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liormmm · Joined: 11 Dec 2007 Posts: 5

Hello everybody

I have just started the process of clarificating my father's citizenship, so I can then get a romanian passport and I was wondering if anybody knew how long it's taking nowadays for this process to be completed.

I sent through the romanian embassy here the form, his old passport (actually his father's, he left Romania when he was just 2 years old) and his birth certificate.

The lady said it could take from 3 months up to 2 years, but I was wondering if anybody already been through this, with the same documents.

Thanks!
Lior

naturegirl321 · Joined: 04 May 2003 Posts: 9041 Location: home sweet home

GOod luck. I highly doubt it'll happen. I've been given the run around by the CHicago COnsulate for almost four years. Finally got a lawyer after the secretary told my mother than she wasn't Romanian since she left when she was 1.5 and didn't speak Romanian.

Chances are same will happen to you. If you father left before 1989, then they could say that they were stripped of citizenship. My grandfather was Romanian, my grandmother lived there for 30 years and was stripped of US citizenship, by Romanians, not the Americans. WE have my grandparent's married cert, grandfather's birth cert, mother's birth cert and passport. However, according to the Consulate, the passport is for those who have no citizenship, because it's red. So they claim my mother was a stateless person from age 1.5 to 9.

Do you speak Romanian? DO you have your grandfather's, and father's marriage cert legalised and translated in Romanian?

YOu might want to consider a lawyer. I live in Peru and the RO Embassy here in Lima actually refused to let me in the doors to translate my marriage cert because they say that they only do translations for Romanians.

Or you could wait for a response, and it'll probably take two years. It took my mother 1 year just to change her birth cert to match her naturalisation cert. And then, when they say no, get a lawyer.

liormmm · Joined: 11 Dec 2007 Posts: 5

Well, if I was informed correctly, by the embassy here in Argentina, after Romania joined the EU, they removed the law that made people give up their romanian citizenship, so everybody who was born there, is and should be considered romanian.

My grandfather's passport (the one that has my father's picture and name on it) is blue, and they (grandfather and mother) were also born in Romania.

Hopefully this one will go through !

By the way, I read your story a few days ago, and I see you are having a hell of a time trying to get it.. I hope you do get it some day !

naturegirl321 · Joined: 04 May 2003 Posts: 9041 Location: home sweet home

Well, that's great news. I just wish that the consulates and embassies that' I've been dealing with had been informed of that. In CHicago, they've treated us horribly. WE've brought the docs they ask for,then they ask for another one. Are you Argentinian?

GOod luck to you. Maybe my family got the red one because my grandfather was thrown in prison for five years for fighting against the communists. When did your family leave? Mine, except for my grandfather, left in 1959, my grandfather got out a couple years later.

Most importantly, you have to prove lineage, connections between your grandparents and you. Marriage and birth certs.

hopefully I'll get mine within a year. I've been brushing up on my non.existent Romanian. It's frustrating, because I can read it, it's like Spanish, but speaking is something different.

liormmm · Joined: 11 Dec 2007 Posts: 5

I guess I will have to care about proving lineage once my father gets his clarification right, then I will probably just need to prove I'm his son, which unless I've been lied to all these years, shouldn't be too hard hehe!

My father and his parents left Romania in 1948, maybe that's the complicated part of all this, since they hadn't returned since then.

naturegirl321 · Joined: 04 May 2003 Posts: 9041 Location: home sweet home

Get started now. As for Peru, I had to get my marriage cert leglaised by Peruvian marriage whatever, then by MFA, then translated and legalised by the RO embassy which they refused to do. So after MFA, I sent it to my mom in the USA, she sent it to a translator, then to the CA state people who Apostillise it.

But really, do start the legalisations and translations now. Peru doesn't recognise the Hague convention, so there's no Apostillisation there. What about where you are?

naturegirl321 · Joined: 04 May 2003 Posts: 9041 Location: home sweet home

Do you speak Romanian?

liormmm · Joined: 11 Dec 2007 Posts: 5

I guess starting the legalization now is good advice, I will look into it, and yes, they recognize the Hague convention in Argentina.

I don't speak Romanian.. is that a requirement? to complete the documents I had a friend help me, but if they take me a romanian test, I'm dead hehe..

naturegirl321 · Joined: 04 May 2003 Posts: 9041 Location: home sweet home

For Clarification, I don't htink so. BUt check with the Embassy. All I know is that for my case, my lawyer told me that I'll be having an interview in Romanian

liormmm · Joined: 11 Dec 2007 Posts: 5

I will have to check that ! Thanks for the information !

spiral78 · Joined: 05 Apr 2004 Posts: 11534 Location: On a Short Leash

If Romania is in line with other EU member countries, or heading that way, a language test is highly likely to be required for citizenship.

It's true for Germany, Netherlands, and the Czech Republic, to my certain knowledge.

If it were me, I'd be like naturegirl - studying up!!

naturegirl321 · Joined: 04 May 2003 Posts: 9041 Location: home sweet home

And knowing the system in Romania, they'll make up stuff so that you don't get citizenship.

In LIma, I was refused entry becuase I wasn't Romanian. I just wanted a translation and they said that only have services for Romanians.

spiral78 · Joined: 05 Apr 2004 Posts: 11534 Location: On a Short Leash

It's rather sad that a country which could surely use more young, educated, professional citizens would raise the barriers beyond reason. Even if they've tumbled to the idea that you aren't likely to live/work in the country long-term, it can't hurt to have such new citizens on the tax roles.

What's the deal?

But, also, watch out! The Czech Rep has a five-year continuous residency contingency for citizenship, in line with other EU member countries. In addition to language requirements, you could also find yourself required to prove long-term, uninterrupted residency in the country.

I suppose it's fair enough - the US and Canada have something similar, as do other EU countries. But dampening if you really want the citizenship so that you can work in other countries.

Mike_2007 · Joined: 24 Apr 2007 Posts: 349 Location: Bucharest, Romania

With a lot of the red tape in Romania it's just a case of trying again at different times and with different people. If you go to a government office of some description and ask for certain info, or if something is possible, your chance of success depends solely on the person there. It's highly unlikely that they'll know the rules, and it's also highly likely they'll tell you it's not possible simply because they can't be bothered to deal with it. You have several options:

a. Get in their face until they do it. This may see rude, but it's basically what Romanians do when they want something done, so don't worry about it.
b. Bribe them. Or at least ingraciate yourself with the official in question with some token of your appreciation for their help.
c. Scare them. Find out the name of someone above them in the pyramid and suggest that somehow you know that person. I get amazing results sometimes by simply getting out a pen and paper and asking for the person's name and position. Sounds corny but it works most of the time.

Being polite and patient in these situations is simply interpreted as meaning that you are unimportant and have no clout when dealing with Romanian red tape. As with so many things when living abroad you have to learn to adapt to the methods of your new country.

Keep up the fight, NG!