Checklist: do you have a claim and what is already ready for the file

Part 1. The claim

• You know of an ancestor who lived in Romanian territory before 28 June 1940 (Bessarabia, Northern Bukovina, the Hertsa region, the Hotin area, Budjak)
• You know the place of the event — the settlement and the county as they were then
• You know at least an approximate date (the year ± 2)
• The descent from the ancestor to you is no further than the third degree (child → grandchild → great-grandchild)
• The chain of descent is unbroken: every link has a document, or you know where to look for it

Part 2. The language

• A B1 certificate from the ILR, the ICR, a Romanian cultural institute or a university running the “An pregătitor de limba română” programme
• or a transcript showing at least 3 years of study in Romanian
• or an exemption: aged 65 on the filing date / you were a citizen yourself
• or nothing yet — file with the declaration, certificate by 14.03.2027

Part 3. The applicant’s documents

• Passport (and every passport in case of multiple citizenship)
• Domestic identity document
• Criminal record certificate from your country of citizenship
• Criminal record certificate from your country of residence (if different)
• Birth certificate + extract from the register entry
• Marriage certificate + extract (for each marriage)
• Divorce certificate + extract (if applicable)

Part 4. Documents along the chain of descent

For each: the certificate and the extract from the register entry.

• Mother: birth · marriage · divorce · death
• Father: birth · marriage · divorce · death
• Grandparents on the relevant line: birth · marriage · divorce · death
• Great-grandparents (if the claim comes from them)
• Children included in the application: birth certificates
• Consent of both parents to the children’s citizenship (notarised)
• Consent of children over 14 (notarised)
• Certificate of a change of name or surname — for everyone who had one
• Certificate of changes in the spelling of names or in the name of the settlement

Part 5. Checks before filing

• Every extract issued no earlier than 2 years before the filing date
• Documents from Vienna Convention no. 16 countries — multilingual extracts (no apostille, no translation)
• Documents from other countries — apostille or consular legalisation
• Translations done by a translator authorised by the Romanian Ministry of Justice, signature notarised
• The application filled in by hand, all three declarations signed
• The citizenship card paid for — 91.50 lei for the applicant and for each child in the application
• The filing appointment booked and the proof of booking printed
• The set is complete: since 1 December 2025 an incomplete file is not registered

Part 6. Red flags — check yourself

• Nobody promised to “sort out the language question” for me
• Nobody is offering to file by power of attorney without me being present
• Nobody guarantees me a result or an exact “turnkey” deadline
• I know my case number and can check it in Stadiu dosar

If Part 1 still has empty lines, start with the free eligibility check: six questions, two minutes, the result on screen straight away. If the empty lines are only in Parts 3 and 4, what you need is a case review with a plan and an estimate, not full support.