Do you need Romanian language proof?
Understand the B1 rule, Romanian-medium-study alternative, current exemptions, temporary supplementation, and oath.
Do you need Romanian language proof?
Short answer: descendant applicants under Articles 10 and 11 generally need Romanian at B1 or an accepted Romanian-medium-study record.
Current exemptions are specific. Do not assume that every descent case avoids a language requirement.
What is B1?
B1 is an intermediate level in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. It generally means you can understand and communicate about familiar matters with practical independence.
Current Law 14/2025 and the live Article 10 and 11 checklists control accepted evidence.
The official materials currently identify two main proof types:
- a B1 or higher certificate from an accepted institution
- a legalized transcript showing at least three years of study in Romanian
Do not buy a certificate before confirming that the issuing institution and document format fit the current checklist.
Who is currently exempt?
The current express exemptions include:
- an applicant who personally was a Romanian citizen and applies for reacquisition
- an applicant who is at least 65 years old on the application date
A descendant is not exempt merely because the parent, grandparent, or great-grandparent was Romanian.
Age is tested at filing. A birthday near filing and any disagreement about the recorded birth date need careful review.
What about the temporary supplement rule?
This is a narrow transition, not an enduring permission for every applicant to file without language proof.
OUG 16/2026 changed the relevant transition period. ANC currently states 14 March 2027 for qualifying supplementation.
Do not treat that as a guaranteed last filing or receipt day. The applicant should ensure ANC receives the material materially earlier, keep proof of receipt, and obtain current written confirmation for the specific file.
Consular delivery, postmark, dispatch, and ANC receipt are not interchangeable. This site does not calculate the date or decide whether a file belongs to the transition cohort.
Is language proof required for existing Article 5 status?
Not as a condition for proving citizenship already acquired at birth.
Article 5 status proof asks whether a parent was Romanian when the child was born. Do not import the Article 10 and 11 B1 rule into that question.
A separate current process, such as ordinary Article 8 naturalization, has its own language and integration conditions.
When does the oath matter?
For Article 10 and Article 11 grant or reacquisition, filing and approval do not complete acquisition. Citizenship is acquired on taking the oath under the applicable rules.
The eConsulat oath service currently explains the operational route. Preserve the order communication date and recheck the applicable oath period, especially for an older file or a requested extension.
Do not calculate an oath deadline from the order's issue date without reviewing how and when it was communicated.
What should you do next?
Identify whether the applicant is proving existing Article 5 status, is personally a former citizen, is 65 or older at filing, or is a descendant who needs evidence.
Then compare the exact certificate or study record with the live ANC and eConsulat checklist. Treat any exemption, transition, supplementation request, or oath date as a manual-review item.
Use the filing, oath, and appeals guide for the current authority and next procedural step.
Sources checked: 27 August 2026. Recheck ANC, eConsulat, and the current law before filing.