Why an administrative court case against ANC does not guarantee a Romanian citizenship order

In 2026, a huge number of myths have formed around administrative court cases against ANC.

The most dangerous of them goes like this:

“If you sue ANC, the order will come automatically.”

It is this myth that is creating false expectations for people today.

Very many applicants see administrative proceedings as a kind of “magic button”:

• file a claim
• win the case
• get citizenship

But real legal practice looks completely different.

That is why in 2026 it is especially important to understand: an administrative court case against ANC is not a guarantee of an order.

It is a tool for protecting the applicant’s right to have the case examined within a reasonable time.

And nothing more.

WHAT THE COURT ACTUALLY EXAMINES

When a person files a contencios administrativ case against ANC, the court does not examine the question: “to grant citizenship or not.”

The court analyzes a different question:

• whether the reasonable time for examining the file has been breached
• whether the administrative body is acting too slowly
• whether there are grounds to oblige ANC to move the process forward

This is fundamentally important to understand.

Because many people mistakenly think that the court “replaces” ANC.

But that is not the case.

It is ANC that continues to make the final decision on the file.

WHY THE COURT CANNOT FIX A WEAK FILE

This is the key point of the whole topic.

If a case is built weakly, administrative proceedings on their own do not automatically turn it into a strong one.

For example:

• a broken chain of evidence
• a weak archival base
• unconfirmed links
• errors in surnames
• poor translations
• no B1
• old documents
• fraud and fals documentar risks

all of these problems remain even after the claim is filed.

That is why people who see the court as a “workaround” often face serious disappointment.

WHY IN 2026 ANC EXAMINES CASES MUCH MORE DEEPLY

Very many Ukrainians still go by old stories from 2018–2021.

But ANC practice has already changed a great deal.

Today the following is checked:

• the archival base
• the chain of evidence
• surnames
• B1
• translations
• apostilles
• biometrics
• consistency of data
• fraud and fals documentar

That is why even after an administrative court case, the file itself continues to undergo an in-depth review.

The court does not cancel this review.

WHY YOU SHOULD NOT BELIEVE PROMISES OF A “100% ORDER”

This is another huge problem in the market.

Very many intermediaries sell people an illusion:

• “we’ll go to court and there will be an order”
• “the court will settle everything”
• “after the court, everyone gets it”

But legally this is wrong.

No professional lawyer can guarantee an ANC order.

Because the outcome depends on:

• the strength of the file
• the chain of evidence
• the archival base
• the surnames
• B1
• the quality of the documents
• fraud / fals risks
• the overall legal structure

That is why promises of “guaranteed citizenship through the court” are a dangerous and unprofessional model.

CAN YOU WIN A CASE AGAINST ANC

Yes.

Under current practice, a significant share of administrative proceedings have good prospects of success when the legal position is strong.

As a rough guide, one can speak of about 70% prospects of success with a properly prepared file.

But it is important to understand: even a favorable court decision does not mean an automatic order.

The court helps get the case moving.

But the file itself is still analyzed by ANC.

WHY PEOPLE OFTEN REACH THE ORDER AFTER THE COURT CASE

This is exactly where the confusion arises.

In practice, many applicants do see their case move and can reach the order within roughly one year of starting administrative proceedings.

But the reason is not the “magic of the court.”

The reason is different:

• the case had already been waiting a long time
• the file turned out to be strong enough
• the documents were prepared correctly
• the chain withstood scrutiny
• there were no critical risks

That is why the court worked as a tool for speeding things up, not as a substitute for the ANC review.

WHY AN ADMINISTRATIVE COURT CASE IS A NORMAL PROCEDURE

It is very important to dispel one more fear.

Many Ukrainians fear the court as a conflict with the state.

But contencios administrativ is a standard mechanism of Romanian administrative law.

The person is doing nothing unlawful.

They are using a tool provided by law to protect the right to examination within a reasonable time.

That is why an administrative court case is normal legal practice, not an extreme measure.

WHY ALLIANCE / ARMONIE ANALYZES THE FILE FIRST

This is one of the main principles of our work.

Alliance / Armonie does not work on the model: “we’ll file a claim and everything will be resolved.”

First a strategic assessment is carried out.

We analyze:

• the dosar number
• waiting times
• the archival base
• the chain of evidence
• surnames
• translations
• apostilles
• B1
• fraud and fals risks
• the weak points of the file
• the court prospects

If documents are missing, we help restore them.

If the chain is weak, we strengthen the legal structure.

If there are errors in surnames, we build the evidentiary logic.

If needed, we update the documents and translations.

And only after that is an administrative court case considered.

Because the court should reinforce an already strong position, not cover up a weak case.

WHICH MISTAKES MOST OFTEN SHATTER PEOPLE’S EXPECTATIONS

The most dangerous mistakes:

• believing promises of a “100% order”
• filing a weak file
• ignoring B1
• not checking the archival base
• not analyzing surnames
• using old documents
• having poor translations done
• seeing the court as a substitute for ANC

It is mistakes like these that most often lead to disappointment.

WHY A STRATEGY IS WHAT IS NEEDED IN 2026

The Romanian citizenship market has changed.

Today it is no longer enough to:

• “file a claim”
• “win the case”
• “wait for the order”

ANC analyzes cases much more deeply.

That is why a strong route has to include:

• a dosar analysis
• the archival outlook
• the chain of evidence
• surnames
• B1
• translations
• apostilles
• strengthening the file
• an analysis of the court prospects

Only this approach creates a strong legal position