Family reunification in the case of beneficiaries of international protection

Persons having been granted refugee status or subsidiary protection in Romania can request family reunification for their family members, if the latter are not on Romanian territory. Applications shall be submitted to the specialized structure on asylum issues of the General Inspectorate for Immigration.

By family members of beneficiaries of international protection is understood:

• Husband or, depending on the situation, the wife of the beneficiary of international protection;
• The minor children of the beneficiary of international protection or the minor children of his / her spouse, on the condition that they are unmarried, indifferently if they are issued from the marriage or from outside it or adopted according to the national legislation of the country of origin;
• The father or mother of the beneficiary of refugee status or of subsidiary protection or another adult person responsible for them, according to the Romanian law, when that beneficiary is minor and unmarried.

At the time of submittal of the application for reunification, the beneficiary of international protection will present documents (birth certificate, marriage certificate, identity card, etc.), in the original, clearly showing the family ties they have to the family member in whose name the application is lodged or, in their absence, any other evidence to prove the quality of family member.
When necessary for obtaining additional data and information on family ties, as well as for the clarification of other relevant issues for the application for family reunification, the official responsible for the case will conduct an interview with the beneficiary of international protection.
 

 In case the conditions for family reunification are met

If the officer responsible for the case notes that the proof of kinship was made by the beneficiary of international protection, or, where appropriate, the proof of the conclusion of marriage prior to the coming into Romania (marriage must be completed prior to the foreigner’s last entry on the Romanian territory before getting status refugee or subsidiary protection), they will communicate to the National Visa Center a notification confirming the fulfillment of the conditions for family reunification, by which they will require the diplomatic missions or consular offices of Romania to grant the short-stay visa for the family members possessing valid travel documents.
The National Visa Center will send as soon as possible the notification to the diplomatic mission or the consular office of Romania in the state where the family member of the beneficiary of international protection in Romania is; the diplomatic mission or consular post shall issue to the person concerned, on request, a short-stay entry visa for Romania, as provisioned by the law, after establishing their identity and only if they are presenting a valid travel document.

For family members who do not hold valid travel documents, are unable to obtain them and are outside the country of origin, upon request by the employee in charge of the case, the diplomatic missions or consular offices will issue travel documents and will grant short-stay visas for entry into the country. The validity of the travel pass is at most 30 days and ceases upon the holder’s entry in Romania. The diplomatic mission or consular office of the country where the family member is must provide the travel pass after verifying their identity.
If the family member does not present sufficient documentation attesting their identity, the diplomatic mission or the consular office will not issue an entry visa in Romania or, if applicable, will not deliver the travel pass requested by the General Inspectorate for Immigration.
After entry in Romania of the family members, and if there is agreement on their part concerning the asylum application, the solving of the request will be made according to the legal provisions in force.

 In case of failure to fulfill the conditions for family reunification
If not all the conditions for family reunification are met by the family member of the beneficiary of international protection in Romania, the official responsible for the case will issue a decision rejecting the application. The decision is communicated to the foreigner who applied for family reunification.
The family reunification procedure should be completed as soon as possible, not exceeding 9 months from the filing date. If it is necessary to investigate further, the term of 9 months may be extended by 6 more months.