---
title: "Navigating citizenship in Moldova: Legal changes and rights-based implications"
description: "This briefing note summarises the key amendments to Moldova’s Citizenship Law that entered into force in December 2025."
url: "https://www.nrc.no/resources/reports/navigating-citizenship-in-moldova-legal-changes-and-rights-based-implications"
language: "en"
published: "2026-01-27T09:52:14Z"
modified: "2026-01-27T09:52:14Z"
---

![](https://www.nrc.no/globalassets/images/publications/briefing-notes/navigating-citizenship-in-moldova.jpg)

Briefing note

# Navigating citizenship in Moldova: Legal changes and rights-based implications

Published 27. Jan 2026

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[Moldova](https://www.nrc.no/themes?categoryId=247) [Information, counselling and legal assistance (ICLA)](https://www.nrc.no/themes?categoryId=154)

This briefing note summarises the key amendments to Moldova’s Citizenship Law that entered into force in December 2025.

It analyses the legal and rights-based implications for refugees, displaced persons from Ukraine, stateless individuals, children, and long-term residents, and outlines priority advocacy actions to ensure inclusive access to citizenship and prevent exclusion. Specifically, it recommends:

- Introducing flexibility in residence and income requirements, including counting periods spent under Temporary Protection toward naturalisation where effective residence can be demonstrated.
- Reducing barriers created by mandatory Romanian language and Constitution tests through exemptions, alternative assessments, and free or affordable preparatory courses.
- Preventing statelessness among children by ensuring automatic citizenship for children who would otherwise be stateless, regardless of parents' legal status.
- Maintaining accessible and inclusive application procedures, including representation by legal proxies and reduced fees for vulnerable groups.

[NRC Moldova Briefing Note Citizenship Legal Changes January 2026.pdf 577.2 KB](https://www.nrc.no/globalassets/pdf/briefing-notes/navigating-citizenship-in-moldova/legal-changes-rights-based-implications.pdf)