Romanian citizenship · delayed applications
When the citizenship authority does not decide within 2 years, a court can order it to decide
The law gives the citizenship commission of the National Authority for Citizenship (ANC) at most 2 years for its report. If that time has passed and your file still has no order, the lawyer can bring an administrative court action, and the court can order ANC to rule on the application within a deadline the court sets.
- For applications under Articles 8, 10 and 11
- Written procedure, no trips to court
- Costs can be claimed from ANC
Who qualifies
When you can bring the action
Since 15 March 2025, courts have applied the new 2-year deadline, including to applications filed before that date. An action brought too early is rejected, so the first step is to check the registration date.
Your file is more than 2 years old
More than 2 years have passed since your application was registered, or 2 years and 6 months if ANC extended the deadline, and you have received neither an order nor a rejection.
You answered ANC’s requests
If ANC asked you for more documents, we check that you sent them on time, because an application that is not completed within 4 months can be rejected.
You have the file number
We need the registration number and proof of filing. With them we check the status on the ANC website and work out the exact deadline.
What the Bucharest Court of Appeal said in 2026
In Judgment no. 767 of 27 February 2026, the Bucharest Court of Appeal upheld an order requiring ANC to rule on an application filed in October 2023. The court found that the chronological order is an internal ANC practice that cannot be used against the applicant, and that a large number of applications does not justify missing the deadline.
What the court cannot do
The court orders ANC to make a decision, but it does not grant citizenship itself. If the file has problems of substance, the decision can also be a rejection, which we can challenge separately. A referral to the Court of Justice of the EU and a challenge before the Constitutional Court about the 2-year deadline are also pending, and their outcome may change court practice.
Documents
What you send us
The action is based on the documents you already have from when you filed.
You do not have to come to Romania for the case. The lawyer represents you at every hearing.
- Proof that you filed the application at ANC or at a consulate, with the registration number
- A screenshot from the ANC website showing the status of your file
- Any letter you received from ANC, including requests for more documents
- Your passport or identity document
- The legal assistance contract and the lawyer’s power of attorney, which you sign online
Steps
How the court action works
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1
We check the deadline
We count from the registration date whether 2 years have passed and whether ANC extended the deadline. If it is too early, we tell you the date from which the action can be brought.
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2
You sign online
You get the fee in writing, then you sign the legal assistance contract and the power of attorney.
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3
We file the action
The lawyer takes the steps required by Law 554/2004 and files the action against ANC at the administrative court in Bucharest.
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4
The case
The procedure is mostly in writing. The first instance usually takes a few months, and the judgment can be appealed.
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5
ANC decides
If the court rules for you, ANC must rule on the application within the deadline set by the court. Sometimes ANC issues the order while the case is still going on.
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6
Court costs
When ANC loses, the court can order it to pay the court costs, including part of the lawyer’s fee. We ask for them in every case, but the court decides the amount.
What the lawyer does
What the lawyer does
The action against ANC follows the same procedure in every case, but the deadline, the documents and the claim must be right from the start, because a rejected action loses time.
Works out the deadline
The registration date, any extension and the requests for more documents. We file the action only when the deadline has passed.
Drafts the action
The statement of claim, based on recent decisions of the Bucharest courts.
Represents you
The lawyer answers ANC’s defense and attends the hearings, including on appeal.
Follows enforcement
If ANC does not meet the deadline in the judgment, the lawyer can ask for the judgment to be enforced, including with penalties.
Continues after the order
The oath, the citizenship card, the transcription of your birth certificate and the passport.
Works remotely
Everything is done online, so you can live anywhere: in Moldova, in Ukraine or in another country.
No false promises
What we do not promise
The court can order ANC to decide, but the decision stays with ANC. That is why we promise you neither citizenship nor a date.
- An action brought before the deadline is rejected, so we file only after the deadline has passed.
- There is no other legal way to “speed up” a file. Anyone who promises to speed up your file through contacts at ANC is proposing a criminal act.
- The court sets the court costs. We ask for them, but we cannot guarantee them.
Questions
I filed in 2023. Can I bring an action?
Yes, if 2 years have passed since registration and you have no order. If ANC extended the deadline, up to 6 more months are added. Send us your file number and we will tell you the exact date.
Do I have to come to the hearings?
No. The lawyer represents you under the power of attorney, and the procedure is mostly in writing.
What if ANC rejects my application after the case?
You can challenge the rejection in court within the time limit stated in the notice. We look at the reasons and tell you whether it is worth challenging.
How much does it cost?
The lawyer’s fee is a fixed amount for the action, and you get it in writing before you sign. The court stamp duty is paid separately. If ANC loses, the court can order it to pay the court costs.
Can I bring the action for the whole family?
Each application at ANC has its own number. If family members filed separately, we check each file, and the actions can be prepared together.
What does the question sent to the Court of Justice of the EU change?
In August 2025, the Bucharest Tribunal asked the Court of Justice of the EU whether the new 2-year deadline can apply to applications filed before 2025. Until the Court answers, courts apply the 2-year deadline, and we are following the case.
Request
Send us your file number
Write the registration number and the filing date, then attach the proof of filing. The lawyer checks the deadline and tells you whether the action can be brought and what it costs.
The lawyer who handles your file
Ioan-Dorin Tipa
Avocat (lawyer), member of the Suceava Bar since 2021
Check the registration in the National Register of LawyersWe have your request
Request code:
The lawyer reads what you sent and contacts you on the number you left, with the next steps and the fee. Keep the code so you can quote it when we talk.
Your documents are stored privately and only the lawyer sees them. Prefer to talk? Call +40758020129 or message us on WhatsApp.
Other situations
- Romanian citizenship
- Citizenship for Moldovans
- Citizenship for Ukrainians
- Citizenship for Russian citizens
- Citizenship by naturalization
- Refugees and deportees
This page in other languages: Română · Українська · Русский
Legal basis: Law no. 554/2004 on administrative litigation, Law no. 21/1991 on Romanian citizenship, as amended by Law no. 14/2025 (Art. 15) and Judgment no. 767/27.02.2026 of the Bucharest Court of Appeal. This information is general and was checked on 19 October 2026. The law changes often, so the lawyer confirms it for your case.