Romanian citizenship · naturalization
Romanian citizenship by naturalization, after years of life in Romania
If you have lived legally in Romania for 8 years, or have been married to a Romanian citizen for 5 years, you can apply for Romanian citizenship. The lawyer checks whether you meet the conditions of Law 14/2025, prepares the file and gets you ready for the interview at the National Authority for Citizenship (ANC).
- Article 8, under the 2025 rules
- Preparation for the interview
- File submitted to ANC
Who qualifies
Who can apply for naturalization
Law 14/2025, in force since 15 March 2025, changed the conditions for naturalization. If you filed before that date, the old conditions still apply to you, but the new procedure applies to everyone.
8 years of legal residence
On the date you apply, you must have a long-term residence right or permanent residence and must have lived legally in Romania for at least 8 years. A year in which you spent more than 6 months outside the country does not count.
5 years from marrying a Romanian citizen
If you are married to a Romanian citizen and you live together, the period is 5 years from the marriage. In this case too, you need a long-term residence right or permanent residence.
Period shortened by up to 3 years
For citizens of the EU, the EEA and Switzerland, and for people born in Romania, if they prove involvement in the economy, education, culture or volunteering. Refugees can get the same reduction if they prove special efforts to integrate.
Under the law, you must also
- be at least 18 years old
- have legal means of support in Romania
- be of good conduct, with no criminal conviction that makes you unworthy of citizenship
- be loyal to the Romanian state
- know the Romanian language and basic facts about Romanian culture and civilization
- know the Constitution of Romania and the national anthem
Two routes that no longer exist
Citizenship by investment was removed from the law in 2025: the shorter period for investments of more than 1,000,000 euros no longer exists. “Citizenship after 10 years of marriage, without living in Romania” is not in force either, because in 2023 the Constitutional Court declared it unconstitutional. If someone sells you one of these, they are selling you something the law does not allow.
Documents
Documents required
The list comes from ANC. Each document must be valid on the date you file, and foreign documents need an apostille and a certified translation.
An Article 8 application is filed in person at ANC in Bucharest. Filing through a representative is possible only in well-justified cases and with written approval given in advance.
- Your passport, as a certified copy with translation
- Your long-term residence or permanent residence permit
- A certificate from the General Inspectorate for Immigration (IGI) showing your years of legal residence
- Birth and marriage certificates; for the marriage route, also proof that your husband or wife is a Romanian citizen
- A criminal record certificate from your country of origin, with apostille or superlegalization and translation
- A notarized statement that you have not taken actions against the rule of law or national security
- Proof of legal income in Romania for the last 3 years: employment contracts, certificates, tax returns filed with ANAF
- Proof of housing: a registered rental contract or a property deed with a land register extract
Steps
How naturalization works
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1
We check the conditions
The type of residence right, the years spent outside the country, living together with your husband or wife, and your income over the last 3 years. The lawyer tells you what is missing and what the fee is.
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2
We prepare the file
We collect the certificates, apostilles and translations, then check each document against the ANC list.
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3
You file the application at ANC
In person, at the ANC headquarters in Bucharest, with an appointment made online.
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4
The interview
Once the commission finds that you meet the conditions, it calls you to an interview within 6 months at most. The interview checks your reading and writing in Romanian, Romanian culture, the Constitution and the anthem.
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5
The report and the order
The commission has at most 2 years from registration for its report, and the ANC president issues the order within 15 days of the report.
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6
The oath and your documents
You have one year from the order to take the oath. You become a citizen on the day of the oath, and then come the citizenship card and the identity card.
What the lawyer does
What the lawyer does for your file
In naturalization cases, most problems come up with conditions people believe they already meet: the type of permit, the years spent outside the country or income. The lawyer checks them before you file.
Checks whether your years count
We count your years of legal residence based on the IGI certificate and the rule on 6 months outside the country.
Builds the file
Certificates, criminal record, apostilles, translations with names written as in the passport, and proof of housing.
Prepares you for the interview
You know in advance what is checked: Romanian language, culture, the Constitution and the anthem. We practice with questions like the ones asked at the interview.
Follows the deadlines
The 4 months for extra documents, the commission’s 2-year deadline and the year for the oath.
Challenges a rejection
If the application is rejected or ANC misses the deadline, the lawyer can go to the administrative court.
Works for your family
Minor children can get citizenship together with the parent. We include them in the file from the start.
No false promises
What we do not promise
The law says it gives no one an automatic right to citizenship, and the ANC commission decides on each application. 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 tell you that you passed the interview before you take it. We prepare you for it.
Questions
Can I get citizenship after marrying a Romanian without living in Romania?
No. The law requires a long-term residence right or permanent residence in Romania and 5 years from the marriage, with the two of you living together. The option with 10 years of marriage lived abroad was declared unconstitutional in 2023.
What questions come up at the interview?
The interview checks whether you can read and write in Romanian, and what you know about Romanian culture and civilization, the provisions of the Constitution and the national anthem.
Can I still get citizenship through investment?
No. Since 15 March 2025, the law no longer shortens the period for investors. Pages that promise this describe old rules.
I filed before 15 March 2025. Which rules apply?
The substantive conditions are those of the law in force on the date you filed. The new procedure, including the 2-year deadline for the report, still applies to your file.
How long does it take?
The law gives the commission at most 2 years for its report. Organizations that work with foreigners say that in practice the decision comes after 2 to 3 years.
Request
Tell us how long you have lived in Romania
Write what type of residence permit you have, since when you have lived in Romania and, if relevant, the date of your marriage. The lawyer tells you whether you can apply now 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
- 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. This information is general and was checked on 19 October 2026. The law changes often, so the lawyer confirms it for your case.