Romania: Information on the process of Romanian citizenship reacquisition, and if there are any requirements
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 May 1997 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | ROM26786.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Romania: Information on the process of Romanian citizenship reacquisition, and if there are any requirements, 1 May 1997, ROM26786.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ab9d6c.html [accessed 22 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
In telephone interviews on 2 and 6 May 1997, the third secretary of the Embassy of Romania in Ottawa provided the following information. Those individuals who lost or renounced their Romanian citizenship before 1989, and who desire to reacquire Romanian citizenship, are required to submit completed application forms and appropriate identity documentation to the Romanian consulate or embassy in Canada (or in the country in which they are residing). Romanian embassies and consulates abroad forward all applications to Romania where they are examined on a case by case basis. Applicants are informed of the decision approximately two to four months after their application.
For those individuals who lost or renounced their Romanian citizenship after 1989, and who desire to reacquire it, the application process is lengthier and somewhat more complex. Applicants are required to submit different application forms, as well as a copy of their criminal record in the country in which they are residing. Applications are also examined on a case by case basis.
The third secretary added that the reacquisition of Romanian citizenship is almost always granted upon request, and that "hundreds" of Romanians living in Canada have reacquired their Romanian citizenship within the last several years. People who do reacquire Romanian citizenship are not required by the Romanian authorities to relinquish the citizenship that they acquired after their loss of Romanian citizenship. The legal bases for the reacquisition of Romanian citizenship are art. 11 and art. 37 of the Law No. 21/1991 - Law on the Romanian Citizenship.
For additional information on the reacquisition of Romanian citizenship, please consult the attachment sent to the DIRB by the third secretary of the Embassy of Romania in Ottawa. For a copy in French of the Law on Romanian Citizenship, please consult Response to Information Request ROM21105.F of 11 July 1995.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.
References
Embassy of Romania, Ottawa. 6 May 1997. Telephone interview with the third secretary.
_____. 2 May 1997. Telephone interview with the third secretary.
Attachment
Embassy of Romania, Ottawa. 6 May 1997. Facsimile sent to the DIRB by the third secretary.
