Romanian citizenship: actual processing timelines in 2026

What the law says: 1 year

Under Romanian legislation, ANC (Agentia Nationala pentru Cetatenie) is obligated to review an application within 12 months. This is the maximum period established by regulation. In practice, it is almost never met. The reason is simple: the number of applications has increased, the commission staff has not increased proportionally. A queue formed even before submission - at the booking stage.

Actual timeline: 2–4 years

The figure 2–4 years consists of several stages. Waiting for an appointment to submit - up to 6 months. Case review at ANC after submission - 12–24 months, in some cases longer. Oath arrangement - another 1–3 months. Total minimum realistic scenario - about two years. Maximum - four or more. I have seen cases where just the appointment for submission took eight months due to overload at a specific consulate.

Procedure stages and where time is lost

The procedure consists of five steps: document collection → appointment and submission → ANC review → approval notice → oath → passport issuance. Time is lost at two stages. First - appointment: slots fill quickly, especially in Moscow, Kyiv, Warsaw, and Bucharest. Second - review: ANC works slowly, no intermediate status notifications. A person simply waits.

Online submission via portalcetatenie.just.ro

Since 2022, the portal portalcetatenie.just.ro has been in operation. Through it you can submit an application without a personal visit to ANC. It is convenient, but does not accelerate review - the queue is shared. To register on the portal you need a Romanian electronic signature or account. Not all applicants can arrange this remotely. If online submission doesn't work - only a personal visit to ANC in Bucharest or a Romanian consulate remains.

Who is eligible to apply

Romanian citizenship through reattribution (restoration) can be obtained by descendants of persons who lost Romanian citizenship during 1940–1989. This covers most of Moldova, part of Ukraine (Bukovina, Northern Bessarabia), and other territories. Key condition - documentary proof of the ancestor's Romanian citizenship and family relationship with them. The applicant themselves can live in any country. Residence in Romania is not required.

Documents: what is needed and how it affects the timeline

Standard package: birth certificates in chain of kinship, marriage certificates (if surnames changed), documents of the ancestor-Romanian citizen. All documents - with translation into Romanian, notarized. Apostille or legalization - depending on the country of issue. Weak link: if documents on the ancestor are partially lost or require recovery through archives - this adds 3–12 months to preparation before submission.

Appointment for submission: 3–6 months waiting

This is the most unexpected barrier for those going through the procedure for the first time. Appointment slots open several months in advance and fill quickly. Consulates are particularly busy in countries with large numbers of potential applicants. You need to make an appointment as soon as the document package is ready - or even earlier, in parallel with preparation. Appointment wait time does not count toward the official 12-month ANC period - it begins only after the application is accepted.

No expedited procedure

To be, this is one of the main differences from the Bulgarian program. In Bulgaria, there are commercial mechanisms that accelerate review. In Romania, there is no official expedited procedure. All applications are reviewed in standard queue order. No additional contributions or services legally affect the speed. Attempts to "expedite" through unofficial channels - risk of fraud.

How to track case status

After submission, the applicant receives a registration number. Case status can be checked via the portal portalcetatenie.just.ro or requested directly from ANC. Intermediate notifications are not systematically issued - this is the main complaint from applicants. I recommend making written status requests every 6 months. This documents interest and sometimes shortens the time to receive a response.

After approval: oath mandatory in person

After a positive ANC decision, a notification is sent. The next step is taking an oath of allegiance to Romania. The oath is taken in person: either at the ANC in Bucharest or at a Romanian consulate. Remote participation is not possible. Organizing the oath ceremony takes an additional 1–3 months: you need to register, travel, and complete the procedure. The oath is the moment when citizenship legally arises. The ANC decision does not take effect until after the oath.

EU passport: ~2 weeks after the oath

After taking the oath, you can apply for a Romanian passport. This is done at the MCA (Ministerul Afacerilor Interne) through a local passport office or at a consulate. Passport processing takes approximately two weeks. This is the fastest stage of the entire procedure. A Romanian passport provides full access to EU citizen rights: freedom of movement, residence, and work in 27 countries.

Cost of the procedure

Government fees: ANC application filing - approximately 70 EUR; consular fees - according to the specific consulate's tariff; document apostilization - according to the rates of the issuing country; notarized translation of the entire package - from 500 to 2000 EUR depending on volume and country; legal assistance (if you hire a specialist) - from 1500 EUR. Total minimum cost "turnkey" - 2000–4000 EUR excluding travel expenses for the oath.

Main risks and mistakes

First mistake - waiting 1 year based on the official timeline. Plan for a minimum of three years. Second - starting document collection without verifying completeness. An incomplete package will be returned - and you will need to register again. Third - not factoring in the oath into your logistics. Several clients in my practice received approval and then postponed the oath for months, delaying passport receipt. Fourth - paying "intermediaries" promising acceleration. This is either fraud or a gray area.

Tax consequences of Romanian citizenship

Romanian citizenship itself does not create tax residency. A tax resident is someone who actually resides in Romania for more than 183 days per year. If you live in another country and simply obtain a Romanian passport - your tax status does not change automatically. Important: a number of countries (primarily the USA, but some others as well) take into account second citizenship when tax planning. I recommend consulting before obtaining a passport if you have assets or structures in multiple jurisdictions.

Document readiness verification

Before filing, I recommend conducting an internal review of your package against three criteria. First - completeness: all certificates along the family relationship chain are in place, nothing is missing. Second - validity: documents are not expired, apostilles are current (some countries issue apostilles with an expiration date). Third - consistency: names and dates in documents match throughout the chain. A discrepancy of even one letter in the transliteration of a name - grounds for rejection or a clarification request.

Summary: How to plan correctly

Romanian citizenship is a real path to an EU passport for those with grounds based on descent. However, it is a long process. Budget three years as the baseline scenario. Start by verifying the documentary basis regarding your ancestor - this is the most critical part. Schedule your filing appointment as soon as the package is nearly ready. Plan the oath ceremony well in advance - do not postpone it after approval. And assess: if documents regarding your ancestor are lost or complex - start with archival research, then file.