The short answer
By emergency ordinance OUG no. 16/2026 of 12 March 2026 the Romanian government extended the deadline by which an applicant must supply the Romanian language certificate to
14 March 2027. An application under article 10 or 11 can be filed now — without the certificate in hand — by attaching a declaration on personal responsibility on the ANC form. If the certificate is not supplied by 14.03.2027, the application is rejected as unsupported (respins ca nesusținut) — stated expressly in art. XXI(2) of Law no. 14/2025.
legislatie.just.ro.Before and after
| Before (Law no. 14/2025) | Now (OUG no. 16/2026) | |
|---|---|---|
| Deadline to supply the certificate | 1 year from 15.03.2025 → 14.03.2026 | 2 years from 15.03.2025 → 14.03.2027 |
| Can you file without the certificate | yes, until the deadline | yes, until 14.03.2027 |
| What replaces it at filing | a declaration on the ANC form | a declaration on the ANC form |
| What happens if it is not supplied | rejection as an unsupported application | unchanged |
The declaration form — “Declarație certificat lingvistic” — is in the Categorii de cereri → Articolul 10 / Articolul 11 section of the ANC website, together with the application form.
Why this matters more than it looks
Throughout 2025 the market sold the pitch “hurry up and file under the old rules”. After 14 March 2026 that pitch died — and many websites still claim an application without a certificate will not be accepted. That is wrong: the window is open again, but it is about something else — not “getting in without the language”, but “starting to collect documents while you learn it”.
The practical conclusion for anyone weighing this up now: archival searches, restoring records, apostilles and translations take 3 to 9 months. Preparing for B1 from scratch takes roughly 6–12 months of study. These two processes can run in parallel rather than one after the other. Anyone waiting for the certificate before approaching the archives loses six months for nothing.
Where people get it wrong
- “If they extended it once, they will extend it again.” The extension came through an ordinance adopted two days before the deadline, under the threat of mass refusals. You cannot plan on a third extension: the certificate has to be obtained by 14.03.2027.
- “A declaration means exemption from the language.” No. The declaration is a promise to supply the document. Only those who were Romanian citizens themselves and those aged 65 on the filing date are exempt.
- “I will file now and buy a certificate later.” The ANC accepts certificates from four types of issuer only (see the guide on the exam). Any other “certificate” means a refusal and years of waiting wasted.
Frequently asked questions
Is the deadline counted from the date my file was submitted? No. It is a general deadline tied to the entry into force of the law — 14 March 2027 for everyone who filed after 15.03.2025.
And if my file was submitted before March 2025? The language requirement does not apply to it: the conditions for obtaining citizenship are those of the law in force on the filing date (art. XIV of Law no. 14/2025). But the procedural rules of the new law — including authenticity checks on documents — do apply to such files.
Where do I get the declaration form? On the ANC website in the section for your article. The form is filled in by hand, like the application itself.
What next
If you are only starting, first check whether you have a basis and which documents have survived. It makes sense to begin the language at the same time, but not before it is clear that the case has prospects at all.
Where this comes from
We publish only what we have checked against the primary source. Here it is — open it and see for yourself.