public order or national security;
- is at least 18 years old;
- has legal means of subsistence in Romania, according to the law on foreign nationals;
- is known for good behavior and has not been convicted either in Romania or abroad for a crime that makes them unworthy of being a Romanian citizen;
- knows the Romanian language and possesses basic knowledge of Romanian culture and civilization sufficient for integration into social life;
- knows the provisions of the Romanian Constitution and the national anthem.
The approval of applications for granting or restoring Romanian citizenship is carried out by a Government decision, which assesses the proposals of the Minister of Justice.
Application for Granting Romanian Citizenship
is submitted in person or, in justified cases, through a representative with a special and notarized power of attorney (or a properly executed power of attorney, for example, at the consulate) and must be accompanied by documents confirming the fulfillment of legal conditions for submitting documents and obtaining Romanian citizenship.
The application for granting Romanian citizenship is sent to the commission for establishing the conditions for granting citizenship, which operates under the Ministry of Justice.
The commission disposes at the applicant’s expense to publish an excerpt from the application for granting Romanian citizenship in the Official Monitor of Romania.
The consideration of the application by the commission can only be carried out after 30 days from the date of its publication.
The person granted Romanian citizenship with residency established in the country submits an oath of allegiance to Romania within 6 months to the Minister of Justice or a specially delegated state secretary for this purpose.
A person who has received Romanian citizenship while residing abroad submits the oath of allegiance to the head of the diplomatic mission or consular office of Romania in the country of residence.
Romanian Citizenship is Acquired from the Date of Taking the Oath of Allegiance to the State of Romania
After taking the oath, the Minister of Justice or the head of the diplomatic mission or consular office issues to the person granted citizenship a certificate with the owner’s photograph. If minor children acquire citizenship along with their parents, they will be included in the certificate.
Loss of Romanian Citizenship
Romanian citizenship is lost in the following cases:
- revocation of citizenship
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