Citizenship by descent and ancestry

To apply for Moldovan citizenship under Article 11 (related to Romanian ancestry), several documents are required. If applying based on a grandparent born in former Romanian territory (specifically Moldova before 1940), you'll need their birth certificate (duplicate), their child's birth certificate (your parent), your birth certificate, and your marriage certificate if applicable. All these documents must be apostilled, translated into Romanian, and notarized. The notary's signature also needs to be apostilled. The process can be complex, and it's often recommended to submit applications in Bucharest rather than Moldova. Ensure all documents are up-to-date and meet apostille requirements. Having a Schengen visa can be beneficial for travel to Romania.

To apply for Romanian citizenship via ANCH, a multilingual Moldovan birth extract is required, not a standard Moldovan birth certificate or Soviet-era green certificate. Expedited processing for a Moldovan birth extract in Chisinau costs 2500 Moldovan Leu for same-day service and 2000 Leu for next-day service. Apostille is not required for the multilingual extract.

To obtain Moldovan citizenship by descent (ОПГ - Origine prin filiație), if your father was a Moldovan citizen at the time of your birth, you will need documents proving your lineage. Required documents typically include your birth certificate, your father's birth certificate, your parents' marriage certificate (if applicable), your autobiography, a certificate of no criminal record, and your passport. Ensure consistency in names across documents; discrepancies (e.g., 'Ion' vs. 'Ivan') may require corrections or obtaining duplicate documents. Application can be submitted in Moldova or at the Moldovan embassy in Moscow. The process can take approximately one year. It's advisable to verify current requirements as legislation may change.

Individuals with ancestors born in Benderi (Moldova) during 1918-1940 may be eligible for both Moldovan and Romanian citizenship by ancestry. The process requires obtaining updated birth records (not Soviet certificates) from archives in Chisinau or Benderi, correcting any discrepancies, and preparing for language exams (B1 for Romanian, B2 for Moldovan, effective late 2025). Permanent residency by repatriation can be an option without language exams. Documents must be no older than 2 years. Be cautious of services falsely advertising 'repatriation' for Moldovan citizenship. Focus on the most direct ancestral line (e.g., a grandparent born in historical Bessarabia).

To apply for Moldovan citizenship based on paternal heritage (father born in Moldova), gather all relevant personal documents and your father's documents. A certificate of no criminal record from both Russia and Moldova may be required. While the consulate in Moscow might have temporary service suspensions, applications under new amendments are possible. Visiting the State Agency of Public Services (ASSP) with a complete set of documents is often necessary.

Individuals with ancestors from the Moldovan SSR may be eligible for Moldovan citizenship, provided a direct ancestor was born within the territory of the Moldovan SSR. This applies even if subsequent generations were born elsewhere. Be aware that from December 24, 2025, language and constitution exams will be required. The application review process can take at least two and a half years. For applications based on a grandparent born in former Romanian territory, required documents include their birth certificate (duplicate), their descendant's birth certificate, your birth certificate, and your marriage certificate (if applicable). All documents must be apostilled, translated into Romanian, and notarized.

If a child was born in the Transnistrian Moldovan Republic (PMR) to parents who were Russian citizens at the time of birth, and the child subsequently obtained Russian citizenship, they may not automatically be considered a Moldovan citizen. To be recognized as a Moldovan citizen by descent (especially if one parent had Moldovan citizenship), the birth must be registered with the Moldovan registry office (ЗАГС). If the father held Moldovan citizenship at the time of the child's birth and did not register the birth with Moldovan authorities, the child might need to undergo the process of establishing citizenship. This requires the father to acknowledge his Moldovan citizenship and potentially obtain updated documents like an ID card if he has renounced or allowed his previous documents to expire. The necessary documentation for such a process would be similar to applying for citizenship by descent, including proof of the father's Moldovan citizenship at the time of the child's birth.

Obtaining an original Moldovan birth certificate with biological parent information after adoption can be challenging due to 'adoption secrecy' laws. Russian Civil Registry Offices (ZAGS) typically only issue adoption certificates and new birth certificates naming the adoptive parents. To obtain the original birth record naming the biological father (if he was a Moldovan citizen), a Moldovan court order might be necessary. However, this is a complex legal process, especially if the biological father is deceased. Moldovan courts may compel ZAGS to provide archival records, but issuing a new original birth certificate is unlikely. Moldovan citizenship applications typically require the original birth certificate, not just a court ruling. Consulting a Moldovan lawyer specializing in such cases is highly recommended.

To obtain Russian citizenship based on ancestry from the Moldavian SSR (now Transnistria), it's crucial to locate the applicant's birth certificate (SOSR) and parents' marriage certificate (SOB), especially if the marriage occurred after 1991. Records from the early to mid-20th century (e.g., 1923, 1944) are scarce in Transnistria (PMR), and even a physical birth certificate might be invalid without the corresponding civil registry record (aktovaya zapis). Official civil registry offices (ZAGS) are the primary source. If the individual is deceased, restoring these records might require a court order. A more feasible approach is to use the birth records of living parents or grandparents born more recently. Applicants born in Moldavian SSR and holding Russian citizenship might be eligible for permanent residency (PMM) and potentially citizenship without language exams if their parent or grandparent was born in the Moldavian SSR.

Genealogical research for ancestors in Moldova/USSR records: start by locating marriage or birth certificates to confirm names and places of residence. Use official state archives or consulate archives of the respective country of origin. Successful searches require precise names, dates, and locations.