Now the news on this topic comes out almost every week, and most of it is about the same thing: fraudulent schemes, criminal cases, cancelled passports and new exams. Countries that issued passports to descendants for decades have started tightening the rules. Some are introducing language requirements, some demand residence in the country, and some are discussing whether to remove the programme altogether.

Below, we look at what is happening in Romania, Moldova and Armenia, and why we believe it is not worth delaying if you have ancestry.

Romania: even the very possibility for descendants is in question

Article 11 of Romania’s Citizenship Law No. 21/1991 allows citizenship to be restored not only to former citizens, but also to their descendants up to the third degree of kinship, including people from present-day Moldova and parts of Ukraine. This mechanism became the basis for widespread abuse: in recent years citizenship was obtained on a mass scale through fake family histories, fictitious registration and forged citizenship certificates. Romania’s General Prosecutor’s Office is investigating citizens who used forged documents, and some unlawfully issued passports have already been cancelled.

On 15 September 2026, Bill B509/2026 was introduced in the Senate. It excludes descendants from the circle of persons entitled to restore citizenship. The simplified procedure would remain only for those who personally held Romanian citizenship and lost it. Everyone else would have to look for other grounds, while the general naturalisation procedure usually requires long-term residence in the country. In the explanatory note, the authors refer to the volume of applications, the difficulty of verifying documents across several generations and investigations into document forgery.

The bill contains no transitional provisions, so it is unclear under which rules already filed applications will be examined. The bill is still at an early stage and may change, but the direction is clear: Romania is moving from reviewing individual cases to reconsidering the very basis for acquiring citizenship.

Moldova: everyone now has to sit the exam

Moldova took a different path and did not close the programme, but it removed the simplified regime for descendants. Since 24 December 2025, a new citizenship law has been in force: an exam in the Romanian language and the Constitution is mandatory even for those applying by descent or for restoration, although they previously benefited from a simplified procedure. Applications may now be filed only in person, intermediaries have been removed from the process, and the vetting of applicants has become more thorough.

The reason is familiar. According to parliament, around 100 attempts to obtain citizenship using forged documents or documents of unknown origin were identified in the country.

The exam is manageable if you prepare systematically. But it is no longer a formality; it is a separate stage for which time and effort need to be planned.

Armenia: for now, it is still possible without the language

Against this background, Armenia currently looks like one of the most accessible options. Ethnic Armenians are exempt from the requirement to know the Armenian language, to have lived in the country for three years and to pass a Constitution test. Ancestry may be confirmed through oneself, a parent, a grandmother or a grandfather.

But the trend here is the same. On 10 September 2026, Armenia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs published a bill that changes the rules for the diaspora. For ethnic Armenians, it proposes at least two years of lawful residence and a minimum of 366 days of actual presence in the country, while ancestry would be confirmed by a special commission of the Ministry. The oath would be taken only in Armenia, and the state duty would increase fivefold, from 50,000 to 250,000 drams.

The motives are the same as in neighbouring countries. In 2025, more than 32,000 citizenship applications were filed in Armenia, a historic high, and the Ministry directly links that growth to applications from ethnic Armenians from Russia, who often seek a passport primarily for travel.

There is some good news in the transitional period. If the amendments are adopted in their current form, they will enter into force on 1 January 2028, and applications filed before that date will be examined under the old rules. In other words, there is still time to apply without the language and without relocation. How much time remains in practice depends on how quickly the bill passes parliament.

What follows from this?

The logic is the same everywhere. Ancestry-based programmes are not closed in a single day, but every wave of fraud adds a new barrier: an exam, mandatory residence, personal filing, a commission on ancestry. And in Romania’s case, even the very possibility for descendants is already in question.

Those who apply before the changes usually proceed under the old rules. Those who delay get the new ones. Yet the Romanian bill shows that even this is not a guarantee: if there are no transitional provisions, already filed cases may also fall under the new rules.

That is why, if you truly have ancestry, we do not see much sense in waiting. Searching for archival documents by itself takes months, and starting only after the law changes means almost certainly falling under the new requirements.

A separate note on “ancestry turnkey” offers. If you do not have genuine grounds, but someone promises you a passport in a couple of months and “documents for an ancestor”, that is not a service — it is participation in a scheme. The consequences can catch up with you even years later, up to cancellation of citizenship and criminal prosecution, and the Romanian story shows this very clearly.

And if there is no ancestry?

Then a second option may be citizenship by investment. The logic is different here: the criteria are set out in the law, the amount is known in advance, and the review concerns the origin of funds rather than archives that are a century old.

There are enough options on the market: Turkey, Vanuatu, São Tomé and Príncipe, the Caribbean countries, and Argentina may soon join them. But each programme has its own entry threshold, timeframes and restrictions, including those related to the applicant’s citizenship, so there is no universal solution.

Which route is right for you depends on your family history, citizenship and budget. Write to us: we will check whether you have real grounds for citizenship by ancestry, assess your documents, and if there is no ancestry, we will select an investment programme that truly works for your passport.

The post Citizenship by Ancestry: The Window Is Closing appeared first on revera.legal.

Legal support for companies at the scale-up stage

For deep-tech companies, legal matters become increasingly important as the business grows — from establishing the corporate structure and founder arrangements to protecting intellectual property, managing investment, contracting and entering new markets.

As part of the cooperation, REVERA’s experts will contribute to the programme’s educational track. The primary aim is to equip founders with practical tools for understanding legal risks and making better-informed decisions as their companies develop.

“For deep-tech companies, the legal dimension is not merely a matter of compliance. At the scale-up stage, it is directly linked to investment readiness, technology protection, the structuring of partner relationships and entry into new markets. We are delighted to partner with SCALE’HER and to share with founders the practical experience that helps businesses grow with these factors in mind from the outset,” says Inna Semyonova, Senior Associate at REVERA law group.

SCALE’HER positions the programme as a cross-border accelerator: participants gain access to an international network of founders, investors, experts and innovation ecosystems. The programme is designed for women-led deep-tech start-ups at TRL 6–9 that are already market-facing and plan to raise capital within the next 12 months.

For more information on the SCALE’HER Accelerator: official SCALE’HER website

About SCALE’HER

SCALE’HER (Boosting women-led start-ups for growth) is a European initiative supporting women-led start-ups in the digital and deep-tech sectors. Implemented under Horizon Europe, the project comprises an acceleration programme together with international networking, mentoring, investor engagement and other tools to support companies’ development and expansion into new markets.

About REVERA

REVERA Law Group is a full-service international law firm specialising in supporting businesses as they enter new markets and expand internationally. For more than 25 years, REVERA has advised technology companies at every stage of their development — from business formation and structuring initial transactions to scaling and exit. REVERA’s team brings together lawyers across multiple jurisdictions and helps companies address complex legal matters relating to international expansion, investment, technology, intellectual property, corporate governance and commercial activities. The firm is also committed to fostering innovative business and supporting gender balance in the entrepreneurial and technology community.

The post REVERA and SCALE’HER Launch Cooperation to Support Women Founders of Deep-Tech Companies in Europe appeared first on revera.legal.

On 30th October, you can look forward to an engaging programme:

• We’ll discuss how to properly register a construction business in Kazakhstan,
• The necessary construction permits,
• The most effective ways to establish a presence in this jurisdiction.

The speaker for the event will be Andrey Artyushenko, a partner at REVERA Kazakhstan. The event will be moderated by Sergey Suschenya, head of the industry projects sub-practice at REVERA.

You can find more details about the event here.

Dear journalists, the use of materials from the REVERA website in publications is possible only with our written permission.

To coordinate materials, contact us at e-mail: i.antonova@revera.legal or Telegram: https://t.me/PR_revera.

The post Entering the Construction Business of the Republic of Kazakhstan appeared first on revera.legal.

Между тем, годовое собрание – один из ключевых инструментов, с помощью которого можно:

• получить актуальную информацию о деятельности компании за отчетный год и провести «статус-чек» ее состояния;
• выявить риски в деятельности компании и своевременно принять меры по их устранению и недопущению;
• оценить эффективность управления компанией.

20 февраля в 11:00 юридическая компания REVERA и “БелАудитАльянс” проведут совместный вебинар “Годовое общее собрание участников: проводить нельзя пропустить”. 

В рамках него мы затронем следующие вопросы:

1. почему важно проводить годовое собрание и как его проведение может защитить интересы собственников бизнеса и руководителей;
2. как подготовиться к годовому собранию и какую работу необходимо проделать непосредственно до его проведения;
3. какие вопросы целесообразно рассмотреть на годовом собрании, кроме предусмотренных законодательством;
4. актуальные вопросы проведения годового собрания по последним материалам судебной практики.

Регистрация уже открыта!

The post Приглашаем на вебинар “Годовое общее собрание участников: проводить нельзя пропустить” appeared first on revera.legal.

Конференция пройдет 15 февраля в онлайн формате. Участие бесплатное. 

В программе конференции

• Как используются QR, биометрия и встроенные платежи компаниями сейчас, и как данные методы растут в объемах платежей.
• Преимущества ЕРИП для платежей: новые сервисы и перспективы развития.
• Развитие автономного ритейла и цифровых экосистем на примере Malanka Shop 24/7 и Malanka New.
• Программная онлайн-касса: новые возможности и обновленное законодательство.
• Продажа онлайн-сертификатов: важные юридические аспекты.
• Open API банков: преимущества для бизнеса.
• Токенизация реальных активов: хайп или мегатренд?

Организаторы мероприятия: Диджитал Лайн, НКФО ЕРИП, Ассоциация кассовых аппаратов. 

Партнеры конференции: платежный сервис bePaid, РУП «Издательство «Белбланкавыд», ООО “НАСТОЯЩАЯ ЦИФРОВАЯ”, WEBPAY, Банк БелВЭБ, SmartPay.

Как принять участие

Просто перейдите по ссылке, заполните необходимую информацию, и за день до мероприятия мы пришлем вам ссылку на онлайн-трансляцию.

The post Приглашаем вас принять участие в онлайн-конференции “Платежные решения для бизнеса 2024” appeared first on revera.legal.

The CIS region is developing into an interesting area for investment in Green Field projects. International financial institutions are ready to invest in post-Soviet countries provided that projects are implemented according to clear rules and standards. And such is FIDIC proforma construction. The seminar was istailored for specialists who conducts or wish to conduct construction business under FIDIC in Kazakhstan, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Russia, Armenia and Ukraine.

These countries have the similar approach to construction, thus it could be interesting for practitioners across the CIS region.

This seminar teached participants how FIDIC works in cooperation with the organization of project financing in the countries of the former USSR.

The post REVERA`s attorney told about FIDIC contracts in Post-Soviet Union countries in London appeared first on revera.legal.