Citizenship applications: where do I get my Romanian language diploma?

The 2025 Citizenship Law has established the need for all applicants to speak Romanian, and have a language diploma proving this. We explore this requirement in more detail here, including practical advice on where and how to get your Romanian language diploma.

Remember that Direct citizenship does not require language requirements. Direct citizenship is when you are considered to have been born a citizen, but abroad. You have this chance if your parent or grandparent left present-day Romania on or after 1949; or if your original emigrant parent or grandparent is alive (regardless of when they left Romania). Read more about Direct citizenship here! We will gladly help with that procedure.

01 Who has to speak Romanian?

Every adult, capable person applying for Romanian citizenship, to the National Citizenship Authority or consulate, has to speak Romanian.

The following are exempt from speaking Romanian:

a. minors (persons who are under 18 years of age, at the time of taking the Oath);

b. persons under judicial counsel or special tutorship, or an equivalent foreign protection measure, due to their mental impairment.

Romanian citizenship by application now requires language knowledge.

02 Who has to have a Romanian language diploma?

Every adult, capable person applying for Romanian citizenship, to the National Citizenship Authority or consulate, has to have a Romanian language diploma, unless they fall within one of the exemptions below.

The following are exempt from having a language diploma but not from actually speaking Romanian:

a. former Romanian citizens. That usually means a person born in Romania, who later emigrated. Exceptionally, it can mean a Romanian citizen born abroad, who later renounced Romanian citizenship.

b. anyone who is 65 years or older at the time of making the request.

03 How is Romanian language knowledge proven for those who are exempt from a diploma?

Former Romanian citizens and anyone who is 65 years or older must still speak Romanian in practice. This is verified by direct dialogue with the consular official, or the officer of the National Citizenship Authority, at two points in time:

a. when making the request for citizenship;

b. when taking the Oath.

The officials' determination of whether someone actually speaks Romanian is final, binding and discretionary!

04 What kinds of language diploma are accepted for Romanian citizenship applications?

The following language diplomas are accepted, exclusively:

a. Language competency certificate issued by one of the Romanian universities that offer the "preparatory year of Romanian language" course. This means enrolling and attending a university in Romania. This is the normal route for persons of Romanian origin who come back to study in Romania;

b. Educational record, legalized and Apostilled, by a foreign high-school or university, from your own country of citizenship or residence, which shows that you effectively studied at least 3 years in the Romanian language. This is a normal route for members of the Romanian historical minorities in neighboring countries. You can find a list of specially recognized Romanian language lecturers in foreign universities here. But going specifically to one of these is not a requirement.

c. Language competency certificate issued by the Romanian Cultural Institute or its branches abroad. This is the only path for official online courses. The Romanian Cultural Institute website is here. It has 19 branches including in New York (US), Beijing (the only one in Asia), Tel Aviv (Israel), and the rest in Europe.

The RCI organizes in-person and online classes of Romanian language. They also have individual courses, both in person and online, tailored to your needs. You take an individual test, which determines the level at which you start.

The RCI also organizes in-person exams. You can go for the exam with, or without having previously attended their courses. It is your choice. You are not required to attend their particular courses to join an exam, either with the RCI, or with the Romanian Language Institute. You can also study at home, with a private tutor, or any other way you want.

The exams are organized in Romania, or abroad, by the RCI branches. Usually, they do this in collaboration with a local university. To find out when the next exam takes place, look for the branch that is nearest to you (for the US, that's New York), and look for any language examinations. Not all branches have examinations, and not all offer these every year. It depends a lot on their resources.

If you find an available examination time and place, it will also have the signing-up instructions, and the location (usually a local university campus).

Important! You need to select an exam at B1 / B2 or C1 / C2 level. A1 / A2 diplomas are not accepted for citizenship.

d. Language competency certificate issued by the Romanian Language Institute. This is the most accessible path and is location-agnostic. The Romanian Language Institute website is here. It is the only path for official online exams. It does not have any branches, all activity is done from Bucharest and online.

The RLI organizes online language exams. The dedicated page is here. It is evidently only in Romanian, since they assume knowledge. The exam can be taken from home, and requires the Zoom application.

Important! You need to select an exam at B1 / B2 or C1 / C2 level. A1 / A2 diplomas are not accepted for citizenship.

05 So what would be the top on-line path to a language diploma?

The "best-in-class" path to a language diploma is to follow the online courses of the Romanian Cultural Institute, and then take the online exam of the Romanian Language Institute.

06 What does the B1 level mean?

The B1 level of language knowledge, which is the minimum required by the law, corresponds to the European language classification system. The definition of the system is here.

In practice, B1 is an independent user, who:

• can understand the main points of clear standard subjects such as work, school, leisure;

• can deal with most situations likely to arise while traveling in a Romanian-speaking area;

• can produce simple connected text on topics that are familiar;

• can describe experiences and events, dreams, hopes and ambitions and briefly give reasons and explanations for opinions and plans.

07 Where can I find free, official, online resources for Romanian language learning?

Here is a list of officially approved resources for language study, if you wish to study independently, or to prepare yourself for the exam:

a. The official manuals for beginners and advanced learners are here;

b. They are broken down into online courses here;

c. Interactive exercises are here;

d. Audio materials are here;

e. Sample tests by the Romanian Language Institute, from past years, are on this page.

You want those marked as B1 and B2. Note that they use an old compression algorithm for some files. You can open .ace files using WinAce, or other applications that bundle it.

We hope that this guide allows you to plan ahead towards obtaining the language diploma, which is the first step in any citizenship by application procedure. Don't forget to start here for the other requirements and news.