The Romanian Republic has been included in the European Union since 2007. Now it is in the stage of its economic growth and is in no way inferior to other European countries. At the same time, obtaining Romanian citizenship is much easier than moving to Germany or Sweden. This is one of those countries that welcomes migrants. And they can easily visit all other EU countries.
Romanian law: who can obtain citizenship
Any foreigner can become an applicant for Romanian citizenship. The main thing is that it meets one of the following requirements:
- The presence of Romanian roots or residence of the applicant (his ancestors) on the territory of the USSR;
- Getting a stable income and having enough money to live in Romania;
- Residence on legal terms in the country from 8 years;
- Forcible deprivation of Romanian citizenship during the Second World War;
- Starting a business with a good income within the country;
- Fluency in Romanian at a conversational level.
In addition, the applicant must understand what life is like in a European country. He must be familiar with local laws and respect them.
A good plus is the presence of several closed Schengen visas.
Who will not be able to obtain citizenship
There are categories of migrants who cannot apply for Romanian citizenship. This:
- Citizens who were previously deported from the country due to violations of the immigration law;
- Persons with a valid criminal record or being prosecuted by the police of another country;
- Suspected of committing terrorist acts or inciting ethnic hatred.
Ways to Obtain Romanian Citizenship
The methods of obtaining Romanian citizenship are the same for everyone - including Russians, Ukrainians and Moldovans.
Among the main options for immigration to Romania are:
- Citizenship by birth;
- By origin (restoration of citizenship);
- By naturalization;
- Business immigration.
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Also, among the citizens of Russia, Ukraine and Moldova, there are many hereditary Romanians. For such persons, the country offers preferential conditions for obtaining citizenship. So, those living in Moldova from March 1918 to June 1940 have some advantages. This is due to the fact that at that time the country was on the Romanian territory (then it was called Bessarabia).
Citizenship by birth
The automatic acquisition of citizenship is possible mainly for minors. Thus, citizenship by birth is obtained by children who:
- Born into a family where both parents or at least one of them is a Romanian citizen;
- Have been adopted by Romanian residents;
- Born within the country;
- Born in one of the EU countries, while the citizenship of the parents and their identity have not been established.
Origin (restoration)
According to a simplified scheme, persons who have historical ties with the country can obtain Romanian citizenship. This category can include citizens of any state. Most of them are Moldovans, Ukrainians, Belarusians.
According to Romanian law, any person who was a resident of any of the Soviet socialist republics has the right to declare his desire to have local citizenship.
The restoration of citizenship is relevant for persons who lost it as a result of violent actions during the Second World War. The rule also applies to the relatives of these persons (children and grandchildren). The procedure is carried out according to a simplified scheme.
There is no need for an applicant for the restoration of citizenship:
- Confirm knowledge of the national language;
- Live in the country continuously for 8 years;
- Be of legal age;
- Pay the state fee.
Marriage ties
A very popular method that has a big plus. It gives spouses of Romanian citizens the opportunity to obtain citizenship faster than naturalization.
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The procedure will be as follows:
- An indigenous Romanian and a potential migrant get married in any convenient country;
- A Romanian citizen can obtain a marriage certificate at the place of residence. To do this, he must register in advance;
- Newly married couples apply for family reunification in Romania;
- The couple is being interviewed together at the migration department. There they will have to prove that the family is not fictitious;
- The foreign spouse receives a Romanian residence permit for 3 years;
- At the end of the residence permit, the migrant receives permanent residence and after 5 years can apply for citizenship.
Naturalization
It makes it possible to obtain citizenship even for those who have nothing to do with the country. There is only one drawback - this is the longest way to obtain Romanian citizenship. The applicant will have to live in the country at least 10 years (5 years for a residence permit and another 5 for permanent residence).
A migrant obtains a residence permit in the country on the following grounds:
- Local university enrollment;
- Employment in a Romanian company;
- Starting your own business in Romania;
- Family reunification.
Is dual citizenship possible
Romanian legislation has nothing against dual citizenship, so migrants do not need to give up their previous passport for local citizenship. However, the applicant needs to study the laws of his country, this is especially true for citizens of the CIS countries.
For instance:
- RF laws do not prohibit their citizens from having a second citizenship. But you will have to notify the Ministry of Internal Affairs in your home country;
- The Constitution of Ukraine states: when obtaining a passport of another state within the home country, a Ukrainian is subject to its laws, and in another state - to local laws. That is, the legislation simply ignores the presence of a second citizenship.
The same rule applies if the applicant is a Moldovan. He can get a passport of another country, but must obey the Constitution of the state where he is at the moment.
How to get citizenship: collecting papers
First of all, a potential citizen needs to decide on the reason on the basis of which he must obtain citizenship. According to this basis, documents are collected.
You need to prepare:
- Civil passport, supplemented with photocopies of all sheets;
- Passport along with copies of pages with stamps;
- Certificate of the applicant's birth;
- Birth certificates of father and mother, as well as grandparents (to prove the presence of Romanian roots);
- Confirmation of marriage between parents or divorce certificate;
- Certificate that the application for citizenship is submitted for the first time;
- Proof of no criminal record in Romania and in your home country.
Also, a foreigner must write a statement in which he undertakes not to harm the security of Romania and its citizens. The letter also specifies that the migrant did not encroach on the safety of his compatriots in his home country.
Important! All documents are supplied with copies and translation into Romanian. Photocopies must be certified by a notary.
Knowledge of the language
The Romanian Constitution does not require an applicant for citizenship to have perfect knowledge of the national language. However, practice shows that a potential citizen needs to know the Romanian language at least at the level A1-A2.
The interview will take place in Romanian, so the migrant must understand what is being said and be able to answer questions. In addition, he will have to take the oath in the national language and understand its meaning.
Self filing
As a rule, migrants try to apply for citizenship on their own. It is quite possible to independently prepare all the necessary documents and sign up for an interview.
However, many decide to play it safe and turn to migration agencies for help. It is important to remember that this method will be more costly. In addition, there is a risk of facing scammers who offer to quickly obtain citizenship for a lot of money. Therefore, the intermediary should be chosen carefully.
Where and how to submit papers
After collecting the necessary papers, the applicant signs up for their submission. Further, the situation develops according to the following scenario:
- Sending papers. Documents legalized and translated into the national language are sent to the Romanian Ministry of Justice;
- Verification of documents... All papers are carefully checked, and the historical roots of the applicant for citizenship are also established;
- Reception of the application. If all documents are drawn up correctly, they are accepted, and the applicant is given a receipt. The name of the migrant and the date of receipt of the documentation are indicated on it;
- Consideration of the application and making a decision. The officers make the final decision regarding the migrant within 6-12 months, after which the applicant is notified of the confirmation or refusal to issue citizenship.
If the decision is positive, the migrant is invited to take the oath and read the oath of allegiance to Romania. At the end of the procedure, he receives a certificate, on the basis of which a Romanian passport is issued. The presentation of the new identity card takes place in Bucharest.
Cost and terms
The process of issuing a Romanian identity card takes about a year and a half. In rare cases, it can take up to 2 years.
As for the price, the migrant will have to spend only on notary services. How much it will cost depends on the place where the documents are certified. So, since 2017, Romania has canceled all state fees for obtaining citizenship.
Why they can refuse and what to do
The Romanian authorities have the right to refuse to issue a passport to a migrant if:
- Previously, he was deported from any EU country;
- You have debts to banks in your home country or in Romania;
- The citizen has a criminal record or is on the international wanted list.
Insufficient knowledge of the national language and insufficient amount on the account are also considered grounds for refusal, but these nuances can be corrected. In this case, after a few months, you can submit the papers again, eliminating the flaws.
If the migrant is sure that the negative decision is unreasonable, he has the right to appeal.
Is it legal to buy Romanian citizenship
Romania does not provide for the issuance of passports for investment, so buying citizenship is illegal. Despite this, resourceful entrepreneurs offer to buy Romanian citizenship for a large reward.
As a rule, they sell fake pedigrees to foreigners - documents for Romanian grandparents. Such methods of obtaining citizenship are illegal and are punishable by expulsion from the country.
The doors to all EU countries open before the newly-made Romanian citizen: he can freely travel to all European countries. At the same time, the design itself will not be difficult, especially according to a simplified scheme. However, naturalization involves obtaining a passport only after 10 years of living in the country.
