Author
The main criteria for naturalisation are laid down in Article 8(1) of the Act on Romanian Citizenship.[1] According to the recent amendments, the standard 8-year residence requirement may be reduced under specific conditions to 5 or 3 years for refugees. Categories benefiting from this reduction include:
- Spouses of Romanian nationals (after 5 years of marriage);
- Refugees who demonstrate particular efforts towards integration (minimum 3 years of residence);
- Citizens of EU/EEA/Swiss Confederation;
- Persons born in Romania to parents legally residing at the time of birth.
Only recognised refugees benefit from the shortened 3-year residence requirement. Persons with subsidiary protection must still meet the full 8-year condition. A legal amendment to equalise these conditions was discussed but was not yet adopted as of May 2025[2].
The minimum period of residence prior to the naturalisation application is shorter for a number of categories of applicants treated preferentially.[3] Recognised refugees are one of the categories required to have resided in Romania continuously for a period of at least 3 years prior to the submission of the application. Therefore, the aforementioned provision clarifies the distinction between refugee status and subsidiary protection, which means that preferential treatment is afforded only to those bearing refugee status, while persons with subsidiary protection need to fulfil the condition of living 8 years prior to submitting the application.
Another change would concern reacquisition of Romanian citizenship, requiring them to prove their knowledge of the Romanian language through a certificate, which could be relevant for beneficiaries of international protection coming from Ukraine where there are ethnic Romanian communities.[4]
Two new articles, Article 8^1 and 8^2, now allow stateless persons or foreign nationals to apply for citizenship regardless of residence duration, provided they have significantly contributed to the protection and promotion of Romanian culture, civilization, and spirituality, or promoted Romania’s image through exceptional achievements, particularly in sports. Eligibility under Article 8^1 must be confirmed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which assesses the cultural contribution based on activities such as teaching, research, publishing in Romanian, or supporting Romanian diaspora communities.[5]
The competent authority remains the National Authority for Citizenship (Autoritatea Națională pentru Cetățenie – ANC).[6]
Law No. 14/2025 also introduces the obligation for applicants seeking reacquisition of Romanian citizenship to present a Romanian language certificate, a provision which could impact beneficiaries of international protection, especially those from Ukraine.
CNRR mentioned that several issues with regard to the citizenship acquisition process are still the same, as reported in 2021, and became more severe in 2022, such as the lack of a separate procedure for beneficiaries of international protection. Given the high volume of applications, there are long delays in scheduling the interview and there are situations in which officials of the NAC request civil status documents, which would involve contacting the authorities of the country of origin by beneficiaries. The request for documents from the authorities of the country of origin may be considered as voluntarily re-availing themselves of the protection of the country of nationality, a ground for cessation of refugee status or subsidiary protection.[7] Furthermore, it was acknowledged that there is a lack of an adequate procedure for vulnerable persons. All applicants (regardless of their status) must go through an interview to test their knowledge of the Romanian language, Romanian History, Romanian Geography, Romanian Culture and Constitution. Although the beneficiaries did not express their dissatisfaction with the difficulty of the test, there are people who for objective reasons (illness, the elderly, those with a disability, etc.) cannot pass the interview, although they meet all the substantive conditions. For example, a person with severe Down syndrome cannot pass the interview, and there is no exception or special procedure for such cases. [8] In 2023 CNRR added that there is no separate procedure for beneficiaries of international protection who would like to obtain Romanian citizenship, requests are processed under the legal provision for foreigners with legal residence.[9]
In 2023, CNRR[10] highlighted again that under Article 8 of Law 21/1991, beneficiaries of international protection have the right to apply for Romanian citizenship. The same article offers more favourable conditions to persons with refugee status, with the possibility of shortening the eligibility period from 8 years of residence to 4 years. However, in the case of persons with subsidiary protection, this shortened period does not apply. Moreover, there is a lack of clear procedure stipulated in the legislation regarding access to Romanian citizenship for certain vulnerable categories, such as disabled or elderly people, as well as stateless persons. Vulnerable persons have to take the interview for which they must acquire a thorough knowledge of history, geography, culture and knowledge of the Romanian Constitution. For example, a person suffering from dementia or Down’s syndrome is unable to take the interview due to their condition, yet the interview is foreseen by law as a compulsory step in the procedure to obtain Romanian citizenship. In 2023, CNRR organized a citizenship course for beneficiaries of international protection, divided into 4 modules related to the topics addressed in the specific interview (history of Romania, geography of Romania, culture of Romania and the Constitution of Romania); the course was attended by 40 people.
In 2024, JRS Romania mentioned that the timeframe for obtaining Romanian citizenship remains lengthy, even after beneficiaries of international protection complete all the procedural steps. Many applicants report waiting periods of two to three years for a decision, with no notable improvement in processing times. Challenges also persist regarding the translation and legalisation of documents from the country of origin. Some beneficiaries lack the financial means to obtain certified translations, and in other cases, the poor quality of translations can negatively impact the application process. Furthermore, the procedure remains complex and difficult to navigate, particularly for those unfamiliar with legal terminology or institutional requirements. As a result, many applicants continue to rely on NGOs for guidance and support throughout the process—from preparing documentation to understanding legal specifications and following up with authorities.[11]
In 2025 IGI-DAI stated they do not keep statistics on citizenship granted to beneficiaries of international protection.[12]
[1] Act 21/1991 of 1 March 1991, available in Romanian here.
[2] ibid.
[3] Article 8(2) Act on Romanian Citizenship.
[4] Ministry of Justice, ‘Update 26.04.2024 – Proiect de Lege pentru modificarea și completarea LeIGI cetățeniei române nr. 21/1991, precum şi pentru modificarea şi completarea altor acte normative’, 26 April 2024, available in Romanian here.
[5] Law No. 14/2025 amending and supplementing the Romanian Citizenship Law No. 21/1991, as well as amending and supplementing other legal acts, available here, accessed on March 27, 2025.
[6] For further details, see European Statelessness Network, Ending Childhood Statelessness: A case study on Romania, 2015, available here.
[7] Information provided by CNRR, 15 February 2022.
[8] ibid.
[9] ibid. 7 February 2023.
[10] ibid. 16 January 2024.
[11] Information provided by JRS Romania, February 2025.
[12] Information provided by IGI-DAI, 23 January 2025.