As of September 2024, significant amendments to the Law on Citizenship, outlined in OUG nr. 100/2024, have come into effect. Here are the key changes:
💷 Application Fee:
o Starting September 2, 2024, a fee of 90 RON is required when filing an application to regain Romanian citizenship.
o This fee also applies to minor children included in the application.
🪪 Provisional Citizenship Certificates:
o Provisional certificates will be issued until the citizenship card is available, which is expected within 60 days of application submission. It is assumed that these cards will be mailed to applicants.
📆 Oath Scheduling:
o The National Citizenship Authority (ANC) will schedule the oath-taking ceremony once the order is issued.
o The deadline for taking the oath has been extended from 6 months to 12 months.
👦 Minor Children:
o Minor children must be present at the time of filing, regardless of age.
o If children are not included in the initial application, their documents cannot be added later. Parents must wait until they acquire Romanian citizenship before filing for their children.
o Children born while a parent is in the process of obtaining Romanian citizenship cannot be included in the parent’s application. They must file separately after the parent receives their citizenship certificate.
o Currently, the process to clarify the Romanian citizenship of a minor child can take up to 2 years.
📸 Photographs and Fingerprints:
o All applicants will be photographed when submitting their files.
o Fingerprints will not be taken from children under 14 years of age.
📝 Passport Requirement:
o Individuals who choose to maintain their residence in another country must obtain a Romanian passport within 3 years of acquiring citizenship.
Pros:
• The introduction of biometric citizenship cards will enhance the organization of applicants within a digitalized system.
• Photographing and fingerprinting all applicants, including minors, will help reduce fraudulent attempts to obtain Romanian citizenship.
• Extending the oath deadline to 1 year accommodates the current geopolitical context in Eastern Europe and Israel.
Cons:
• These measures may impose significant costs on families with minor children in the short term.
• Some parents may choose not to include their minor children in the initial application, leading to future reapplications and potential overcrowding of the National Citizenship Authority (NCA).
• The requirement to apply for a Romanian passport within 3 years of obtaining citizenship adds an additional obligation.
