A large-scale corruption scheme has been uncovered in Romania, allowing Russian citizens to illegally obtain Romanian passports and EU citizenship using forged documents. This allows Russians to circumvent Western sanctions, move freely throughout Europe and do business in the EU.
According to the Romanian prosecutor’s office and media investigations, between 2022 and 2024, about 300 Russian citizens obtained illegal Romanian documents. Among the beneficiaries are businessmen, oligarchs and even individuals wanted in Russia. In some cases, Russians used the data of deceased Ukrainian military personnel, posing as ethnic Ukrainians with the right to simplified citizenship.
Romanian repatriation law allows descendants of residents of the former Kingdom of Romania (1918–1940), including parts of Moldova and Ukraine, to quickly regain citizenship. Fraudsters falsified birth certificates and other documents confirming ‘Romanian roots,’ organised fictitious registration in Romanian cities, and forged citizenship certificates allegedly issued by Romanian consulates in Russia or Turkey.
The cost of services ranged from €15,000 to €40,000. Russian-language agencies even advertised ‘Christmas discounts’ on ‘European citizenship’ for €4,000–7,000 on social media.
In 2023–2024, about 1,700 fictitious registrations were identified, and the total number may exceed 7,000. In 2025 alone, more than 900 suspicious applications for naturalisation were submitted.
At least 68 passports have been revoked, with another 300 cases under review. The investigation involves civil registry officials, lawyers, notaries, and even Ukrainian citizens who created the network in 2022.
The prosecutor’s office suspects that civil servants were involved in issuing fake registration and citizenship documents. Some Russians left for Dubai, France or other EU countries after receiving their passports.