A Romanian investigation has uncovered an alleged citizenship fraud network that used fabricated ancestry records, false residences, and corrupt officials to help thousands of foreigners obtain Romanian identity documents and EU passports through a descent-based citizenship program.
Investigators found that criminal networks created false ancestral documents for Russian applicants, claiming they had ancestors in parts of Ukraine and Moldova that were Romanian territory nearly a century ago.
In some cases, the scheme allegedly used the identities of Ukrainian soldiers killed in combat to support false citizenship claims. Corrupt officials in Ukraine and Moldova then issued authentic certificates based on the fabricated histories.
The fraud targeted Romania’s citizenship by descent program, which was established in 1991. The program was designed to let people with Romanian heritage reclaim citizenship. Over three decades, it has legitimately helped about 1 million Moldovans obtain Romanian citizenship.
According to the transcript, applications from Russian citizens increased sevenfold after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Romanian prosecutors identified one criminal group made up of seven Ukrainian nationals. That group allegedly submitted more than 900 fraudulent applications in 2025 alone.
The wider investigation suggests that nearly 20,000 foreigners may have fraudulently obtained EU passports since 2022.
How the scheme worked
The alleged scheme relied on several steps:
- Fabricating ancestral records showing Romanian heritage.
- Claiming applicants had ancestors in Ukrainian or Moldovan cities that were once Romanian territory.
- Using corrupt officials in Ukraine and Moldova to issue certificates based on false histories.
- Submitting those documents to support Romanian citizenship claims.
- Establishing fake residences in Romania to obtain identity documents.
The case shows how a legitimate citizenship-by-descent program can be exploited when foreign documents, local residence records, and official certificates are not properly verified.
The Romanian commune at the center of the case
The scale of the problem became visible in Verești, a small Romanian commune near the Ukrainian border.
Official records showed that the commune’s population had doubled to 10,000 by 2024. But during municipal elections in June, only 2% of registered voters actually participated.
Police raids in November revealed what investigators described as the real reason behind the population increase. Around 10,000 citizens from Moldova, Ukraine, and Russia had allegedly obtained Romanian identity documents by creating fictitious residences in the commune.
In some cases, property owners reportedly did not even know that people had registered addresses at their properties.
Why the case matters
Romanian citizenship is also European Union citizenship. Once granted, it can provide access to EU rights, including movement and residence across the bloc.
The alleged fraud therefore did not only affect Romania. It potentially gave applicants access to the broader European Union through passports obtained using false ancestry and residence claims.
The investigation highlights several vulnerabilities in descent-based citizenship systems:
- Reliance on historical records from multiple countries.
- Difficulty verifying ancestry claims across borders.
- Corruption risks in foreign certificate issuance.
- Fake residence registration.
- Weak local controls in small municipalities.
- The high value of EU citizenship for foreign applicants.
The investigation is continuing.
