Moldovan parliament adopts new citizenship law

The parliament adopted a new citizenship law in its second reading on July 10. The initiative was supported by 62 MPs.

The new legislation redefines the grounds on which Moldovan citizenship can be acquired: by birth, recognition, adoption, reacquisition and naturalization, and it standardizes procedures to eliminate discrimination or preferential treatment among different categories of applicants.

The key provisions of the draft include the requirement for all applicants to know the Romanian language and the Constitution's provisions. Additionally, strict measures are established to prevent fraud and corruption, including thorough verification of submitted documents and applicants' personal histories.

The new law imposes extended responsibilities on government institutions in reviewing applications, including checks related to integrity, criminal records, and international travel history.

The normative act distinctly addresses cases in which applications may be rejected for technical reasons and when citizenship may be denied based on non-compliance with legal criteria. Applications from individuals subject to international sanctions or those who do not personally submit their requests will be automatically rejected, thereby eliminating the possibility of submitting applications by proxy.

The new law also clarifies the rights of foreigners’ categories eligible for citizenship by naturalization and the legal regime concerning the required legal residence period for getting it.