I'm back from a short break as I was finishing my new book, Moving Abroad For Dummies! amzn.to/49HfQIs 🌍For help planning your move abroad, contact me: www.travelingwithkristin.com/relocation
Oh my, I didn’t expect to hear that but from a fellow Romanian, Welcome!!! Hope you will visit and learn as much possible about the country’s history and traditions. Bonus point, the Romanian passport is stronger now then the US 😉
I was recognized as an Italian citizen by descent in 2019. It's an extremely rewarding process. Finding each document sparks an emotional connection to your ancestors. I'm looking forward to following your journey!
Hey Kristen, my husband has applied for Romanian citizenship by descent in 2024. As you know, they require a ton of documentation with apostilles. We would be more than happy to answer any questions. We actually moved to Bucharest and we have a great attorney.
Thank you for your video, Kristin. My father was from Romania and this makes me re-ponder the idea of citizenship-by-descent (and/or on my mother's side; she was born in UK).
Do not ponder, apply for Romanian citizenship! Hurry up! Romania is tightening its re-naturalization requirements by requiring a Romanian language and culture formal test. But you may be considered a Romanian-born citizen, if your father was not compelled to give up his Romanian citizenship before or after he left Romania.
Well : My Romanian great-grandfather had 15 kids with my Hungarian greatgrandmother , both from Oradea( Bihor county in western Romania) - their youngest child being my grandma ! 🤗
The flag looks like Colombia. Anyway, welcome to Romania 🇹🇩 people party! 😂 I cant wait to hear you talking romanian language. :) which is part of the process of the exams and interview you will have to give in order to receive romanian citeznship. best of luck from Romania 🇹🇩!
[Quran:- 5:72]:- “Jesus has said, "O Children of Israel, worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord." [Quran:- 19:30]:- “Jesus has said, "Indeed, I am the servant of Allah. He has given me the Scripture and made me a Prophet.” [Quran:- 4:171]:- “Christ Jesus the son of Mary was no more than a messenger of Allah…..So believe in Allah and His messengers. Say not "Trinity" desist: it will be better for you: for Allah is one Allah:
I'm Serbian , but somehow i always knowed/had a feeling that you are someone of us from Balkan and Eastern Europe in generally :) Greetings to you my dear Kristin and to All our Romanian brothers and sisters from neighbouring Serbia! :)
Hello! Nădlac was a border cross point until Jan 1st, when Romania entered Schengen. No border with Hungary anymore. I understand that you love to travel but the first criteria should be observed when given citizenship is that should be speaking that country's language. Worth learning though, as Romanian is a beautifully balanced and complex Latin derived language. Best wishes, from Transylvania Romania.
congrats Kristin!!!🥹🥹🥹🥹 I remember I was SO happy to be granted my Armenian citizenship by descent 🥹🥹🥹🥹 I can relate to how much this means to you🥹🥹🥹🥳🥳🥳 congrats!!
Nice! Good luck with your journey. For those that qualify for citizenship by descent, you should apply ASAP because some countries are starting to tighten the requirements.
Hi Kristin, it's so interesting hearing about your ancestral history.! And now you're aiming to get multiple citizenships.! All the best wishes.! And as always, you're looking resplendent.!
It's always fascinating to trace your roots, and learn of the family history. I too would love to spend the remainder of my life in Europe, as my roots go back to the UK. I wish you the best success in getting your Romanian citizenship.
Interesting that you have so many options for EU citizenship. 👍🏻 I’ve been helping clients with Romanian, Italian, Irish and Moldovan citizenship by descent recently.
At the time of your great gran father Transylvania in which Nădlac was included was in fact part of Austro-Hungarian empire so both Ion and Elena (Helen) were citizens of the same country... it was only in 1918 when Transylvania was reunited with original mother land of Romania..
@TravelingwithKristin you are welcome Kristin.. obtaining Romanian citizenship is not an easy task... one of the conditions would be to speak the language.. where do you stand in this respect? Do you speak some romanian?
United - not "reunited" . There was never a previous official "union" between Romania and Transylvania - as Romania was created only few decades earlier . No need to spread our stupid nationalism to these people . Also Nadlac was inhabited by a Hungarian majority at that time .
I was under the impression Carpathian basin was ruled by East Eurasian Huns, Avars, and later the Magyars....since from at least 1,500 years ago, which I believe is why some regions in Ukraine and Romania still speak Hungarian. And around the same time Lower Danube region was ruled by Turkic-speaking East Eurasian nomadic BULGARs who were eventually absorbed by Slavic migration in later centuries. (Bulgar/Bulga most likely originates from "mixed people" in proto-Turkic.) I've no idea what the indigenous language was prior to Roman invasion, but it's quite remarkable that Latin/Romance survived all these years in modern-day Romania and Moldova.
Wonderful! How exciting!! My grandparents immigrated to the US from Slovenia. I was hoping to get citizenship by descent , but found that the requirements to qualify include currently having a connection to a family member still living in Slovenia and having a financial connection e.g. supporting an institution of the country through donations. So......nope. It will be fun to follow along on your journey though. Good luck and much success!
Very exciting, Kristin! I wish I had immediate family to be able to live in Europe. I feel more drawn to the culture & lifestyle, too. My ancestry is 100% European; I have genealogy in France dated back to the 1600’s, and my maternal ancestry from Scotland & Ireland. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and journey.🙏🏻
Fantastic Plan! I just bought my first house in Lynnwood, Wa. So NOW, I can get serious about buying a Cherry Farm in Portugal! (Or a Manor House! I keep flip Flopping!) So great to see you smile and be so happy! Much Love, Rich!
WARNING - If you're going to explore Romanian Roots then you MUST learn the correct way to present a Romanian flag. The thing shown in your thumbnail is simply not a Romanian flag. As for exploring Romanian roots -- good luck with Arhiva Nationala
Congrats Kristin!! ✨ Good luck on your path to citizenship! 💗 It was so interesting to hear about your family’s journey and roots. I hope the process goes smoothly and quickly 💫☘️🤞 Mine took two years, but it was worth every minute! (🇭🇷❣️) It will be exciting to follow along with yours! 😄🙌
Just to clarify about your great grandparents meeting since you were wondering how it happened . I’m from a western Romania town not far from Nadlac. Before treaty of Trianon in 1919 Transylvania was in Austria-Hungary, meaning they were both in neighboring towns of the same country. After the mentioned treaty, the winners (Romania) gained the famous vampire region and the new border crossed between the 2 locations. Very likely after they met.
I love that you have researched and are moving forward with reuniting with your family heritage. Love it! I was able to track my family back to 1425. I'm very interested in going back to the small town in England where they were in order to research more. Good luck with your dual citizenship! I am a huge fan and a lot of your videos really touch my experiences. I wasn't a digital nomad but I did two stints in Europe (Paris, Zurich) and a lot of what you discuss about lifestyle diffrences as well as realizations of the US when you came back really hit home. Love your videos, very insightful and I have to say I am living a bit vicariously through you as I have two kids and cannot move back to Europe anytime soon. Your videos on Eastern and Southern Europe have been very eye-opening. Romania and Bulgaria are definitely moving up my "must see" list because of you. Thank you for all of your shared experiences. I wish you all the best and keep the videos coming if you can.
Thank you so much for the kind words! Wow.- 1425 is a long time ago! Nice work. Going in person to find records is helpful. I'm so glad you've been liking the videos! Feel free to let me know any questions :)
@@TravelingwithKristin Thank you, Kristin. One comment/question I have is that each time I moved back to the US I vowed to try and replicate the European lifestyle here. I currently live just outside the Washington, DC area and, unfortunately, I just don't think it can be done. Like you said in one of your previous videos, you kind of get sucked back in to the (unhealthy) lifestyle of your surroundings... the need for a car, material things, overpaying for bad food, etc... you just can't replicate that lifestyle in the US. No imitation cafe or chocolate shop even comes close. Mostly, my outlook on life has changed and even though I did get sucked back in to the US lifestyle (and even worse the rat race of the East Coast), I still try to focus on quality versus quantity. Still, it is difficult. When I lived in Paris I didn't have a car, I didn't have a TV, nothing really of material value...AND I LOVED IT. Here I feel like you have to have the better vehicle, wear the latest fashion, have the newest phone/tablet, etc. Sorry, long-winded...Long question even longer - What steps have you taken to try and maintain a better quality of life in the US that is more in tune with a European lifestyle? I feel like it can only be a frame of mind here and nothing else. Any and all insight to how to better manage this is greatly appreciated. I really miss living in Europe as well as experiences I have had in other places I have traveled. Thanks again!
Awesome! Congrats! I don’t think I have recent European ancestry but I definitely want to live in Europe again permanently and possibly obtain citizenship
Genealogy is a fun project even for those not seeking additional passports. Once I had the documents I needed (at minimal cost) for one of your countries of interest it was just a matter of paying a minimal application fee. No legal assistance was needed. Good luck on your quest. Mike
Nevermind the documents, start learning about Steven the Great, Mihai Eminescu and some traditional food: sarmale, ciorba de perisoare, mamaliga cu branza si smantana. You will need to answer questions about all those and more and in the case of food, you will have to eat it for the exam (ok, i made up that part). Good luck and (hopefully) welcome!
Than the whole world can obțin citizenship by descent.. we are all from somewhere.. I didn’t know if grand grand parents were from somewhere in the world you have a right to obtain citizenship.. that’s new to me ..
A few years ago I had a consultation with a firm that assists with Italian citizenship by descent - jure sanguinis (“right of blood”). My grandfather was my anchor relative. He came over in 1921. But he had naturalized before he had my mom, so I was told I could not pursue that route any further. Very disappointing. He was born in Calabria, in a beautiful town called Cosenza. He loved talking about Italy. 🇮🇹
I agree with you. I don't even want to listen to any news about Trump, you can tell he was an average student...it shows. I can only hope next assignation attempt is successful. 😮
Not sure if it’s the same for Romania, but I helped my son get Italian citizenship by descent and the important part was that the first generation of your direct line to be born in the U.S. was born BEFORE their Italian parent was naturalized. This worked for him, since his grandmother was born before her father got his U.S. citizenship.
Thanks for the note, Sarah. Each country has different rules and I think that was why I didn't think I qualified for Italian citizenship before. But I'll look into it again :)
In her scenario to claim Italian citizenship, she would have to jump through two hoops: Being born to a female who herself qualified being born before 1948, and then the "minor problem" that has recently cropped out due to an internal paper circulated by the Italian ministry of Justice to Italian consulates aboard stipulating the new interpretation of the law; that is, an Italian citizen losing his Italian citizenship due to naturalization disqualifies his children if they were still minors on the day of his naturalization. She can google it herself.
@@abrahamlevi3556 Ah, so the rules have tightened up since my son got his citizenship. Good thing we did it 10 years ago! His grandmother was only 13 when her father was naturalized, so that wouldn't have worked. Thanks for the update.
@@TravelingwithKristin I doubt that such rule as in Italy applies for Romanian citizens, as many Moldovans and Ukrainians got Romanian citizenship in recent years just by proving that their ancestors were born in the kingdom of Romania. And of course, the oath in Romanian and general knowledge about Romania. :)
Great job Kristin! Thanks for this and future videos on this topic. IMHO I believe many US citizens do not take advantage of citizen by descent primarily not knowing the process or it’s perceived as “too lengthy.” You are also very wise to pursue all four options at your disposal. While the process should be similar (birth docs, death docs, marriage docs, US naturalization, and language tests) you never know which of your four “turtles” will win the race for you. 🐢🐢🐢 BTW-I’ve heard US attorneys will charge more than USD 1K for their efforts. 💰 All the best.
I don't think in your case you can opt for Romanian citizenship, since the town your great grandfather was born was part of Hungary at that time and for sure he fought in the first world war as a Hungarian soldier. Koncz is also a Hungarian name, his full name probably was Koncz János. Koncz is a fairly common family name in Hungary, the most famous Koncz is Koncz Zsuzsa, singer. Nevertheless, you can always opt for Hungarian citizenship. Or since you have Italian ancestry, you can opt for that. You only need one european citizenship to live in any EU country, so go for the one that is the easiest to get and then live, work and travel wherever you want.
@@Valachorum She can ask for Romanian citizenship only if she can proof her grand grand father become a Romanian citizen after Peace Treaty of Trianon. If her grand grand father never had Romanian citizenship she is not allowed to ask for Romanian citizenship.
@@davidionescu2103 Anyway, getting citizenship just for the passport, without feeling a sense of belonging to that people, is not something I really agree with. There is that precedent of those "Moldovans" who obtained it so easily and now... you know what I mean. In my opinion, in this case, no matter how complicated the issue of descent may be, Romania should grant her citizenship, if she proves she deserves it, that she feels like she's returning home. Period. But she didn't even care to visit Romania, although she spent a lot of time in the Balkans and Eastern Europe.
I live in the same county Arad. And from the stories of my grandmother and grandfather; a lot of names got changed in that time to hungarian names(happened in my family too) . But if you look at the names her grandfather/grandmother chose for theire children, it is clear they are romanian names. That proves they were of romanian descent.
Hi Kristin! What a pleasant surprise! I’m Romanian and know an attorney who specializes in obtaining citizenship by descent. I’d be happy to assist with translations as well. If you’re interested, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Best regards!
My pleasure! I tried sharing my correspondence info here, but it seems that’s not allowed as the comment was deleted. I’ve sent you a request to join your group on the other platform-hopefully, we can connect there and exchange contact details.
Whoa Kristen, did NOT know that! So, did you ever come here this past year like you thought you would? I know an attorney here in Romania, in Bucuresti, that I'm pretty sure would be able to help you--they specialize in residency et al. Such things here are VERY bureaucratic AND the laws have changed often in recent years--these folks are always on top of it.
Hello Kristin, sounds awesome you want to regain the citizenship! I was paying attention throughout the video, and you explained that your grandfather was 9yo when he came to the US with his father, so that would mean he had Romanian citizenship before, so that's good news for you because one is eligible for citizenship through jus sanguinis only going back 2 generations. I saw that you already received some offers to connect you to a lawyer specializing in citizenships from people so won't add to that, but suffice to say I wish you the best of luck with the procedure (which I know is painfully bureaucratic)!
@davegordon6233 Yes. The treaty between the US and România on avoiding double taxation is one of the first signed by.the US. You pay taxes to the US just for the amount that was not taxed by the Romanian central fiscal agency.
Does the US recognize more than 2 citizenship? I know that in most countries, it is "illegal" to hold multiple (more than 2) citizenships. Btw, my grandfather was a fighter pilot in the Romanian airforce. Aviation is also in my blood :)
@UlpianHeritor În most countries it is lawful to have two or more citizenships. The US and România are two of those which accept multiple citizenships.
I am waiting for Italian citizenship by decent now from my grandfather and my grandmother was Hungarian. The Italian is a long process but not terribly hard. Make sure the ancestor didn't naturalize while the next in line was a minor as of Oct 2023 that changed and it is a lot harder and more expensive to do if it can be done at all it has to go through the Italian courts not a consulate or commune. Going through a female ancestor may be an option but also has to go through Italian courts. My family is from Sicily also and I hope to visit soon to see the family town and home from the 1800s. Best of luck on your journey.
Wow, Romanians coming out of the woodwork! 😂 I immigrated from Romania as an adult and I want to get my Romanian passport back. About your ancestor named Yan Koncz, that sounds Hungarian. Romanian version of John is Ion. I am not sure about historic dates but i know Transilvania (that's about a third of Romania) was Hungarian territory for 100 years then was returned to Romania so there is a large Hungarian population in that area. Good luck fighting the bureaucracy, it's not for the faint of heart!
Nice to meet you, Adriana! I also thought Yan sounded Hungarian but I'm wondering if someone spelled it wrong on the form I was looking at. Ion sounds more like it! I'll keep you posted on the progress :)
Hi Kristin, I always enjoy your presentations. You mention you have Irish ancestry. If it is from a Grandparent as opposed to a Great Grandparent then you can claim Irish citizenship. The advantage of Irish citizenship is that possession of it also entitles you to live in the UK. Because of close proximity and history with the UK, there is a Common Travel Area arrangement between Ireland and the UK, meaning citizens of either can live and work etc in each other's country. Ireland, for the above reasons, is not a member of Schengen, but Irish citizens in being EU citizens have freedom of movement and residency in all Schengen countries under the same conditions as citizens of Schengen countries. The only difference is that on entering or leaving the Schengen area from or to Ireland, we have to show our passports. There are simply not many countries with better passports and for reasons given above - it is the best EU passport to possess as even after Brexit Irish people can still live and work in UK which is not true of other EU passports.
That is very interesting. I'm the youngest child of a youngest child, so more closely related to foreign-born ancestors than other family members near my age. Hence, I'm thinking I should be the person to sort it all out, and maybe get a dual citizenship to open the door for that to my two kids and one grandkid. My maternal grandfather was an Irish citizen (who viewed it as unfortunate that he was physically born in England, in 1879) who moved to the US before meeting my grandmother. She had been born in Scotland in 1883 and sailed to the US in 1900. Their first child was born in 1905 in the US, and I'm not sure if either of my grandparents had been naturalized by then, vs later. I'm pretty sure they were both naturalized by the time my mother was born in 1916, though if not, it would not be the first surprising or even shocking thing I've found in my family history. As my grandfather fought for the US in the Spanish-American war, I'm guessing I can find some paperwork about him due to that. My grandmother came in via Ellis Island, and also traveled back to visit Scotland a few times, so there is paperwork from that, also. Maybe I'll run into a dead end of not finding documents. Or maybe I'll find out I'm not qualified, such as if my grandfather really wasn't an Irish citizen, or his not being born in Ireland is disqualifying. Time will tell, but it sounds like it's worth checking out, to get such a great additional passport with so many options for travel and residency.
Thanks for your comment, Frank, I'm so glad you enjoyed the video. From my previous research, it appeared that I could get Irish CBD through a great grandparent, but I haven't confirmed that yet. I'll update again, soon!
@TravelingwithKristin No,the law was changed in the 80s. Irish citizenship can no longer be obtained through a great grandparent,unless the child of the great grandparent obtained Irish citizenship by descent before the law was changed in the eighties
Hi Kristin as others have mentioned the order of colors in the flag you should change. Your great grandfather was born in Hungary not Romania. His ethnicity is also Hungarian if we go by his last name Koncz and choice of marriage. As others have mentioned borders change with wars, back then Transylvania was part of Austro Hungarian empire. With your ancestry you don't need attorneys just contact the Hungarian consulate in Miami , gather the ancestry papers and they will Naturalize you. With your Hungarian citizinship you will be able to work and reside in any EU country.
@@kypsunrider5983 Both Romanian and Hungarian citizenships offer the same benefit. Having said that your knowledge of your ancestry does count. The great grandfather were both Hungarian citizens, the great grandfather fought in the Hungarian army. When Romania was awarded Transylvania in 1920 they drew the border line across the town of Nagylak (Nadlac) and that is why the grandfather, who was born after 1920 was born in Romania. She can get both Hungarian and Romanian citizenship.
While Elena and Ion, could be Romanized from there Hungarian equivalents (either your grandparents were ethnical Hungarian or had only Magyarised names as being born before 1918), Liviu is typical Romanian introduced in Transylvania initially mostly after 1867 just to avoid magyarisation of names. So the grandfather looks to have been Romanian by ethnicity. The familly name Hitter of your grandma proves that she might have been German, probably also Jewish, but you hada have already known if she were Jewish. By the time your grandparent left Romania , he was a Romanian citizen. He was propbably Ion, he used to pronounce it and sound to you as Yan. If he were ethnical Hungaria, he would be Janos, pronounced Janosh and I think he would have adhered to this Hungarian form of John and not to the Romanian form Ion that you pronounce Yan. An other form of Ion is Ioan and this maybe sounds to you more like Yan.
Час назад
You leave out the surname Koncz, which is a Hungarian surname.
Koncz is, for sure, only a Hungarian ortogrphy in these social and geographical circumstances. Koncz can come also from Polish. Very few things are actually purely Hungarian.
6 минут назад
@@ppn194 She mentioned in a previous video that after '20 her family moved to Hungary and renounced their Romanian citizenship. Who do you think will do that if not Hungarians. :D
If he was called Jan then he is Hungarian as well. Until 1918 Nadlac, which is in Transilvania, was part of the Austro-Hungarian empire. After WW1 Romania united with Transilvania which had a mix of ethnicities, with romanians and hungarians making up the bulk of it. So your grand-grandfather had actually dual citizenship, he was both Hungarian and Romanian :). Although, he probably would have identified as Hungarian. And the takeover of Transilvania might have played a role in his emigrating to the US. It wasn't a pretty transition and we even fought a brief war with the Hungarians and occupied Budapest for 2 years. So yeah, history is very interesting in these parts of the world. Anyway, I wish you the best in your quest for the Romanian citizenship and I hope to see you soon in Bucharest :). Pro-tip: Cyprus has only a requirement of 2 months per year for its residency permit. So if you want a semi-permanent base while you get your citizenship papers, it might be a very good choice.
@@TravelingwithKristinif he was Catholic or Protestant, he was clearly an ethnic Hungarian. Romanians were either Orthodox Christians or Greek Catholics. As he married somebody Irish, it seems to me he was Hungarian ethnic.
@@mimisor66 Most Transylvanian Romanians were Catholic by 1918. Not to mention the massive change of all Romanian noble families and land owners to Catholicism after being forced by Unio Trium Nationum 1439, in order to keep status and land. By 1918 only 18% of Transylvanian Romanians were Orthodox.
@@TravelingwithKristin Geo skips the fact that by the time your great grand father was born all Transylvanian names were Magyarized already, even long before that. Myself had to dig into a lot of Hungarian names, to find my inherited properties, even though my both sides were always ethnic Romanian. My grand father and his brothers also migrated to the US in 1930s for work but they came back after the war and bought lots of land, only to be taken by the communists a few years later.
Does anyone know if you need to speak Hungarian to gain citizenship? I know some but not sure if I know enough... I do think I would need to look over my Hungarian lessons since I tend to forget some when not using it.
Also if anyone knows of any good Hungarian language practice resources can you let me know? I have tried finding some... but too many have inaccuracies... :( (mostly the online sources I looked into)
Given my father’s name, we always thought we were German but, when I did my family tree, I discovered we were from Lithuania. I looked into getting Lithuanian citizenship, but our family came to the US in the 1870’s, too early to qualify for citizenship by descent. On my mother’s side, her family came from rural Russia but they escaped shortly before WWI so we have no official documentation. I do have my maternal grandmother's naturalization record but I'm not sure how useful Russian citizenship would be.
Wow Linda, how nice that you were able to trace your lineage back so far. If you don't qualify for CBD, you can try getting residency through a different permit and naturalization, but it takes a bit longer.
I am from Transylvania, the western part of Romania which used to be part of Austria - Hungary. People there are mixed: Romanians, Germans, Hungarians, Czechs, Serbians etc. It seems your great grandfather, although born in Nadlac, was not an ethnic Romanian. That name is not a Romanian name. Hungarian most likely. I'm sure you'll find out as you dig deeper into your ancestry. Either way, welcome back!
Populatrion in Nădlac: 49% Romanians, 39% Slovaks, 2% Hungarians. Janos Koncz could be Romanian, Slovak, whatever. Till 1918, the Magyar adminstration fiercefully magyarised the names.
That name was most probably Ioan Conci, also found in Italian as concio with the same meaning as in Arch Romanian, of hair braided and fastened on top of the head, the ornament or crown of flowers of a married woman or to get married. Names in Transylvania were also Germanized and Magyarized, in different stages.
Just a bureaucratic warning! Staying more than 180 days during a year in a country will make you a local fiscal resident. Good news, US and Romania have a treaty to avoid double taxation. But no matter where you"ll live you"ll still owe taxes in US (but at a higher tax bracket ...starting with 80k/yr .. not sure. ) Historically, before WW I Romanians from Transylvania were Austro-Hungarian citizens. One has the right of getting back Romanian citizenship either "by blood right" (ethnicity) or simply having a grandparent who was citizen.
About Romanian citizenship, I understand your grand grand father was born in Nadlac, it is not enough to get citizenship! It is very important if your grand grand father ever had Romanian citizenship. Remember, if he lived in Romania as a resident after 4 june 1920 it is a big probability for him to had Romanian citizenship, after Peace Treaty of Trianon the entire Hungarian ethnics from Transylvania become Romanian citizens. For sure your grand grand father was born in Hungary, I don't know his status after 4 june 1920, if he never had Romanian citizenship you can't ask for a Romanian citizenship.
@Fane-Babanu dna test don't matter. I had cousin whose family from tanzania. It doesn't matter if white, asian, black, Indian, South America, Middle east people can get along.
@@Stephen_T_Sampson , sure. I took the DNA test at the request of some people who bore my family name, quite rare. It established that we are related, with our paternal ancestor having lived in the first half of the 19'th century. It was nice to know my new cousins.
@Fane-Babanu Last name Sampson in English is rare. It is a germanic last name, it comes from people in normandy France. It came to english in the middle ages through the normandy invasion. It was supposedly recorded in the hundred rolls of English King Rollo. They were Norman's a group mixed of settlers of west Francia, and vikings from denmark and scandanavia, and flemish people. They named themselves after Samson a welsh bishop he lived in 4th century ad.
Fortunately I’m African American, unfortunately I would definitely have no chance a a European by decent citizenship even tho I mostly visit there, and was drawn to Europe since the 80’s during the new wave music era. Still searching where I would like to obtain a path for citizenship in Europe, and when. I want to first obtain my Colombian citizenship since I’m here already first. At least for now the cost of living here can allow more trips and o Europe to explore for now.
9:16 in 1920s they might have lived in the same country, as the border between Hungary and Romania changed quite a bit around this period. A while back I even worked with ethinc Hungarians that lived in a Hungarian majority village in Romania.
Romania is now part of the Schengen area so it would be good to have a Romanian passport. That will allow youu to live and work anywhere in the EU. I have Swiss citizenship through my mother. The Swiss are constantly bombarding me with mail-in ballots for various national referendums. The Swiss people just voted themselves a 13th pension check every year! Too bad I never paid into the Swiss nationals pension system! I suspect that your grandfather belonged to the Hungarian minority inside Romania. Hungary has been giving passports to the Hungarian minority in Romania.
The Nădlac area was very much part of the Austrian - Hungararian Empire (1867-1919) and before that was part of the Ottoman Empire. This area is known as The Banat and Today is made up of south central Hungary, northwestern Romania and northern Serbia. Post Austro-Turkish War, also known as the Habsburg-Ottoman War, was fought from 1788 to 1791. After this time this Banat region was colonized by peoples of Bavaria, Austria Kingdoms / known as Danube Swabians and also specifically Banat Swabians by the Habsburgs from 1791- 1919 135 years. So in this pocket of Central Europe it was very much ethnically cleansed by 1791 of Muslim Turks and then colonized and very much the model of and height of Austrian - Hungararian Empire best of prospered peoples for 135 years on lands in this area are extremely fertile. But it all ended in 1919 Post WW1 and by 1925-26 the people of this region who had the means to get out got out. Those that stayed were very much ethnically cleansed by the Soviets. Any family man that had the balls to claim his occupation as a Scholar at Elis Island upon entry has an amazing story to tell. Very much on the flip side of that token of of your people intolerant of ignorance and stupidity from 1925 at entry. One can no longer handle what’s going on in USA 2025 and it only took 100 years.
My grandma is from Germany so I’m able to declare citizenship through her. And so can my son. Now we’re just waiting to be able to get passports. Something I’d like to mention is that Italy recently changed a law that makes it much harder to get citizenship by decent. Prior, if your ancestor who immigrated to the U.S. naturalized AFTER having their child (your next ancestor) then the citizenship continued. But now the naturalization affected that child and they would’ve had to do some paperwork within a year of turning 18 to keep the citizenship and pass it down. Terrible law in my opinion. How were our ancestors supposed to know about a law 100 years in the future and abide by that?…. Good luck. And remember to check your partners family history too! If you’re married you can move with them. And pass it down to kids.
I'm glad you were able to get German citizenship @cosycoffeee - that's so nice. Last I checked in Italy, I wasn't able to get it because my grandma was born in the USA. But I will try again :)
If you ask for your romanian passport 10 years ago i will says: what girl! She have connection with romanian roots! But you want passport now! Why? Because you want to be "american oportunist": to be free to travel in Europe. Its sad because - like almost all americans - you don't know almost nothing about Romania. Read this: Ar fi bine când vii în România să aprinzi o lumânare într-o biserică, și să mulțumești rudelor tale pentru oportunitatea de a avea pașaport românesc / Uniunea Europeană.
Wow Congrats Kristin, cant wait to get my European Citizenship, are you gonna renounce your US citizenship to avoid the tax burden? Its ridiculous that you to pay(2.5k) to renounce
Your great grand father's name most probably was Ioan Conci, which in Archaic Romanian means hair braided and fastened on top of the head. Also that ornament or crown (of flowers) on top, found in Italian as concio as well, so is clearly that Ro word. For ex in Transylvanian villages 'a-ti pune conci' means to get married and to put conci to a man to cheat on him. lol
Even before you mentioned your heritage, for some reason I had in the back of my mind that you might be from that part of Europe. My family is from Transylvania and Hungary as well, and Poland and Russia. You’re very articulate, compassionate and inquisitive, so of course you will re-establish your heritage. Good luck and keep us posted. Looking forward to your next videos. BTW, Hungarian is a tough language to learn as you probably have figured out.
I have met someone whose mother tongue is Hungarian, whose grandparents were born in the pre-1918 Kingdom of Hungaria, but whose Hungarian citizenship application was rejected because of he spoke "uncultured" Hungarian. Of course, he spoke Hungarian at home, Hungarian-speaking schools were outlawed in his birthplace.
@@Fane-Babanustrange, I assume this was prior to 2010. The repatriation was very unfair back then, one had to go through a very tough 7-8 year long immigration process, regardless of the Hungarian ancestry.
@@TravelingwithKristinthere is no language criteria for this type of repatriation in Hungary. You hand your Pack and within 6 month you get the response, no language exam. There is a citizen oath which is to be repeated on the welcome celebration of the selected consulate with a lilttle present for remembrance! Smooth and simple! My parents had there application approved in 5 months in 2010, now it is even faster.
Hello Kristin, another interesting reel. An old, world travelling Brit 🇬🇧here, of 2nd gen Irish ancestry & who could easily get an Irish passport to circumvent Brexit’s madness but definitely will not.. Here’s why: My own experience is simply that the risks far exceed supposed flexibility benefit. Despite what your passport will say about national protection, dual holders will typically get very little consulate protection in the event of arrest or other troubles. Both countries will expect the other to help and neither will. Check the news for hostages (think Hamas in the Gaza) all dual nationals. That’s an horrific extreme. Even little tax problems, car accidents, personal injury. You’re on your own!🤷♂️
There's no drawback to double citizenship, except for US citizens who live overseas, but have to report and pay taxes to IRS every ear. All others pay taxes where they are residents most of the year or where the relevant income originates from. If you take Irish citizenship, you and your descendants will be able to freely travel and work anywhere in Europe, without time limitation and without that nasty Electronic Travel Authorization that's coming into force. For your knowledge, at least one Israeli hostage was freed by Hamas, thanks to his Russian co-citizenship. Putin got his freedom!
While abroad, you definitely will get consular protection both from UK and the Ireland government, except for UK protection in Ireland and Ireland protection in the UK. I imagine you don't need either.
@@Fane-Babanuthat is interesting, thanks. On US citizenship, my parents lived there briefly between 1952-56, my sister was born there although never lived & so dual national by default. She hits 70 next year & has only just managed to un-citizen (is that a word) from the US & the interminable IRS returns. How mad! 😮
@@petersloane252 , yes, there was the notable case of former UK Prime-Minister Boris Johnson, who was born in the US while his parents were teaching there. One day, while being Mayor of London, he was stopped from boarding a US-bound plane, because he lacked a US passport. That's when he understood that he has to get read of his US citizenship. He got a confidential and preferrential agreement from the IRS. He got that because none of his revenue or net value originated from the US. The $2350 renounciation fee is small potatoes. You have to pay a farewell tax that is equivalent to what your inheritors would pay when you die. Basically, to get rid of the US citizenship, you die and then you are born again, like Jesus!
German here. All of the Countries you've mentioned actually happen to be in Schengen Zone. As far as I know, Italy has the laxest rules on attaining citizenship for descent, so you might wanna try... Anyhow, no matter what your decision on your hopefully future EU citizenship may end up to be, being an EU citizen surely guarantees a Safe Haven from the infamous and authoritanian Orange Man we all dislike so badly abroad.
I'm back from a short break as I was finishing my new book, Moving Abroad For Dummies! amzn.to/49HfQIs 🌍For help planning your move abroad, contact me: www.travelingwithkristin.com/relocation
Oh my, I didn’t expect to hear that but from a fellow Romanian, Welcome!!! Hope you will visit and learn as much possible about the country’s history and traditions. Bonus point, the Romanian passport is stronger now then the US 😉
My parent are Romanian, and I’ve been meaning to get my dual citizenship. Thanks for the reminder!
Yes! Go for it :)
@@TravelingwithKristin For you it's okay Kristin but for the young man it is not. They can be called for military enrollment at any time!
Pe bune? Am senzația că Dumneata faci confuzie între România și Rusia! 😂😂😂😂😂
I was recognized as an Italian citizen by descent in 2019. It's an extremely rewarding process. Finding each document sparks an emotional connection to your ancestors. I'm looking forward to following your journey!
Congrats Phil! 🇮🇹 I look forward to posting another update soon :)
I’m Romanian - born and raised in Transylvania. Is pretty there… lots of nature and small medieval villages. Great food and history!
Hey Kristen, my husband has applied for Romanian citizenship by descent in 2024. As you know, they require a ton of documentation with apostilles. We would be more than happy to answer any questions. We actually moved to Bucharest and we have a great attorney.
Thank you for your video, Kristin. My father was from Romania and this makes me re-ponder the idea of citizenship-by-descent (and/or on my mother's side; she was born in UK).
You're welcome, Paulina. Having an EU and UK passport would be amazing! You should be able to qualify through your parents easily.
Do not ponder, apply for Romanian citizenship!
Hurry up! Romania is tightening its re-naturalization requirements by requiring a Romanian language and culture formal test. But you may be considered a Romanian-born citizen, if your father was not compelled to give up his Romanian citizenship before or after he left Romania.
Succes si bine ai venit :)
multumesc 😊
Well : My Romanian great-grandfather had 15 kids with my Hungarian greatgrandmother , both from Oradea( Bihor county in western Romania) - their youngest child being my grandma ! 🤗
Welcome to Romanian / EU Citizenship , I’m Romanian - American too , will be a new journey in your life , !
Bine ai venit şi succes în continuare!
Mulţumesc!
The flag looks like Colombia. Anyway, welcome to Romania 🇹🇩 people party! 😂 I cant wait to hear you talking romanian language. :) which is part of the process of the exams and interview you will have to give in order to receive romanian citeznship. best of luck from Romania 🇹🇩!
Thank you, Daniel! I look forward to learning another language!
She has the right to become a romanian citizen if one of her parents is a romanian citizen. She doesn't have to speak the language.
@bear6562 lol, u didnt watch the video.
[Quran:- 5:72]:-
“Jesus has said, "O Children of Israel, worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord."
[Quran:- 19:30]:-
“Jesus has said, "Indeed, I am the servant of Allah. He has given me the Scripture and made me a Prophet.”
[Quran:- 4:171]:-
“Christ Jesus the son of Mary was no more than a messenger of Allah…..So believe in Allah and His messengers. Say not "Trinity" desist: it will be better for you: for Allah is one Allah:
I'm Serbian , but somehow i always knowed/had a feeling that you are someone of us from Balkan and Eastern Europe in generally :)
Greetings to you my dear Kristin and to All our Romanian brothers and sisters from neighbouring Serbia! :)
Oh how exciting Kristin. I can't wait to hear about your next adventures.
Hello! Nădlac was a border cross point until Jan 1st, when Romania entered Schengen. No border with Hungary anymore. I understand that you love to travel but the first criteria should be observed when given citizenship is that should be speaking that country's language. Worth learning though, as Romanian is a beautifully balanced and complex Latin derived language. Best wishes, from Transylvania Romania.
OK, possibly, but then you should take that up with your government! Citizenship law is fully under control of national laws.
The border is still there, no border control anylonger
Very interesting story about your journey for citizenship and your family, thanks for sharing!
My pleasure, Cindy!
congrats Kristin!!!🥹🥹🥹🥹 I remember I was SO happy to be granted my Armenian citizenship by descent 🥹🥹🥹🥹 I can relate to how much this means to you🥹🥹🥹🥳🥳🥳 congrats!!
Thank you so much, Annastayziaa! 😊❤ Congrats on yours as well!
Nice! Good luck with your journey. For those that qualify for citizenship by descent, you should apply ASAP because some countries are starting to tighten the requirements.
thank you! I'm on it :)
Wow, thats a winner if you can get a Romanian/EU passport. Gold ⭐️
Fingers crossed...
I couldn't find your Romania travel vlogs. Is there any? It looks like you've ostentatiously bypassed this country.
Hi Kristin, it's so interesting hearing about your ancestral history.! And now you're aiming to get multiple citizenships.! All the best wishes.! And as always, you're looking resplendent.!
Thanks Jay!
It's always fascinating to trace your roots, and learn of the family history. I too would love to spend the remainder of my life in Europe, as my roots go back to the UK. I wish you the best success in getting your Romanian citizenship.
Thank you so much, Steve!
Interesting that you have so many options for EU citizenship. 👍🏻 I’ve been helping clients with Romanian, Italian, Irish and Moldovan citizenship by descent recently.
At the time of your great gran father Transylvania in which Nădlac was included was in fact part of Austro-Hungarian empire so both Ion and Elena (Helen) were citizens of the same country... it was only in 1918 when Transylvania was reunited with original mother land of Romania..
Thank you, Radu! That explains why they had dual citizenship :)
@TravelingwithKristin you are welcome Kristin.. obtaining Romanian citizenship is not an easy task... one of the conditions would be to speak the language.. where do you stand in this respect? Do you speak some romanian?
Sorry, Transsylvania was not reunited, just taken and "united" with Romania.
United - not "reunited" . There was never a previous official "union" between Romania and Transylvania - as Romania was created only few decades earlier . No need to spread our stupid nationalism to these people . Also Nadlac was inhabited by a Hungarian majority at that time .
I was under the impression Carpathian basin was ruled by East Eurasian Huns, Avars, and later the Magyars....since from at least 1,500 years ago, which I believe is why some regions in Ukraine and Romania still speak Hungarian. And around the same time Lower Danube region was ruled by Turkic-speaking East Eurasian nomadic BULGARs who were eventually absorbed by Slavic migration in later centuries. (Bulgar/Bulga most likely originates from "mixed people" in proto-Turkic.) I've no idea what the indigenous language was prior to Roman invasion, but it's quite remarkable that Latin/Romance survived all these years in modern-day Romania and Moldova.
Wonderful! How exciting!! My grandparents immigrated to the US from Slovenia. I was hoping to get citizenship by descent , but found that the requirements to qualify include currently having a connection to a family member still living in Slovenia and having a financial connection e.g. supporting an institution of the country through donations. So......nope. It will be fun to follow along on your journey though. Good luck and much success!
Thanks for the support! Slovenia seems like an amazing country. Hopefully you can visit and enjoy either way!
Very exciting, Kristin! I wish I had immediate family to be able to live in Europe. I feel more drawn to the culture & lifestyle, too. My ancestry is 100% European; I have genealogy in France dated back to the 1600’s, and my maternal ancestry from Scotland & Ireland. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and journey.🙏🏻
How wonderful, Krissy! It's fascinating to find out where we come from.
Loving those world map throw pillows ❤
Right!? I found them on Amazon amzn.to/4ghylEQ
Fantastic Plan! I just bought my first house in Lynnwood, Wa. So NOW, I can get serious about buying a Cherry Farm in Portugal! (Or a Manor House! I keep flip Flopping!) So great to see you smile and be so happy! Much Love, Rich!
My family left Poland/Lithuania too long ago for me to gain citizenship. Best wishes. I hope it works out for you.
Thanks for the support, Adam!
WARNING - If you're going to explore Romanian Roots then you MUST learn the correct way to present a Romanian flag. The thing shown in your thumbnail is simply not a Romanian flag.
As for exploring Romanian roots -- good luck with Arhiva Nationala
Congrats Kristin!! ✨ Good luck on your path to citizenship! 💗 It was so interesting to hear about your family’s journey and roots. I hope the process goes smoothly and quickly 💫☘️🤞 Mine took two years, but it was worth every minute! (🇭🇷❣️) It will be exciting to follow along with yours! 😄🙌
Thank you, Anna! Congrats on your new passport!
Wellcome 2 Romania ! 👏
That's great news, my Romanian fellow
🙏
Just to clarify about your great grandparents meeting since you were wondering how it happened . I’m from a western Romania town not far from Nadlac.
Before treaty of Trianon in 1919 Transylvania was in Austria-Hungary, meaning they were both in neighboring towns of the same country. After the mentioned treaty, the winners (Romania) gained the famous vampire region and the new border crossed between the 2 locations. Very likely after they met.
Hope you get what you need!
I love that you have researched and are moving forward with reuniting with your family heritage. Love it! I was able to track my family back to 1425. I'm very interested in going back to the small town in England where they were in order to research more. Good luck with your dual citizenship! I am a huge fan and a lot of your videos really touch my experiences. I wasn't a digital nomad but I did two stints in Europe (Paris, Zurich) and a lot of what you discuss about lifestyle diffrences as well as realizations of the US when you came back really hit home. Love your videos, very insightful and I have to say I am living a bit vicariously through you as I have two kids and cannot move back to Europe anytime soon. Your videos on Eastern and Southern Europe have been very eye-opening. Romania and Bulgaria are definitely moving up my "must see" list because of you. Thank you for all of your shared experiences. I wish you all the best and keep the videos coming if you can.
Thank you so much for the kind words! Wow.- 1425 is a long time ago! Nice work. Going in person to find records is helpful. I'm so glad you've been liking the videos! Feel free to let me know any questions :)
@@TravelingwithKristin Thank you, Kristin. One comment/question I have is that each time I moved back to the US I vowed to try and replicate the European lifestyle here. I currently live just outside the Washington, DC area and, unfortunately, I just don't think it can be done. Like you said in one of your previous videos, you kind of get sucked back in to the (unhealthy) lifestyle of your surroundings... the need for a car, material things, overpaying for bad food, etc... you just can't replicate that lifestyle in the US. No imitation cafe or chocolate shop even comes close. Mostly, my outlook on life has changed and even though I did get sucked back in to the US lifestyle (and even worse the rat race of the East Coast), I still try to focus on quality versus quantity. Still, it is difficult. When I lived in Paris I didn't have a car, I didn't have a TV, nothing really of material value...AND I LOVED IT. Here I feel like you have to have the better vehicle, wear the latest fashion, have the newest phone/tablet, etc. Sorry, long-winded...Long question even longer - What steps have you taken to try and maintain a better quality of life in the US that is more in tune with a European lifestyle? I feel like it can only be a frame of mind here and nothing else. Any and all insight to how to better manage this is greatly appreciated. I really miss living in Europe as well as experiences I have had in other places I have traveled. Thanks again!
Awesome! Congrats! I don’t think I have recent European ancestry but I definitely want to live in Europe again permanently and possibly obtain citizenship
Thank you! If you want to relocate to Europe with a different type of residency, my team and I can help you at www.travelingwithkristin.com/relocation
Genealogy is a fun project even for those not seeking additional passports. Once I had the documents I needed (at minimal cost) for one of your countries of interest it was just a matter of paying a minimal application fee. No legal assistance was needed. Good luck on your quest. Mike
Thanks Mike, I appreciate your encouragement!
Bine ai revenit la rădăcini.
Awesome story! Thank you😊
I'm glad you enjoyed it! 🙏
Nevermind the documents, start learning about Steven the Great, Mihai Eminescu and some traditional food: sarmale, ciorba de perisoare, mamaliga cu branza si smantana. You will need to answer questions about all those and more and in the case of food, you will have to eat it for the exam (ok, i made up that part). Good luck and (hopefully) welcome!
Learn about Leana! She leveled Bucharest in short order!
I'm happy to contribute by sampling the local cuisine - no problem!
Than the whole world can obțin citizenship by descent.. we are all from somewhere.. I didn’t know if grand grand parents were from somewhere in the world you have a right to obtain citizenship.. that’s new to me ..
Not all countries allow it...some European countries do it because of the 2 WW wich displaced alot of their citizens!
A few years ago I had a consultation with a firm that assists with Italian citizenship by descent - jure sanguinis (“right of blood”). My grandfather was my anchor relative. He came over in 1921. But he had naturalized before he had my mom, so I was told I could not pursue that route any further. Very disappointing. He was born in Calabria, in a beautiful town called Cosenza. He loved talking about Italy. 🇮🇹
Hi Brenna! Ah such a shame you couldn't get the Italian passport, but we'll still find a way for you to live in Europe 😊
shame on italy
I became a Spanish citizen by descent in 2023. I am very happy that I made that decision especially now with the rise of Fascism in America.
Are you Shepardic Jewish?
Congratulations
I agree with you. I don't even want to listen to any news about Trump, you can tell he was an average student...it shows. I can only hope next assignation attempt is successful. 😮
Fascists are out. We got our freedom of speech back and soon our right to keep all our income back. But Europe is a fine place.
I escaped to Spain too. Escapé a España también.
@ It will probably be staged like the others.
Very cool, KW, love it! 😊
Thanks for the support!
Not sure if it’s the same for Romania, but I helped my son get Italian citizenship by descent and the important part was that the first generation of your direct line to be born in the U.S. was born BEFORE their Italian parent was naturalized. This worked for him, since his grandmother was born before her father got his U.S. citizenship.
Thanks for the note, Sarah. Each country has different rules and I think that was why I didn't think I qualified for Italian citizenship before. But I'll look into it again :)
In her scenario to claim Italian citizenship, she would have to jump through two hoops: Being born to a female who herself qualified being born before 1948, and then the "minor problem" that has recently cropped out due to an internal paper circulated by the Italian ministry of Justice to Italian consulates aboard stipulating the new interpretation of the law; that is, an Italian citizen losing his Italian citizenship due to naturalization disqualifies his children if they were still minors on the day of his naturalization. She can google it herself.
@@abrahamlevi3556 Ah, so the rules have tightened up since my son got his citizenship. Good thing we did it 10 years ago! His grandmother was only 13 when her father was naturalized, so that wouldn't have worked. Thanks for the update.
@@TravelingwithKristin I doubt that such rule as in Italy applies for Romanian citizens, as many Moldovans and Ukrainians got Romanian citizenship in recent years just by proving that their ancestors were born in the kingdom of Romania. And of course, the oath in Romanian and general knowledge about Romania. :)
Great job Kristin!
Thanks for this and future videos on this topic. IMHO I believe many US citizens do not take advantage of citizen by descent primarily not knowing the process or it’s perceived as “too lengthy.” You are also very wise to pursue all four options at your disposal. While the process should be similar (birth docs, death docs, marriage docs, US naturalization, and language tests) you never know which of your four “turtles” will win the race for you. 🐢🐢🐢
BTW-I’ve heard US attorneys will charge more than USD 1K for their efforts. 💰 All the best.
I think you made a great choice.🎉
I don't think in your case you can opt for Romanian citizenship, since the town your great grandfather was born was part of Hungary at that time and for sure he fought in the first world war as a Hungarian soldier. Koncz is also a Hungarian name, his full name probably was Koncz János. Koncz is a fairly common family name in Hungary, the most famous Koncz is Koncz Zsuzsa, singer.
Nevertheless, you can always opt for Hungarian citizenship. Or since you have Italian ancestry, you can opt for that. You only need one european citizenship to live in any EU country, so go for the one that is the easiest to get and then live, work and travel wherever you want.
I don't think that matters. Ethnic Hungarian citizens automatically became Romanian citizens, just like ethnic Romanians.
@@Valachorum She can ask for Romanian citizenship only if she can proof her grand grand father become a Romanian citizen after Peace Treaty of Trianon. If her grand grand father never had Romanian citizenship she is not allowed to ask for Romanian citizenship.
@@davidionescu2103 Anyway, getting citizenship just for the passport, without feeling a sense of belonging to that people, is not something I really agree with. There is that precedent of those "Moldovans" who obtained it so easily and now... you know what I mean.
In my opinion, in this case, no matter how complicated the issue of descent may be, Romania should grant her citizenship, if she proves she deserves it, that she feels like she's returning home. Period.
But she didn't even care to visit Romania, although she spent a lot of time in the Balkans and Eastern Europe.
@@Valachorumit depends on the dates and what happened to them after June 1920.
I live in the same county Arad. And from the stories of my grandmother and grandfather; a lot of names got changed in that time to hungarian names(happened in my family too) . But if you look at the names her grandfather/grandmother chose for theire children, it is clear they are romanian names. That proves they were of romanian descent.
How was it your duty to obtain that citizenship?lets be honest, cheaper lifestyle and opportunities in Europe
Hi Kristin! What a pleasant surprise! I’m Romanian and know an attorney who specializes in obtaining citizenship by descent. I’d be happy to assist with translations as well. If you’re interested, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Best regards!
Thank you so much Simona! What is the best way to get in touch?
My pleasure! I tried sharing my correspondence info here, but it seems that’s not allowed as the comment was deleted. I’ve sent you a request to join your group on the other platform-hopefully, we can connect there and exchange contact details.
I'm from Transilvanya and one of my co-workers was named Koncz.
Whoa Kristen, did NOT know that! So, did you ever come here this past year like you thought you would?
I know an attorney here in Romania, in Bucuresti, that I'm pretty sure would be able to help you--they specialize in residency et al. Such things here are VERY bureaucratic AND the laws have changed often in recent years--these folks are always on top of it.
I haven't been yet but soon! I would love to reach out to your contact - can you email me to hello [at] travelingwithkristin.com?
@@TravelingwithKristin Sure will. Good luck.
I wish you the best of luck ! ^^ noroc și sănătate ! 🌹
Hello Kristin, sounds awesome you want to regain the citizenship! I was paying attention throughout the video, and you explained that your grandfather was 9yo when he came to the US with his father, so that would mean he had Romanian citizenship before, so that's good news for you because one is eligible for citizenship through jus sanguinis only going back 2 generations. I saw that you already received some offers to connect you to a lawyer specializing in citizenships from people so won't add to that, but suffice to say I wish you the best of luck with the procedure (which I know is painfully bureaucratic)!
Are you going to pay tax in EU and in US? Is there an agreement between RO and USA to avoid double tax?
@davegordon6233
Yes. The treaty between the US and România on avoiding double taxation is one of the first signed by.the US. You pay taxes to the US just for the amount that was not taxed by the Romanian central fiscal agency.
Does the US recognize more than 2 citizenship? I know that in most countries, it is "illegal" to hold multiple (more than 2) citizenships. Btw, my grandfather was a fighter pilot in the Romanian airforce. Aviation is also in my blood :)
@UlpianHeritor
În most countries it is lawful to have two or more citizenships. The US and România are two of those which accept multiple citizenships.
My Polish process is going well, just moved on from the research to application phase! Writing this from Sicilia!
Great to hear Matt - congrats!
I am waiting for Italian citizenship by decent now from my grandfather and my grandmother was Hungarian. The Italian is a long process but not terribly hard. Make sure the ancestor didn't naturalize while the next in line was a minor as of Oct 2023 that changed and it is a lot harder and more expensive to do if it can be done at all it has to go through the Italian courts not a consulate or commune. Going through a female ancestor may be an option but also has to go through Italian courts. My family is from Sicily also and I hope to visit soon to see the family town and home from the 1800s. Best of luck on your journey.
OMG Youre Romanian? I love RO so much! Always visit to Cluj Napoca and Brasov.
Great to hear! A friend always tells me to go to Cluj as well.
By the family name your grandfather was hungarian
Great story 👍
Thank you - I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Wow, Romanians coming out of the woodwork! 😂
I immigrated from Romania as an adult and I want to get my Romanian passport back.
About your ancestor named Yan Koncz, that sounds Hungarian. Romanian version of John is Ion. I am not sure about historic dates but i know Transilvania (that's about a third of Romania) was Hungarian territory for 100 years then was returned to Romania so there is a large Hungarian population in that area.
Good luck fighting the bureaucracy, it's not for the faint of heart!
Nice to meet you, Adriana! I also thought Yan sounded Hungarian but I'm wondering if someone spelled it wrong on the form I was looking at. Ion sounds more like it! I'll keep you posted on the progress :)
do you really need a passport you are romanian by birth you should be able to get national ID card and use that to stay in romania how long you want
I don't think that matters. Ethnic Hungarian citizens automatically became Romanian citizens, just like ethnic Romanians.
@@Valachorum , yes, there's no ethnicity criteria, but you have to speak Romanian.
Vice versa- Transylvania and Banat was 1000 year part of the Hungarian kingdom, became part of Romania in 1920. Sorry, such details matter.
Have you submitted your application yet?
Not yet! I'm still deciding which lawyer to hire to help me.
Romania is in Schengen zone.
The romanian flag is 🇷🇴
Wow, Transylvania and Sicily. It means you are half vampire and half maffia! Spicy. 😂
Hi Kristin, I always enjoy your presentations. You mention you have Irish ancestry. If it is from a Grandparent as opposed to a Great Grandparent then you can claim Irish citizenship. The advantage of Irish citizenship is that possession of it also entitles you to live in the UK. Because of close proximity and history with the UK, there is a Common Travel Area arrangement between Ireland and the UK, meaning citizens of either can live and work etc in each other's country. Ireland, for the above reasons, is not a member of Schengen, but Irish citizens in being EU citizens have freedom of movement and residency in all Schengen countries under the same conditions as citizens of Schengen countries. The only difference is that on entering or leaving the Schengen area from or to Ireland, we have to show our passports. There are simply not many countries with better passports and for reasons given above - it is the best EU passport to possess as even after Brexit Irish people can still live and work in UK which is not true of other EU passports.
That is very interesting. I'm the youngest child of a youngest child, so more closely related to foreign-born ancestors than other family members near my age. Hence, I'm thinking I should be the person to sort it all out, and maybe get a dual citizenship to open the door for that to my two kids and one grandkid.
My maternal grandfather was an Irish citizen (who viewed it as unfortunate that he was physically born in England, in 1879) who moved to the US before meeting my grandmother. She had been born in Scotland in 1883 and sailed to the US in 1900. Their first child was born in 1905 in the US, and I'm not sure if either of my grandparents had been naturalized by then, vs later. I'm pretty sure they were both naturalized by the time my mother was born in 1916, though if not, it would not be the first surprising or even shocking thing I've found in my family history.
As my grandfather fought for the US in the Spanish-American war, I'm guessing I can find some paperwork about him due to that. My grandmother came in via Ellis Island, and also traveled back to visit Scotland a few times, so there is paperwork from that, also.
Maybe I'll run into a dead end of not finding documents. Or maybe I'll find out I'm not qualified, such as if my grandfather really wasn't an Irish citizen, or his not being born in Ireland is disqualifying. Time will tell, but it sounds like it's worth checking out, to get such a great additional passport with so many options for travel and residency.
Thanks for your comment, Frank, I'm so glad you enjoyed the video. From my previous research, it appeared that I could get Irish CBD through a great grandparent, but I haven't confirmed that yet. I'll update again, soon!
Thanks for sharing your story, @efficientRVer - it is definitely a worthwhile path to follow. See what you can find out!
@TravelingwithKristin No,the law was changed in the 80s. Irish citizenship can no longer be obtained through a great grandparent,unless the child of the great grandparent obtained Irish citizenship by descent before the law was changed in the eighties
@@TravelingwithKristin No! That was the case I believe but it's from Grandparents now
Hi Kristin as others have mentioned the order of colors in the flag you should change. Your great grandfather was born in Hungary not Romania. His ethnicity is also Hungarian if we go by his last name Koncz and choice of marriage. As others have mentioned borders change with wars, back then Transylvania was part of Austro Hungarian empire. With your ancestry you don't need attorneys just contact the Hungarian consulate in Miami , gather the ancestry papers and they will Naturalize you. With your Hungarian citizinship you will be able to work and reside in any EU country.
You are talking like the Romanian citizenship doesn't offer the same benefits within E.U as Hungarian one!
@@kypsunrider5983 Both Romanian and Hungarian citizenships offer the same benefit. Having said that your knowledge of your ancestry does count. The great grandfather were both Hungarian citizens, the great grandfather fought in the Hungarian army. When Romania was awarded Transylvania in 1920 they drew the border line across the town of Nagylak (Nadlac) and that is why the grandfather, who was born after 1920 was born in Romania. She can get both Hungarian and Romanian citizenship.
While Elena and Ion, could be Romanized from there Hungarian equivalents (either your grandparents were ethnical Hungarian or had only Magyarised names as being born before 1918), Liviu is typical Romanian introduced in Transylvania initially mostly after 1867 just to avoid magyarisation of names. So the grandfather looks to have been Romanian by ethnicity. The familly name Hitter of your grandma proves that she might have been German, probably also Jewish, but you hada have already known if she were Jewish. By the time your grandparent left Romania , he was a Romanian citizen. He was propbably Ion, he used to pronounce it and sound to you as Yan. If he were ethnical Hungaria, he would be Janos, pronounced Janosh and I think he would have adhered to this Hungarian form of John and not to the Romanian form Ion that you pronounce Yan. An other form of Ion is Ioan and this maybe sounds to you more like Yan.
You leave out the surname Koncz, which is a Hungarian surname.
Koncz is, for sure, only a Hungarian ortogrphy in these social and geographical circumstances. Koncz can come also from Polish. Very few things are actually purely Hungarian.
@@ppn194 She mentioned in a previous video that after '20 her family moved to Hungary and renounced their Romanian citizenship. Who do you think will do that if not Hungarians. :D
Wow, I thought getting my birth country passport was involved, this is next level.
If he was called Jan then he is Hungarian as well. Until 1918 Nadlac, which is in Transilvania, was part of the Austro-Hungarian empire. After WW1 Romania united with Transilvania which had a mix of ethnicities, with romanians and hungarians making up the bulk of it. So your grand-grandfather had actually dual citizenship, he was both Hungarian and Romanian :). Although, he probably would have identified as Hungarian. And the takeover of Transilvania might have played a role in his emigrating to the US. It wasn't a pretty transition and we even fought a brief war with the Hungarians and occupied Budapest for 2 years. So yeah, history is very interesting in these parts of the world. Anyway, I wish you the best in your quest for the Romanian citizenship and I hope to see you soon in Bucharest :). Pro-tip: Cyprus has only a requirement of 2 months per year for its residency permit. So if you want a semi-permanent base while you get your citizenship papers, it might be a very good choice.
Hi Geo, you are correct! I think that he identified as Hungarian-Romanian. Very interesting history indeed!
@@TravelingwithKristinif he was Catholic or Protestant, he was clearly an ethnic Hungarian. Romanians were either Orthodox Christians or Greek Catholics. As he married somebody Irish, it seems to me he was Hungarian ethnic.
@@mimisor66 Most Transylvanian Romanians were Catholic by 1918. Not to mention the massive change of all Romanian noble families and land owners to Catholicism after being forced by Unio Trium Nationum 1439, in order to keep status and land. By 1918 only 18% of Transylvanian Romanians were Orthodox.
@@TravelingwithKristin Geo skips the fact that by the time your great grand father was born all Transylvanian names were Magyarized already, even long before that. Myself had to dig into a lot of Hungarian names, to find my inherited properties, even though my both sides were always ethnic Romanian. My grand father and his brothers also migrated to the US in 1930s for work but they came back after the war and bought lots of land, only to be taken by the communists a few years later.
Does anyone know if you need to speak Hungarian to gain citizenship? I know some but not sure if I know enough... I do think I would need to look over my Hungarian lessons since I tend to forget some when not using it.
Also if anyone knows of any good Hungarian language practice resources can you let me know?
I have tried finding some... but too many have inaccuracies... :( (mostly the online sources I looked into)
From my previous research, one requirement is to pass a language test.
Am locuit in Akron, OH din 1985--1996 =11 ani. 😊👍👍👍
I can get Spanish citizenship by descent ( Ley de Nietos ) and desperately want to as well
Go for it!
Given my father’s name, we always thought we were German but, when I did my family tree, I discovered we were from Lithuania. I looked into getting Lithuanian citizenship, but our family came to the US in the 1870’s, too early to qualify for citizenship by descent. On my mother’s side, her family came from rural Russia but they escaped shortly before WWI so we have no official documentation. I do have my maternal grandmother's naturalization record but I'm not sure how useful Russian citizenship would be.
Wow Linda, how nice that you were able to trace your lineage back so far. If you don't qualify for CBD, you can try getting residency through a different permit and naturalization, but it takes a bit longer.
I am from Transylvania, the western part of Romania which used to be part of Austria - Hungary. People there are mixed: Romanians, Germans, Hungarians, Czechs, Serbians etc. It seems your great grandfather, although born in Nadlac, was not an ethnic Romanian. That name is not a Romanian name. Hungarian most likely. I'm sure you'll find out as you dig deeper into your ancestry. Either way, welcome back!
Populatrion in Nădlac: 49% Romanians, 39% Slovaks, 2% Hungarians. Janos Koncz could be Romanian, Slovak, whatever. Till 1918, the Magyar adminstration fiercefully magyarised the names.
That name was most probably Ioan Conci, also found in Italian as concio with the same meaning as in Arch Romanian, of hair braided and fastened on top of the head, the ornament or crown of flowers of a married woman or to get married. Names in Transylvania were also Germanized and Magyarized, in different stages.
It's Nagykanija ,zs in hungarian is j (like Zsazsa or Zsuzsa meaning Susan ),sz is readed as s,also if the a dont have an accent is readed as o
Just a bureaucratic warning! Staying more than 180 days during a year in a country will make you a local fiscal resident. Good news, US and Romania have a treaty to avoid double taxation. But no matter where you"ll live you"ll still owe taxes in US (but at a higher tax bracket ...starting with 80k/yr .. not sure. ) Historically, before WW I Romanians from Transylvania were Austro-Hungarian citizens. One has the right of getting back Romanian citizenship either "by blood right" (ethnicity) or simply having a grandparent who was citizen.
Thanks for the info! 😊 As a US citizen we get to file tax returns from anywhere in the world, but it's nice to have a treaty with so many countries.
About Romanian citizenship, I understand your grand grand father was born in Nadlac, it is not enough to get citizenship! It is very important if your grand grand father ever had Romanian citizenship. Remember, if he lived in Romania as a resident after 4 june 1920 it is a big probability for him to had Romanian citizenship, after Peace Treaty of Trianon the entire Hungarian ethnics from Transylvania become Romanian citizens. For sure your grand grand father was born in Hungary, I don't know his status after 4 june 1920, if he never had Romanian citizenship you can't ask for a Romanian citizenship.
In waiting game for my Irish Citizenship via Foreign Births Registration as of 3 weeks ago.
Goal is get EU membership so I can live and work in Portugal in 4 years.
A Romanian passport is an EU passport
Yes, that's true :)
I and my family got American citizenship after 5 years of residency passing also the test …
I'm getting my dna test from ancestry on February 10. I don't know where my family come from. Can't wait!!!
My DNA test shows that my paternal ancestor (Y-gene) was a Sardinian. Whether that was 1 thousand or 10 thousand years ago, I don't know.
@Fane-Babanu dna test don't matter. I had cousin whose family from tanzania. It doesn't matter if white, asian, black, Indian, South America, Middle east people can get along.
@@Stephen_T_Sampson , sure.
I took the DNA test at the request of some people who bore my family name, quite rare. It established that we are related, with our paternal ancestor having lived in the first half of the 19'th century. It was nice to know my new cousins.
@Fane-Babanu Last name Sampson in English is rare. It is a germanic last name, it comes from people in normandy France. It came to english in the middle ages through the normandy invasion. It was supposedly recorded in the hundred rolls of English King Rollo. They were Norman's a group mixed of settlers of west Francia, and vikings from denmark and scandanavia, and flemish people. They named themselves after Samson a welsh bishop he lived in 4th century ad.
Fortunately I’m African American, unfortunately I would definitely have no chance a a European by decent citizenship even tho I mostly visit there, and was drawn to Europe since the 80’s during the new wave music era. Still searching where I would like to obtain a path for citizenship in Europe, and when. I want to first obtain my Colombian citizenship since I’m here already first. At least for now the cost of living here can allow more trips and o Europe to explore for now.
9:16 in 1920s they might have lived in the same country, as the border between Hungary and Romania changed quite a bit around this period. A while back I even worked with ethinc Hungarians that lived in a Hungarian majority village in Romania.
Romania is now part of the Schengen area so it would be good to have a Romanian passport. That will allow youu to live and work anywhere in the EU. I have Swiss citizenship through my mother. The Swiss are constantly bombarding me with mail-in ballots for various national referendums. The Swiss people just voted themselves a 13th pension check every year! Too bad I never paid into the Swiss nationals pension system! I suspect that your grandfather belonged to the Hungarian minority inside Romania. Hungary has been giving passports to the Hungarian minority in Romania.
How good that there is no Swiss language that you had to learn!
That's great that you were able to get Swiss citizenship!
The Austrian-Hungarian empire in that period assimilated a lot of Romanians also
@@Fane-Babanu Grüezi!
@@olgaandronic Yes, there used to also be a significant German minority inside Romania that dated from the Hungarian rule over Transcarpathia.
Romanian flag, the colors are arranged on vertical.
*Ion* este numele romanesc. 4:23
The Nădlac area was very much part of the Austrian - Hungararian Empire (1867-1919) and before that was part of the Ottoman Empire. This area is known as The Banat and Today is made up of south central Hungary, northwestern Romania and northern Serbia. Post Austro-Turkish War, also known as the Habsburg-Ottoman War, was fought from 1788 to 1791. After this time this Banat region was colonized by peoples of Bavaria, Austria Kingdoms / known as Danube Swabians and also specifically Banat Swabians by the Habsburgs from 1791- 1919 135 years. So in this pocket of Central Europe it was very much ethnically cleansed by 1791 of Muslim Turks and then colonized and very much the model of and height of Austrian - Hungararian Empire best of prospered peoples for 135 years on lands in this area are extremely fertile. But it all ended in 1919 Post WW1 and by 1925-26 the people of this region who had the means to get out got out. Those that stayed were very much ethnically cleansed by the Soviets. Any family man that had the balls to claim his occupation as a Scholar at Elis Island upon entry has an amazing story to tell. Very much on the flip side of that token of of your people intolerant of ignorance and stupidity from 1925 at entry. One can no longer handle what’s going on in USA 2025 and it only took 100 years.
My grandma is from Germany so I’m able to declare citizenship through her. And so can my son. Now we’re just waiting to be able to get passports.
Something I’d like to mention is that Italy recently changed a law that makes it much harder to get citizenship by decent. Prior, if your ancestor who immigrated to the U.S. naturalized AFTER having their child (your next ancestor) then the citizenship continued.
But now the naturalization affected that child and they would’ve had to do some paperwork within a year of turning 18 to keep the citizenship and pass it down.
Terrible law in my opinion. How were our ancestors supposed to know about a law 100 years in the future and abide by that?….
Good luck. And remember to check your partners family history too! If you’re married you can move with them. And pass it down to kids.
On that last point, now countless guys are fantasizing about their path to Romanian citizenship for their future children.
I'm glad you were able to get German citizenship @cosycoffeee - that's so nice. Last I checked in Italy, I wasn't able to get it because my grandma was born in the USA. But I will try again :)
John it's Ion or Ioan , not Yan, or if he had his name translated to hungarian, if he was from Transilvania, then it would be Janos.
If you ask for your romanian passport 10 years ago i will says: what girl! She have connection with romanian roots!
But you want passport now! Why? Because you want to be "american oportunist": to be free to travel in Europe.
Its sad because - like almost all americans - you don't know almost nothing about Romania.
Read this:
Ar fi bine când vii în România să aprinzi o lumânare într-o biserică, și să mulțumești rudelor tale pentru oportunitatea de a avea pașaport românesc / Uniunea Europeană.
The Maurtenea is a famous ship.
Ineed!
Yan is not a Romanian name, Ion is the correct name
Wow Congrats Kristin, cant wait to get my European Citizenship, are you gonna renounce your US citizenship to avoid the tax burden? Its ridiculous that you to pay(2.5k) to renounce
Your great grand father's name most probably was Ioan Conci, which in Archaic Romanian means hair braided and fastened on top of the head. Also that ornament or crown (of flowers) on top, found in Italian as concio as well, so is clearly that Ro word. For ex in Transylvanian villages 'a-ti pune conci' means to get married and to put conci to a man to cheat on him. lol
Waw, what a surprise. Welcome to the Romanian family. Flag, ..., not Romanian though.
Even before you mentioned your heritage, for some reason I had in the back of my mind that you might be from that part of Europe. My family is from Transylvania and Hungary as well, and Poland and Russia. You’re very articulate, compassionate and inquisitive, so of course you will re-establish your heritage. Good luck and keep us posted. Looking forward to your next videos. BTW, Hungarian is a tough language to learn as you probably have figured out.
I have met someone whose mother tongue is Hungarian, whose grandparents were born in the pre-1918 Kingdom of Hungaria, but whose Hungarian citizenship application was rejected because of he spoke "uncultured" Hungarian.
Of course, he spoke Hungarian at home, Hungarian-speaking schools were outlawed in his birthplace.
@@Fane-Babanustrange, I assume this was prior to 2010. The repatriation was very unfair back then, one had to go through a very tough 7-8 year long immigration process, regardless of the Hungarian ancestry.
Thank you, Steve! Yes indeed - Hungarian appears much harder.
@@TravelingwithKristinthere is no language criteria for this type of repatriation in Hungary. You hand your Pack and within 6 month you get the response, no language exam. There is a citizen oath which is to be repeated on the welcome celebration of the selected consulate with a lilttle present for remembrance! Smooth and simple! My parents had there application approved in 5 months in 2010, now it is even faster.
Transylvania is a sort of a country or what ?
Hello Kristin, another interesting reel. An old, world travelling Brit 🇬🇧here, of 2nd gen Irish ancestry & who could easily get an Irish passport to circumvent Brexit’s madness but definitely will not.. Here’s why: My own experience is simply that the risks far exceed supposed flexibility benefit. Despite what your passport will say about national protection, dual holders will typically get very little consulate protection in the event of arrest or other troubles. Both countries will expect the other to help and neither will. Check the news for hostages (think Hamas in the Gaza) all dual nationals. That’s an horrific extreme. Even little tax problems, car accidents, personal injury. You’re on your own!🤷♂️
There's no drawback to double citizenship, except for US citizens who live overseas, but have to report and pay taxes to IRS every ear. All others pay taxes where they are residents most of the year or where the relevant income originates from. If you take Irish citizenship, you and your descendants will be able to freely travel and work anywhere in Europe, without time limitation and without that nasty Electronic Travel Authorization that's coming into force.
For your knowledge, at least one Israeli hostage was freed by Hamas, thanks to his Russian co-citizenship. Putin got his freedom!
While abroad, you definitely will get consular protection both from UK and the Ireland government, except for UK protection in Ireland and Ireland protection in the UK. I imagine you don't need either.
@@Fane-Babanuthat is interesting, thanks. On US citizenship, my parents lived there briefly between 1952-56, my sister was born there although never lived & so dual national by default. She hits 70 next year & has only just managed to un-citizen (is that a word) from the US & the interminable IRS returns. How mad! 😮
@@petersloane252 , yes, there was the notable case of former UK Prime-Minister Boris Johnson, who was born in the US while his parents were teaching there. One day, while being Mayor of London, he was stopped from boarding a US-bound plane, because he lacked a US passport. That's when he understood that he has to get read of his US citizenship. He got a confidential and preferrential agreement from the IRS. He got that because none of his revenue or net value originated from the US.
The $2350 renounciation fee is small potatoes.
You have to pay a farewell tax that is equivalent to what your inheritors would pay when you die.
Basically, to get rid of the US citizenship, you die and then you are born again, like Jesus!
German here. All of the Countries you've mentioned actually happen to be in Schengen Zone. As far as I know, Italy has the laxest rules on attaining citizenship for descent, so you might wanna try... Anyhow, no matter what your decision on your hopefully future EU citizenship may end up to be, being an EU citizen surely guarantees a Safe Haven from the infamous and authoritanian Orange Man we all dislike so badly abroad.
Thank you; I will look into Italian citizenship as well. I checked once about 10 years ago and didn't qualify, but I'll see if anything has changed.