Romanian citizenship is in the top 2: it is possible to obtain a passport within 24 months

Romania immediately rose by 19 positions. The passport gives visa-free travel to 172 countries, the right to live and work in the EU and retain your first citizenship

The year 2026 marked a real breakthrough for Romania: the country’s passport took second place in the authoritative Nomad Passport Index, immediately rising by 19 positions. This success confirms the status of the state as one of the most promising in the European Union. Today, the country offers its citizens global mobility, personal freedom and a favorable tax environment.

Interest in Romanian citizenship among immigrants from post-Soviet countries has not subsided for several years. During the duration of the program under Art. 11 of the Romanian Law “On Citizenship” No. 21/1991, more than 2 million citizens of the CIS countries received a second passport. This demand is largely due to the availability of a simplified procedure and the advantages that open up to new citizens.

What does Romania offer to its citizens?

The EU and Schengen, as well as an active foreign policy, today provide Romanian citizens with visa-free travel to 172 countries, and this list will expand. This opens up opportunities for both tourism and professional activities or business. Nomad Capitalist experts praised the level of freedom of movement of the Romanian passport, noting that its holders have easy access to both European countries and the countries of North and South America, Asia and the East.

Within the European Union, the holder of a Romanian passport has the right to freely work without the need to obtain a work permit.

You can move to any EU country by simply registering with the local city hall, open companies and run a business with access to European loans at low interest rates. If we talk about Romania itself from a business perspective, corporate tax here is still one of the lowest in Europe and amounts to only 10%.

Multiple citizenship and maintaining the original passport is another compelling argument that Nomad Capitalist experts also took into account. The ability not to give up statuses previously obtained in favor of Romanian makes the country an attractive region for preserving capital, investing in real estate and business.

Perception of Romania and its citizens in the world community

If previously the country was associated with agriculture, then in 2026 its image is inextricably linked with Digital & Tech. Romania has finally gotten rid of the stereotypes of the 2000s and established itself as a dynamic IT hub. According to the Global Soft Power Index 2026, it has risen to 53rd place in the world in terms of soft power, demonstrating one of the fastest rates of image growth in Europe. Bucharest and Cluj-Napoca are today perceived as cities of the future. The country has risen to 44th place in the global technology rankings.

The Trustworthiness Index for Romania as a whole increased by 21 positions. This is due to Bucharest's active role in supporting regional security and humanitarian initiatives.

Being a Romanian citizen now means for many people having a passport that commands respect in banks, airports and business centers around the world.

Simplified procedure for obtaining Romanian citizenship and who applies for it

Romania attracts track and field athletes, football players, rugby players and other world sports stars, offering them a passport to represent the country at the national level. Also among the recipients are historians and journalists who have dedicated their lives to the study of Romanian cultural heritage.

However, today among the holders of a Romanian passport as a second one are not only athletes and cultural figures, but also influential politicians and entrepreneurs.

Today, Romanian legislation provides for several programs for obtaining citizenship status.

The most popular of them is a simplified procedure that allows you to obtain a passport in just two years and even without the need to reside in Romania.

The main applicants for it are citizens of Moldova, but in the last few years this migration procedure has attracted more and more immigrants from other countries of the post-Soviet space.

Obtaining Romanian citizenship through a simplified procedure is not difficult. In most cases, applicants seek help from archivists and professional immigration lawyers who help collect and prepare the necessary documents for submission to the Ministry of Justice. The legislation regarding this program, updated in 2024, made the process more transparent, reducing the influence of the human factor and bureaucracy, and most importantly, strictly defining the time frame for consideration of the case. All this has become another important factor in the growing popularity of Romanian citizenship.

Will the demand for Romanian passports increase?

Considering the active growth of the position of the Romanian passport in world rankings, migration lawyers and analysts agree that in 2026 the number of people wishing to obtain a second citizenship in Romania will increase significantly. At the same time, many experts note that the country is interested in attracting new taxpayers and intends to optimize migration policy, making it even more flexible. Thus, in 2025, a program for obtaining “golden visas” was already announced with the possibility of further naturalization for a contribution to the economy of €400,000. It will be available to applicants from any country in the world, including India and China.

Of course, for immigrants from the countries of the former USSR, the simplified program will remain the most relevant, since it does not require investments, residence or long-term naturalization, immediately providing citizenship without intermediate migration statuses.

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CUSTOMER: Business Consult Group LLC

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