Romanian Citizenship
The Romanian passport — Photo: Wikimedia Commons
1Main Conditions for Citizenship
- Continuous legal residence of at least 8 years in Romanian territory; this period is reduced to 5 years from the date of marriage for an individual married to and living with a Romanian citizen.
- Absence of more than 6 months in a single year excludes that year from the calculation of the residence period.
2Other Legal Requirements
- Proving loyalty to the Romanian state through conduct and actions, and having no record of activities against public order or national security.
- Familiarity with the Romanian language (reading and writing), the constitution, the national anthem, and basic knowledge of Romanian culture and civilization.
- This must be verified based on current regulations and individual circumstances.
3Timeline and Processing Authority
- Applications are submitted to the National Authority for Citizenship (Autoritatea Națională pentru Cetățenie / ANC).
- Under Law 14/2025 (amending Law 21/1991), ANC's statutory processing deadline was extended from 5 months to 2 years (with a possible 6-month extension in justified cases) — this is now the official legal ceiling, not just a statistical average.
- This must be verified based on current regulations and individual circumstances.
📈What "2 Years" Actually Means: ANC's Real Backlog
The 2-year deadline was written into Law 14/2025 precisely because ANC could no longer meet its previous 5-month deadline and was facing repeated lawsuits over delays. The actual backlog data is more sobering than that number suggests: per Legal500's legal analysis, of 38,981 applications filed in 2023, only 0.37% received final approval by year-end; of 50,350 new applications filed in 2024, none were approved by year-end; and through March 2025, with 3,976 more applications filed, still none had been approved. In practice, treat "2 years" as a floor for realistic planning, not a guaranteed ceiling.
This stage is officially an "interview" before the Citizenship Commission, not a standardized written exam: per the official Article 8 page on cetatenie.just.ro, it covers reading/writing Romanian, familiarity with constitutional principles, reciting the national anthem, and elementary knowledge of Romanian culture, history, and geography. The same official site publishes a downloadable sample question bank for preparation.
Sources: avocatpavel.com (Law 14/2025 analysis), Legal500 (ANC processing statistics analysis), cetatenie.just.ro (official Article 8 page), Library of Congress — report on Iranian citizenship law, globalcit.eu (consolidated Law 21/1991 text). The exact Iranian legal article number varies across sources and needs final legal confirmation; ANC interview pass rates are not published in official sources.
⚖️If ANC Unjustifiably Delays Your File
Like IGI, the National Authority for Citizenship (ANC) is a public authority subject to the Administrative Contentious Law (Legea nr. 554/2004). If your file remains pending beyond the new 2-year statutory deadline (plus any 6-month extension) without explanation, you have the right to sue this silence or delay in the administrative court with the help of an administrative-law attorney — a real, under-publicized legal tool.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does the citizenship application process take?
Under Law 14/2025, the official statutory deadline is 2 years (with a possible 6-month extension); but ANC's actual data shows many 2023 and 2024 applications were still not approved even by the end of that window, so treat this figure as a floor for planning, not a guarantee.
If I acquire Romanian citizenship, do I lose my Iranian citizenship?
Romania does not require you to renounce your prior citizenship. Iran also does not automatically revoke your citizenship unless you go through its formal, difficult renunciation process (Council of Ministers approval); in practice, many people who don't complete that process remain considered solely Iranian by Iran. Consult a specialized attorney before deciding.
Is the language and constitution exam difficult?
This stage is officially an interview before the Citizenship Commission (not a standardized written exam) covering Romanian reading/writing, constitutional principles, the national anthem, and elementary Romanian culture/history/geography; ANC publishes a sample question bank on cetatenie.just.ro that you can study in advance.
What can I do if my file takes far longer than usual?
Under Law 554/2004, you can sue ANC in the administrative court within 6 months of an unjustified delay or silence beyond the new 2-year deadline, with the help of an administrative-law attorney.
Does a Romanian passport currently allow visa-free travel to the US?
No — despite what a few other sites currently claim. On January 10, 2025, the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced Romania's designation into the Visa Waiver Program, planned to take effect March 31, 2025; but before that date, DHS paused the decision for a security review and formally rescinded it on May 2, 2025 (per DHS.gov's own announcement). As of now, Romanian citizens still need a standard US B-1/B-2 visa. For passport strength, per the Henley Passport Index's January 2026 edition, Romania ranks 11th globally with visa-free/visa-on-arrival access to 178 destinations.
📚Related Guides & Next Steps
Recommended guides to complete your information and streamline your journey:
This guide is part of the "Immigration & Residence" collection.
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