How to Apply for a Romanian Passport with Domicile Abroad (CRDS)

What is a Romanian passport with domicile abroad?

A Romanian passport with domicile abroad is commonly called a CRDS passport, from the Romanian expression cetatean roman cu domiciliul in strainatate.

Its official description is pasaport simplu electronic cu mentionarea statului de domiciliu when issued as an electronic passport.

The passport identifies the holder as a Romanian citizen whose domicile is established in another country. It also serves as a Romanian travel document and proof of Romanian citizenship and identity.

The responsible authority is the General Directorate for Passports, operating under the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Applications are received by Public Community Passport Services in Romania and Romanian diplomatic missions or consular offices abroad.

The first practical step is to establish whether you have acceptable proof of domicile or residence status in the foreign country. Without that evidence, the CRDS application may not satisfy the official requirements.

How is a CRDS passport different from a regular passport?

Both are Romanian passports. The principal distinction is the domicile status recorded for the holder.

A CRDS passport is not a foreign residence permit. It is issued by Romania and records the foreign country of domicile based on the applicant's supporting evidence.

Obtaining a CRDS passport also affects the Romanian identity document that previously established domicile in Romania. At the first CRDS issuance, that document must be surrendered under the official procedure.

Who can apply for a CRDS passport?

Romanian citizens who have established domicile abroad may apply for an electronic passport or, where the additional statutory conditions are met, a temporary passport showing the country of domicile.

The applicant must provide official foreign documents establishing an accepted basis for domicile abroad.

Romanian passport authorities recognise several categories of foreign residence and status documents. These are alternatives, not cumulative requirements.

Which foreign residence documents are accepted?

The General Directorate for Passports identifies the following qualifying situations:

• The applicant has obtained a residence right for at least one year or has received successive extensions during a one-year period.
• The applicant has obtained residence rights through family reunification with a person domiciled in the foreign country.
• The applicant holds long-term or permanent residence in the foreign country.
• The applicant has also acquired citizenship of the foreign country.
• The applicant has obtained a right to work or is enrolled at a public or private institution primarily for studies, including vocational training.
• The applicant holds a registration certificate or document confirming residence in an EU member state, EEA country or Switzerland.

The document must come from the competent authority in the country concerned and be presented in original, with an authorised Romanian translation where applicable.

The fact that the applicant has lived abroad for a long period is not, by itself, a substitute for the evidence required by the Romanian passport authority.

What if you have dual citizenship?

Acquisition of citizenship in the foreign country is one of the recognised circumstances in the official CRDS checklist.

A Romanian citizen who has also become a citizen of the country where they live may therefore use the relevant foreign citizenship documentation as evidence under the CRDS procedure.

The foreign citizenship document must correspond to the applicant's Romanian identity and civil-status records.

Where the applicant's name changed abroad, the Romanian civil-status registration must be updated as required before the passport application can be accepted.

What documents must an adult applicant prepare?

The official CRDS document checklist requires the following core evidence:

• Previous Romanian passport, if one exists.
• Original Romanian civil-status certificates, including birth and other applicable certificates.
• Foreign domicile or residence evidence issued by the competent foreign authorities.
• Authorised Romanian translations of foreign documents where required.
• Passport payment evidence for the relevant domestic or consular application.
• Romanian identity card or other identity document, if one exists, according to the applicable checklist.
• Romanian citizenship certificate or card in the specific cases involving recently acquired or reacquired citizenship.

For applications in Romania, the payment evidence must identify the applicant and transaction. The General Directorate for Passports specifies the transaction number, name, surname, CNP and amount paid.

Documents submitted to the consular authority must be presented in original under the published eConsulat adult CRDS checklist.

Before booking an appointment, check whether your civil-status records have been registered in Romania and whether your foreign documents contain consistent names.

Which Romanian civil-status documents are required?

The consular CRDS checklist identifies Romanian civil-status documents according to the applicant's circumstances.

• Birth certificate: the Romanian birth certificate.
• Marriage certificate: for married applicants.
• Widowhood evidence: the spouse's death certificate or Romanian civil-status evidence recording the termination of the marriage through death, as applicable.
• Divorce evidence: the relevant final Romanian divorce decision or Romanian civil-status certificate recording the dissolution of marriage and the surname used after divorce.

The General Directorate for Passports states that foreign civil-status certificates issued to Romanian citizens can be accepted only after the relevant registration or transcription into Romanian civil-status records.

Romanian civil-status certificates must also contain the applicant's CNP.

For example, if a Romanian citizen married abroad and changed their surname, they should resolve the Romanian civil-status registration and name consistency before requesting a CRDS passport in the new surname.

What if you recently acquired or reacquired Romanian citizenship?

The General Directorate for Passports identifies an additional requirement introduced through the legal changes associated with Emergency Ordinance No. 100/2024.

If you acquired or reacquired Romanian citizenship and have not held a Romanian passport or Romanian identity document since obtaining citizenship, the CRDS application must also include the Romanian citizenship certificate or citizenship card.

This requirement does not mean that every existing Romanian passport holder must present a citizenship certificate for every renewal.

How should foreign residence evidence be prepared?

The foreign document must establish one of the qualifying situations recognised by the Romanian passport authority.

Prepare the original document and check whether an authorised Romanian translation is required.

Documents may differ by country because immigration and residence systems are not identical. A permanent residence document, a qualifying residence permit, an EU residence registration certificate or foreign citizenship evidence may be relevant depending on the applicant's situation.

For example, a Romanian citizen living in another EU member state who holds an official residence registration document should check that it identifies them correctly and confirms residence in that country.

A person who has only a travel booking, hotel reservation or informal statement of accommodation should not assume that those documents establish the foreign domicile required for a CRDS passport.

What if the names on your documents do not match?

The passport authority specifically warns that the holder's name must be consistent across Romanian civil-status records and foreign documents proving domicile abroad.

Where the discrepancy results from a name change abroad, the relevant change must be recorded in the Romanian civil-status system before the CRDS application can be accepted.

Do not rely on a translation alone to resolve an unregistered legal name change.

Address the underlying civil-status discrepancy before attending the passport appointment.

Can you apply while visiting Romania?

Yes. A Romanian citizen domiciled abroad may submit a CRDS passport application at a Public Community Passport Service in Romania.

Applications may be submitted at any such service, not only in a particular county.

The official domestic appointment service is MAI ePasapoarte. Appointments are made online rather than by telephone or email.

The General Directorate for Passports also states that territorial offices may accept applicants without appointments when capacity permits. Availability is not guaranteed.

For an electronic CRDS passport, attend the appointment personally and present the original documents. The electronic passport procedure includes facial image capture and fingerprints, subject to the applicable exceptions.

At submission, specify where you want to collect the completed passport. You may request collection at a Romanian passport service or a Romanian diplomatic mission or consular office abroad.

Can you apply from the country where you live?

Yes. Romanian diplomatic missions and consular offices accept CRDS passport applications abroad.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs provides the eConsulat platform for consular service requests.

For an adult electronic CRDS passport, select the service described as Pasaport simplu electronic pentru cetateni romani majori cu domiciliul in strainatate.

The eConsulat service provides separate sections for conditions, required documents, consular fees and how the application is resolved.

Prepare the Romanian civil-status documents and foreign residence evidence before completing the consular request.

The electronic platform assists with the consular application and appointment process. It does not replace the required personal attendance and biometric capture for the ordinary electronic passport procedure.

The applicable consular fee must be checked for the mission and service. Do not assume that the domestic passport fee automatically applies abroad.

How much does a CRDS passport cost?

For applications submitted at Public Community Passport Services in Romania, the official fee is 265 RON, including VAT.

The tariff has applied since 1 August 2025 and covers both electronic and temporary simple passport applications submitted domestically.

The domestic payment methods are:

• Ghiseul.ro, the official electronic payment platform.
• CEC Bank cashiers.
• CEC Bank SelfPay payment stations.

Retain the payment confirmation containing the required identifying details.

For applications submitted through Romanian diplomatic missions or consular offices, the applicable fee is governed by the consular service arrangements. Consult the fee section of the relevant eConsulat service before payment.

Translation and other document preparation expenses are separate from the passport fee.

How long does it take to receive a CRDS passport?

The General Directorate for Passports publishes different maximum periods depending on where the electronic passport application is submitted and where the document is collected.

The passport authority separately reports that electronic passports processed and collected in Romania are ordinarily available in approximately 5 working days. During busier periods, this may increase to around 10 working days.

The shorter figure is an operational estimate, not a replacement for the published maximum processing period.

If you live abroad but can attend a Romanian passport office and collect the passport in Romania, that arrangement has a different published processing period from collection through a consulate abroad.

Choose the collection location before submitting the application because it affects the relevant delivery arrangement.

What happens after you submit the application?

The General Directorate for Passports provides a passport application status service through MAI ePasapoarte.

Use the application details supplied at submission to follow the status instructions.

The electronic CRDS passport may be collected from the passport service or Romanian diplomatic mission or consular office specified in the application.

If your previous passport was left valid until collection of the new CRDS passport, bring it when collecting the new document.

The authority cancels the previous passport as applicable and returns it to the holder. The official instructions clarify that cancellation does not invalidate visas already contained in the previous passport.

If you need to change the collection arrangements, contact the responsible passport service or consular authority and follow its instructions.

Do you have to surrender your Romanian identity card?

Yes, when obtaining your first CRDS passport, the Romanian identity document establishing domicile in Romania must be surrendered.

The General Directorate for Passports expressly identifies this requirement for applicants transitioning to domicile abroad.

The surrendered identity document is forwarded to the competent Romanian persons records service.

The authority also identifies the possibility of obtaining a Romanian identity card marked Fara domiciliu in Romania (FDR), subject to the applicable identity document procedure.

This is an important practical distinction: a CRDS passport does not simply add a foreign address while leaving an ordinary Romanian domicile identity card unchanged.

If your underlying personal information is incorrect, consult the separate Helpydo procedure for correcting personal data in the Romanian persons register. Rectification is a separate process from issuing the CRDS passport.

Can minors obtain passports showing domicile abroad?

Yes. Romanian children may obtain CRDS passports, but the application must establish the child's foreign domicile and satisfy the rules concerning parental consent and legal representation.

The General Directorate for Passports publishes several accepted forms of domicile evidence for minors.

• The child's existing CRDS passport, where at least one parent or the legal representative is domiciled in the same country.
• The parents' CRDS passports where both parents are domiciled in the same country.
• One parent's CRDS passport together with the other parent's consent to the child's domicile, where required.
• A relevant final court decision establishing the child's domicile or parental authority.
• The surviving parent's passport or the legal representative's passport, where applicable.
• A foreign identity document proving the child's domicile where the relevant parent or legal representative is not a Romanian citizen.

When the child's domicile is being changed to or with one parent, the other parent's consent is required under the applicable rules.

If the parents disagree about the child's domicile, or a parent cannot express consent, the passport authority requires the matter to be resolved through the competent court in the circumstances specified by law.

Do not assume that permission to issue an ordinary child passport automatically proves consent to establish the child's domicile abroad.

Children under 14

The application requires the child's Romanian birth certificate, the relevant parental or legal representation documents, evidence of foreign domicile and the previous passport if available.

Additional consent or court documentation may be required depending on who submits the application and where the child's domicile is established.

Check the specific CRDS checklist for the child's age and circumstances before attending the passport office or consulate.

Children aged 14 or older

For older minors, the applicable passport procedure also requires the relevant identity and civil-status documents, parental consent or legally accepted substitute, foreign domicile evidence and previous passport where available.

The electronic passport procedure ordinarily requires the minor's presence for identification and biometric capture, subject to the legal exceptions.

Where a child has different surname or civil-status details across Romanian and foreign records, resolve the discrepancy before applying.

How long is a CRDS passport valid?

The ordinary electronic CRDS passport follows the age-based validity rules applicable to Romanian electronic passports.

The foreign country of domicile is recorded in the passport, but the passport's validity period is not determined by the length of a particular travel booking.

For a temporary CRDS passport, the validity period and eligibility rules differ from those of the electronic document.

Can you request an urgent temporary CRDS passport?

A temporary CRDS passport is possible under Romanian law, but it is not an unrestricted faster alternative to the electronic passport.

The applicant must satisfy the legal conditions for temporary passport issuance in addition to the requirements concerning foreign domicile.

The General Directorate for Passports publishes a maximum issuance period of 3 working days for a temporary CRDS passport.

The separate Helpydo guide on applying for a temporary Romanian passport in an urgent situation explains the emergency eligibility rules.

Do not select the temporary passport solely because you prefer a shorter processing period or have routine tourist travel plans.

What mistakes should you avoid?

• Insufficient foreign residence evidence: the document does not establish one of the accepted qualifying circumstances.
• Missing Romanian civil-status registration: a foreign marriage, birth or other civil-status event has not been registered or transcribed in Romania where required.
• Different names on documents: the foreign document and Romanian civil-status records do not match because a name change has not been registered.
• Missing CNP: the Romanian civil-status documents do not contain the required personal numerical code.
• Missing citizenship evidence: a newly naturalised or reinstated Romanian citizen omits the required citizenship certificate or card in the specific circumstances covered by the rule.
• Incorrect assumptions about identity cards: the applicant expects to retain an ordinary Romanian domicile identity card after first obtaining CRDS status.
• Incomplete parental consent: a child's foreign domicile is not supported by the necessary consent or court documentation.
• Wrong collection arrangement: the applicant overlooks that collection abroad can have a longer published processing period.

What if the passport authority requests additional documents?

Identify the exact issue raised by the passport service or consular office.

If the problem is missing foreign domicile evidence, obtain a document that establishes one of the recognised legal circumstances.

If the issue is an unregistered civil-status event or name change, complete the relevant Romanian civil-status procedure before resubmitting the passport request.

For a minor, missing parental consent or a dispute over domicile may require the legally recognised consent documentation or a final court decision.

Do not assume that a new appointment automatically resolves an underlying eligibility or document defect.

The reviewed CRDS instructions do not establish a single special appeal deadline for every possible refusal. If a formal adverse decision is issued, request its reasons and follow the remedy applicable to that decision.

Can you establish domicile in Romania again?

Yes. The General Directorate for Passports confirms that a Romanian citizen domiciled abroad may freely establish domicile in Romania again.

After establishing domicile in Romania, the person may apply to the competent Public Community Service for Persons Records for a Romanian identity card confirming the Romanian domicile.

This is a separate administrative process from obtaining or renewing a CRDS passport.

If an institution asks for an official certificate confirming your registered Romanian domicile, the separate Helpydo guide to obtaining a Romanian domicile or residence certificate explains the certification service. That certificate does not itself establish a new Romanian domicile.

Where should you start your CRDS application?

Use the General Directorate for Passports' official section for Cetateni romani cu domiciliul in strainatate and its dedicated CRDS document checklist.

For applications in Romania, use the MAI ePasapoarte appointment service and the relevant Public Community Passport Service.

For applications abroad, use eConsulat and select the service corresponding to an electronic passport for Romanian citizens with domicile abroad.

Before submission, check four matters: the foreign domicile evidence, the Romanian civil-status documents, the consistency of the applicant's name and the intended passport collection location.

The General Directorate for Passports can be contacted through its public information service:

• Address: Strada Nicolae Iorga nr. 29, Sector 1, Bucharest, Romania.
• Telephone: 0371 575 536.
• Email: dgp.relatiipublice@mai.gov.ro.

For a consular application, consult the competent Romanian diplomatic mission or consular office for its current appointment, fee and document submission arrangements.