Citizenship law clarifies exemptions for Moldovans born abroad
A citizenship law with amendments concerning Moldovans who do not have a birth certificate was adopted yesterday in its second and final reading.
The law entered into force immediately after publication. The main question for many people was whether Moldovans born abroad and lacking a Moldovan birth certificate would be required to take exams. The answer is now clear: the rules have been softened, but only under one condition.
The law, which initially entered into force on December 24, 2025, required all adult applicants to pass exams in Romanian language and the Constitution. That caused a wave of criticism, especially among members of the diaspora who appear to have a right to citizenship by birth, but do not have the necessary documents.
Who is exempt from the exams?
The authorities will now look at whether the applicant had at least one Moldovan citizen parent at the time of birth. If this fact is established and the person can prove it with documents such as parents’ birth certificates, passports or official records citizenship can be granted without exams.
Therefore, even if a person was born abroad to Moldovan parents, this does not automatically mean they must take a language exam. The key point is to prove their roots.
The original, stricter version of the law adopted in December 2025 effectively placed all “persons born abroad but with ancestors” under naturalisation rules. In other words, children of diaspora parents were required to pass both the language exam and the Constitution exam in order to obtain citizenship.
Now the procedures have been separated. If an applicant can present documents confirming that at least one parent held Moldovan citizenship, they will follow the simplified route through “recognition”, not “naturalisation”.
If there are no documents, the right to citizenship will have to be proven in court.
Military registration and sanctions-related restrictions
One of the most sensitive provisions concerned military service. The scandal broke after a young man who had served in the army was unable to obtain Moldovan citizenship because he did not have a birth certificate.
Under the updated rules, military registration will be based strictly on a citizen’s identity card or data from the State Register.
The law also lists clearer grounds for refusal, which had previously been vague. Citizenship may now be denied to those who:
- committed war crimes;
- participated in terrorist acts;
- are included on international or national sanctions lists.
