• There are four methods of becoming a citizen in Romania. Here is a quick overview of all of them.

1. Birth

So basically, if one or both of a person’s parents are Romanian citizens, he is. This applies if he is born abroad. If a child found in Romania’s parents are unknown, that child is considered a Romanian citizen.

2. Adoption

If a child is adopted by two Romanian citizens, then he is a citizen upon the date of adoption. If only one of his parents is a citizen, and the other is a foreign citizen or has no citizenship, the child’s citizenship must be mutually agreed on by the adopting parents. If they cannot agree, the court will decide on the child’s citizenship based on what is in his best interests. His consent is necessary for this decision to be valid if he is fourteen or over. However, if his adoption is stated invalid or annulled, and he resides abroad or chooses to reside abroad, he loses his citizenship.

3. Repatriation

If one loses one’s citizenship, one can reapply for repatriation. The same basic rules for a child being adopted by citizens apply to a child whose parents are applying for repatriation. If both parents are repatriated the child is considered a Romanian citizen. If only one is repatriated, the parents must agree on the child’s citizenship, or the courts will decide. Again the child’s consent is necessary if he is fourteen or older. If one spouse is repatriated, it does not affect the citizenship of the other.

3. Request

If one was born in Romania, but never had a citizenship or does not currently have one, he can apply for one if he currently resides in Romania. Even if he was not born in Romania, he can apply for a citizenship after residing in Romania for five years, or three if his spots or civil partner is a Romanian citizen. If he is applying for citizenship, he must:

• Be 18 or over
• Show a loyal attitude to Romania
• Have generally good behavior and not have committed any crimes making him unworthy of citizenship
• Have legal proof of existence (birth certificate)
• Have a general understanding of the Romanian language so that he can thrive in Romanian society

A child is granted citizenship the date that his parents are. If only one parent is a Romanian citizen, they must agree on the child’s citizenship or the court will decide for them. The child’s consent is necessary of he is fourteen or older.