Romania may issue e-ID cards to Moldovan residents
Romanian citizens living in the Republic of Moldova who have lost their ID cards may soon be eligible to receive electronic identity cards. These cards will reflect their residency in the Republic of Moldova and address the issues that have arisen from legislative changes implemented by the Romanian government. This announcement was made by Eugen Tomac, honorary advisor to the President of Romania.
Eugen Tomac stated in an interview with Radio Chișinău that the Romanian government is taking the issue of Romanian citizens in the Republic of Moldova very seriously. The authorities have identified a series of procedures that they plan to implement, likely starting this month, to help these citizens return to a state of normalcy more quickly. One proposed solution is to issue new electronic identity cards that will indicate residency in the Republic of Moldova, thereby resolving the issues related to domicile addresses.
Tomac explained that Romanian officials have been working for over two months to devise solutions for those affected by the recent changes. He mentioned that the details and steps to follow will be publicly announced within the next two weeks. The objective is to simplify the procedures and reduce the time required to obtain identity documents.
The issues arose after legislative amendments to domicile, which no longer permit multiple registrations at the same address, as was possible before. Consequently, many identity cards were canceled due to the lack of a verified domicile.
"I deeply regret that we have reached this situation. "Better communication could have prevented this issue", said Tomac.
Additionally, he reassured that Romanian citizenship is unaffected by these changes. "Romanian citizenship cannot be lost. We have found solutions for those who have lost their ID cards, enabling them to legally restore their rights and obtain their documents," said Eugen Tomac.
In 2023, Romania implemented legislative changes regarding population records, resulting in the cancellation of over 162,000 identity cards by the end of 2025. According to data from Romanian authorities, approximately 66% of those affected are Romanian citizens originally from the Republic of Moldova.
The new law limits the number of occupants at a single address to a maximum of ten people, excluding extended family members. Additionally, residence listings can be canceled either upon request by the property owner or following checks by authorities. This measure was introduced after authorities discovered extreme cases, including instances where thousands, even tens of thousands of individuals were registered at a single address.
After conducting checks, Romanian authorities found addresses with over a thousand registered residents, including one case in Bucharest where over 22,000 people were listed as living in a two-room apartment.
As a result of these changes, a significant portion of cancellations—approximately half in 2025 alone—were initiated by property owners themselves. This situation has created challenges for individuals who did not update their addresses in a timely manner.
