Romanian citizenship · citizens of the Republic of Moldova
Romanian citizenship for Moldovans with grandparents from Bessarabia
If your parents, grandparents or great-grandparents were born in Bessarabia up to 1940, you can regain Romanian citizenship and keep your Moldovan citizenship. The lawyer checks your documents, helps you get the missing ones and goes with you when you file at the office of the National Authority for Citizenship (ANC) in Suceava.
- You keep your Moldovan citizenship
- Filing at ANC Suceava or at a consulate
- Court action for old applications
Who qualifies
Who qualifies
Between 1918 and 1940, Bessarabia was part of Romania, and its people were Romanian citizens. They lost that citizenship against their will in 1940, so their descendants can ask for it back.
You have an ancestor born in Bessarabia
A parent, grandparent or great-grandparent born in Bessarabia up to 1940 gives you the right to apply under Article 11. What counts is the direct line from that person down to you, proven with documents.
You were a Romanian citizen yourself
People who were Romanian citizens themselves do not need the language certificate. The same goes for people who are at least 65 when they file.
You have minor children
You can include them in your application, and they get citizenship together with you. Children over 14 must also give their consent.
Besides your roots, you also need to
- be at least 18 years old; minor children can be included in a parent’s application
- be of good conduct, with no criminal conviction that makes you unworthy of citizenship
- be loyal to the Romanian state and not have supported actions against it
- prove your Romanian with a B1 certificate or with 3 years of school in Romanian
Did you study in Romanian? Your transcript can replace the certificate
If you filed after 15 March 2025 without a Romanian language certificate, you can bring it until 15 March 2027. If you have at least 3 years of study in Romanian at high school or university, a certified copy of your transcript replaces the B1 certificate. The government extended the deadline in March 2026 and pointed out that 41% of applications come from Moldovan citizens.
Did you file more than 2 years ago?
In June 2025, more than 150,000 Article 11 applications were waiting, and the average wait was over 3 years. For applications filed more than 2 years ago, the lawyer can ask a court to order ANC to decide. See how it is done.
Documents
Documents required
ANC asks for documents only for the ancestors your application relies on. All civil status extracts must have been issued within the last 2 years.
Extracts are issued by the Public Services Agency (Agenția Servicii Publice), and old documents by the National Archives Agency. We help you request them and check that they are complete before filing.
- The birth extract of the ancestor born in Bessarabia, or an old Romanian document: an identity card, a marriage record, a certificate from an archive
- Birth, marriage and, where relevant, death extracts for each generation, from the ancestor down to you
- Your own birth extract and, if relevant, your marriage or divorce extract
- Your Moldovan passport and identity card
- A detailed criminal record certificate from the Republic of Moldova, with apostille and translation
- The B1 certificate or a transcript showing 3 years of study in Romanian
- For minor children: their birth extracts and the notarized consent of the other parent
Steps
How the application works
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1
We check whether you qualify
You send us the documents you have and what you know about your grandparents. The lawyer tells you in writing what is missing and what the fee is.
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2
We complete the documents
You request the new extracts from the Public Services Agency, using the list we give you, and we prepare the translations and apostilles.
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3
You file the application
You can file at the ANC office in Suceava, where the lawyer goes with you, or at the Romanian consulate in Moldova, by appointment. You need to be there in person for fingerprints and a photo.
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4
We follow the file
The commission has at most 2 years for its report, plus an extension of up to 6 months. We answer any request for more documents within the 4 months set by law.
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5
You take the oath
You have one year from the order. If you live in Moldova, you take the oath at a Romanian consulate, for example in Chișinău or Bălți, where you book the appointment yourself.
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6
Transcription and passport
You have your birth certificate transcribed into the Romanian registers, then you apply for the passport for Romanian citizens living abroad.
What the lawyer does
What the lawyer does for your file
Since March 2025, an Article 11 application needs a language certificate, new extracts, your presence at filing and answers within 4 months. Each of these is a point where the file can stall, so the lawyer keeps track of all of them.
Finds your grandparents’ documents
We help you request documents from archives in Moldova and Romania. If part of your family comes from the Chernivtsi or Odesa regions, our partners in Ukraine search for the documents there.
Checks every document
ANC checks Moldovan documents together with the Public Services Agency. A wrong or false document leads to rejection, so we look for it first.
Goes with you to ANC Suceava
The ANC office in Suceava accepts Article 11 applications. The lawyer goes with you when you file and checks the file on the spot.
Moves old files forward through the courts
For applications filed more than 2 years ago that have had no answer, the lawyer brings an administrative court action against ANC.
Keeps the deadlines
The B1 certificate by 15 March 2027, the 4 months for extra documents and the year for the oath. We remind you of each one in good time.
Helps you after the oath
The transcription of your birth certificate, which can also be done in Suceava, and the documents for the passport.
No false promises
What we do not promise
The ANC commission decides on each application, and the law gives no one an automatic right to citizenship. That is why we do not promise you a result or a date.
- There is no paid “fast track”. ANC handles applications in the order they were registered, and when the legal deadline passes, the only legal route is the court.
- Citizenship cannot be bought, and you can no longer get it through investment. Offers like that have already led to criminal cases.
- We do not promise an order “through connections”. The networks that promised this in 2025 and 2026 ended up in front of prosecutors.
Questions
Do I need a B1 certificate if I went to school in Romanian?
No, if you have at least 3 years of study in Romanian at high school or university. A certified copy of your transcript replaces the certificate. Without it, you need a B1 certificate from an accredited university, the Romanian Language Institute or the Romanian Cultural Institute.
Can I file in Suceava if I live in Moldova?
Yes. ANC also accepts Article 11 applications at its regional office in Suceava, by appointment. You have to come in person, and the lawyer can go with you.
How long does it take now?
The law gives ANC at most 2 years for the report, plus an extension of up to 6 months. Older applications took more than 3 years on average, and in June 2025 more than 150,000 were waiting. For those older than 2 years, you can go to court.
Will I lose my Moldovan citizenship?
No. The Republic of Moldova allows multiple citizenship, and Romanian law lets you keep your Moldovan citizenship.
Can I get a Romanian identity card?
Only if you really live in Romania. More than 160,000 identity cards issued with fake addresses have been canceled, most of them belonging to Moldovan citizens. If you live in Moldova, the right document for you is the passport for Romanian citizens living abroad.
How much does it cost?
According to ANC, it charges nothing for reviewing the application, and you pay only for the citizenship card, 91.50 Romanian lei. You pay separately for the extracts, translations, apostilles and the lawyer’s fee, which you get in writing before you sign.
Request
Send us what you know about your grandparents
Write where and when your grandparents or great-grandparents were born and attach the documents you have. If you have already filed an application, also write its number.
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 Ukrainians
- Citizenship for Russian citizens
- Citizenship by naturalization
- Delayed citizenship files
- Refugees and deportees
This page in other languages: Română · Українська · Русский
Legal basis: Law no. 21/1991 on Romanian citizenship, as amended by Law no. 14/2025 and Emergency Ordinance (OUG) no. 16/2026. This information is general and was checked on 19 October 2026. The law changes often, so the lawyer confirms it for your case.