- How to obtain Moldovan citizenship by legal means?
- Different mechanisms for obtaining citizenship
- Naturalization is the path to Moldovan citizenship
- Reasons for refusal to grant Moldovan citizenship
- Options for obtaining dual citizenship
With the collapse of the Soviet Union, many newly formed states quickly began to develop the legislative framework. Therefore, today the answer to the important question of how to obtain Moldovan citizenship must be sought in the law on citizenship, adopted back in 1991, immediately after gaining independence.
In this material, we will take a closer look at the central normative legal act - “On the Citizenship of the Republic of Moldova”, its main provisions, conditions suitable for different categories of the country's indigenous population and visitors.
How to obtain Moldovan citizenship by legal means?
Article 9 of the Law on Citizenship spells out the grounds on which it is possible to obtain a passport of a citizen of Moldova: birth; adoption; repatriation; admission to citizenship; restoration of civil rights. Each of these ways to become a Moldovan citizen has its own characteristics, which are prescribed in the law and other Moldovan regulatory legal acts.
Different mechanisms for obtaining citizenship
The way to become a full-fledged member of the society by birth is offered not only by Moldova, but also by all other states of the planet. For this country, the acquisition of citizenship by birth is subject to the following conditions:
- both parents are citizens of Moldova, the child is born on Moldovan territory;
- one parent is a Moldovan citizen, place of birth is Moldova;
- one or both parents are citizens, the place of birth is outside the state;
- the child was found on the territory, it was not possible to establish the parents.
Separately, the law deals with the issue of obtaining citizenship by reason of adoption. An important nuance - a potential citizen of the country, adopted by Moldovan citizens, must be less than 16 years old. Provided that the adoptive parents (mother and father) have different citizenship, they must reach an agreement in writing, confirm that they are not against the adoption of Moldovan citizenship by the adopted child.
Another basis for obtaining citizenship is repatriation, such a basis is present in the laws of many countries that were previously part of the USSR. This way can return citizenship to persons who left the territory of Moldova or were expelled since 1940. Children and grandchildren of the above mentioned persons can also exercise the right to obtain Moldovan citizenship by repatriation.
Naturalization is the path to Moldovan citizenship
For the majority of immigrants, there is only one way left - to become a citizen. To do this, it is necessary to comply with certain conditions prescribed in the law. And the very first condition for filing an application is the age of majority, which occurs in the country at the age of 16. Among other conditions - the period of residence on the territory of Moldova, at least 10 years, for those who entered into an official marriage with a citizen of the country - at least three years.
The next condition is also extremely important for obtaining a passport of a Moldovan citizen - a sufficient level of knowledge of the state, that is, the Moldovan language. To obtain Moldovan citizenship, immigration services will require information about sources of income (certificates from work and salary, bank accounts or real estate), knowledge of the Constitution, law-abidingness, loyalty to the Moldovan people. The last document in the complex for applying for citizenship is a waiver of the rights of a citizen at the previous place of residence.
Reasons for refusal to grant Moldovan citizenship
Article 20 of the Citizenship Law provides a list of grounds on which a potential applicant for citizenship will be given a negative answer. Separate positions can be found in most legislative acts of different countries, for example, filing a petition while under investigation, serving a sentence, or an unreleased conviction.
The list of persons who will be denied citizenship are war criminals who have committed a crime against the people of Moldova (who participated in the repressions) or humanity in general, those who incite national, racial hatred. Interestingly, the denial of citizenship threatens fans of fascism, Stalinism and chauvinism.
Paragraph 8 of this article is the most peaceful - those persons who, in turn, have not renounced the citizenship of their country or previous place of residence, will receive a denial of citizenship. It is clear that this reason on the way of obtaining a Moldovan passport is very easy to eliminate.
Options for obtaining dual citizenship
The Law on Citizenship gives an unambiguous answer, in principle, a citizen of the Republic of Moldova cannot be a citizen of another state at the same time. The exception is the cases included in the treaties between several states, to which Moldova becomes a party. In order to obtain dual citizenship, exceptional reasons are required, and the president of the republic personally decides on each specific situation.
