Citizenship by recognition
Information checked on 4 October 2026. The official page was last updated on 15 July 2026. Rules change: confirm with the responsible institution before you act.
Ask on the site: the answer comes from official documents, with quotes and links to the sources.
Ask a questionUnder Article 10, paragraph (1) of the Law on the Citizenship of the Republic of Moldova no. 253/2025, the following are recognised, on request, as citizens of the Republic of Moldova: a person aged over 18 who knows the Romanian language and the provisions of the Constitution and who has no proof of holding Moldovan citizenship, namely:
- a person born on the territory of the Republic of Moldova;
- a person born abroad who has at least one parent, grandparent or great-grandparent born on the territory of the Republic of Moldova;
- a person who was born and lived, until 28 June 1940, in Bessarabia, Northern Bukovina, the Herța region or the Moldavian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, and a person who is a descendant of such a person;
- a person deported or who fled from the territory of the Republic of Moldova starting from 28 June 1940, and a person who is a descendant of such a person.
The application for acquiring Moldovan citizenship by recognition is addressed to the Public Services Agency and is submitted in person at one of its subdivisions in Chișinău or, for a person domiciled or located abroad, at a diplomatic mission or consular office of the Republic of Moldova.
The date on which these persons acquire Moldovan citizenship is considered to be the date on which the director of the Public Services Agency approves the opinion on the recognition of the person as a citizen of the Republic of Moldova.
On the basis of a parent's application, the following child is recognised as a citizen of the Republic of Moldova:
- a child born abroad who has legal residence on the territory of the Republic of Moldova, if their parent previously acquired Moldovan citizenship. The condition of legal residence on the territory of the Republic of Moldova is not required for a child whose parent acquired Moldovan citizenship by recognition or regained it;
- a child born on the territory of the Republic of Moldova to parents who are citizens of another state, or one of whom is stateless or a beneficiary of international protection and the other is a foreign citizen, if, on the date of submitting the application, at least one of the parents has legal residence on the territory of the Republic of Moldova or has acquired Moldovan citizenship.
Service deadline: the time for examining the application for acquiring Moldovan citizenship by recognition is up to 1 year.
The time for examining the application for acquiring Moldovan citizenship by recognition may be extended by a reasonably determined period needed to carry out the steps required to establish the authenticity of certain documents or the truthfulness of facts attested by the documents submitted by the applicant, or to remedy non-conformities identified during the examination of the application, but it cannot exceed 6 months.
The list of documents for submitting the application can be accessed here.
At a glance
- Processing timeOn the day of application
- Cost6650 leiThe time for examining the application for acquiring Moldovan citizenship by recognition is up to 1 year, including payment of the amount of 180 lei state fee.
- Provided byPublic Services AgencyPhone: 14909, +373 22 257 070
How to apply
- Submitting the application
The application for acquiring Moldovan citizenship by recognition is submitted in person and can be submitted in the following ways:
- at one of the subdivisions of the Public Services Agency in Chișinău;
- for a person domiciled or located abroad: at a diplomatic mission or consular office of the Republic of Moldova.
- Paying for the service
Payment of the fee for the requested service through the government electronic payment service MPay.
- Processing and examination
- Taking the facial image and scanning the signature;
- Completing the electronic form and printing the G2 application-questionnaire;
- Sending the information in electronic form and the application with the set of paper documents to the Department of Identity Documents, Citizenship and Population Records;
- Registering the documents (registry office);
- Processing of form G2 by the Information Registers Update Section of the General Directorate of the Production Centre;
- Checking the application and its set of documents and coordinating it with the Intelligence and
- Security Service;
- Drawing up inquiries abroad to verify the authenticity of the documents submitted;
- Drawing up the opinion on acquiring Moldovan citizenship or the letter of refusal to grant citizenship of
- the Republic of Moldova and presenting it for approval to the Director of the PSA;
- Making the decision.
- Sending the opinion
Sending the opinion to SEAI/MDOC to be handed to the applicant.
Required documents
To acquire Moldovan citizenship by recognition, depending on the reason for the application, the following documents are submitted
Legal basis
- Law no. 195/2024 on the protection of personal data
- Government Decision no.333/2002 approving the Concept of the automated information system "State Population Register" and the Regulation on the State Population Register
- Law no. 467/2003 on informatisation and state information resources
- Government Decision no. 804/2025 approving the Regulation on the procedure for acquiring and losing the citizenship of the Republic of Moldova
- Administrative Code of the Republic of Moldova no. 116/2018
- Law on the Citizenship of the Republic of Moldova no. 253/2025
- Government Decision no. 966/2020 on the services provided by the Public Services Agency
- Law no. 234/2021 on public services
Ask on the site: the answer comes from official documents, with quotes and links to the sources.
Ask a questionSource. The information comes from the official page “Dobândirea cetățeniei Republicii Moldova prin recunoaștere”, provided by Public Services Agency, on the government portal evo.gov.md.
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