European citizenship scheme – Romania. Truth or false?
And in Europe, such an example is the repatriation program in Romania. Which became widely known due to corruption scandals. Romanian citizenship can generally be obtained in two ways. Moreover, none of them provides for the possibility of naturalization through investment.
So, let’s look at two articles of the Law on Romanian Citizenship. Article 8 provides for the acquisition of Romanian citizenship in the usual way. This is long-term legal residence in the country, marriage with a Romanian citizen, as well as exams in Romanian culture and language.
However, attention should be paid to Article 11, which provides for naturalization. It concerns persons whose ancestors lost Romanian citizenship due to geopolitical circumstances. Namely, due to the occupation of Romanian territories in various wars and border disputes over the years.
Thus, it is more correct to call this option “ restoration” of citizenship.
This legal path is open to those who can prove that their ancestors (up to the third generation) were deprived of Romanian citizenship against their will. The law mainly applies to those whose Romanian parents, grandparents and great-grandparents lived in the former Romanian territories.
Many companies are trying to sell a service for “ searching for Romanian grandmothers,” which in fact is a forgery of documents.
Thus, citizenship “ for a bribe” of $5-15,000 is offered to be issued to any candidate wishing to obtain permanent status in Europe.
“If someone received a second passport in Romania (or any other citizenship) using forged documents, and such a story is revealed, then this will not go unnoticed. Such cases happened in Israel, where, as is known, citizenship can be obtained by proving one’s Jewishness. There were also stories in Canada of falsification of documents that ended in cancellation. In Hungary, too, authorities scrutinized documents related to disputed bids when stories of corruption came to light. It is important to weigh all these risks for yourself in advance. Are you willing to put your reputation on the line to try to save money by getting involved in something like this?
I can say that we are approached with a large number of requests for obtaining Romanian citizenship. Not just now, but all the time. However, about 20% of clients ultimately decide to apply for Caribbean citizenship or Vanuatu citizenship” – says Nuri Katz, Founder and President of Apex Capital Partners.
