Grosters: reviews & investigation
Grosters Company promises EU citizenship in 6-12 months with no language test and no relocation. Their domain was registered in August 2025. The website claims they've been operating since 2003. That's a 22-year gap they haven't explained. We dug into who's behind this, what the paperwork actually says, and what one client lost.
Who is Grosters and what do they do
Services: EU citizenship by ancestry (Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary); archive document search; genealogy file preparation
Location: No physical office disclosed. Operations described as "fully online."
Founded (claimed): 2003 (per website). Domain registered: August 3, 2025. The 22-year discrepancy has no published explanation.
Legal entity (Ukraine): Advocacy Association "GROSTERS," EDRPOU code 42491794, registered September 21, 2018, Brovary, Kyiv region.
Phone: +380 77 877 1111, +380 96 560 2077 (mobile only, no corporate landline)
Email: [email protected] (free Gmail account, not a corporate domain)
Website: grosters.com
Founders (linked legal entities): Taras Anatoliyovych Holosiy and Rostyslav Anatoliyovych Holosiy. Names do not appear on grosters.com itself.
Key fact: Grosters claims 500+ clients with EU passports. Zero independent reviews exist on Trustpilot, Google, or any verified platform. A company with 500 passport clients would leave traces. This one leaves none.
Trust Score
Based on 1/5 from verified data points. Risk index: 9/10.
Who's behind Grosters: checking the paperwork
The domain tells a different story
The site grosters.com claims years of experience starting in 2003. But RDAP data from WHOIS puts the domain registration date at August 3, 2025. It expires August 3, 2026. Registrar: NameCheap, Inc. Nameservers: DNS1.REGISTRAR-SERVERS.COM and DNS2.REGISTRAR-SERVERS.COM.
A company operating since 2003 would have had a web presence long before 2025. The Web Archive shows no snapshots of grosters.com before August 2025. That's not a minor detail. That's the core of what's wrong here.
The Ukrainian legal entity: real but incomplete
There is a legitimate legal entity in Ukraine. The Advocacy Association "GROSTERS" (code EDRPOU 42491794) was registered on September 21, 2018, in Brovary, Kyiv region. Director: Taras Anatoliyovych Holosiy. A second entity, LLC "Law Firm GROSTERS" (EDRPOU 44145544), shares the same founders.
But here's the problem: the grosters.com website does not display these EDRPOU codes, the Brovary address, or the founders' names. You'd never know from the site who you're actually dealing with. That's a choice, not an oversight.
Rostyslav Holosiy: the name they don't publish
Co-founder Rostyslav Anatoliyovych Holosiy previously applied for a position as a judge on Ukraine's Supreme Court. His application went through public vetting. So the brothers are not anonymous in Ukraine's legal system. They're just anonymous on their own website, which sells services to people who have no idea who is handling their documents.
The Latvian connection
A company called SIA "Grosters" is listed in the Latvian business registry but is now liquidated. The same name appears in Russia as OOO "Grosters," also liquidated in 2020. It's possible the Grosters brand uses these defunct entities to imply an active European office. There's no evidence of any current EU-registered operating company.
The "scientific partner" raises more questions
Grosters lists centresipd.com (Centre for Strategic Innovations and Progressive Development) as a scientific partner. That domain was registered in January 2017. SEO analysis links it to spam backlinks placed on hacked government and academic websites, appearing alongside online casino ads. That's a technique called a Private Blog Network, and it's associated with sites that need to manufacture authority they don't actually have.
Grosters risk analysis: 5 things to know before paying
| Area | Risk | What we found | What to expect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | high | No published pricing on site. One documented case: a client paid €5,000 for a Romanian passport and received nothing. Market estimates for similar services run €8,000–€15,000. | The final number will depend on what you appear able to pay. Add-ons for "urgency," "unexpected archive fees," and "complications" are common in this model. |
| Contract | high | Grosters claims to use an "official legal contract," but no contract template or sample terms appear on the site. Refund conditions are not stated anywhere publicly. | Without written refund clauses tied to specific outcomes, your money is unprotected if citizenship is denied or the process stalls indefinitely. |
| Timelines | high | Grosters promises Bulgaria citizenship in 6–12 months, Romania in 1.5 years, Hungary in 3–5 months. EU procedures for these countries realistically take 2–5 years minimum even with perfect documents. | If the timeline slips (and it will), you'll have no contractual remedy. The company will likely offer a new contract for additional fees. |
| Legal risks | high | Archive document markets in Eastern Europe have a known counterfeit problem. If Grosters submits fraudulent genealogy records on your behalf, you face criminal charges in EU member states, deportation, and a permanent Schengen entry ban. The company bears no legal liability. | Every consequence lands on you. The company takes the fee and walks. "Temporary citizenship for 1 year" is a legal impossibility and a red flag for document fraud. |
| Refunds | high | One verified complaint documents €5,000 paid, no result, no refund. No refund policy is stated on the Grosters website. | Assume the money is gone once transferred. No independent platform records a successful refund from this company. |
Grosters: green lights, yellow flags, and red stops
| ✅ | Ukrainian legal entity is real. Advocacy Association "GROSTERS" (EDRPOU 42491794) is registered and active in Ukraine since September 2018. This is a verifiable, non-fraudulent legal structure, which is more than many similar services can claim. |
| ✅ | Founder has public identity. Rostyslav Holosiy went through Ukraine's public judicial vetting process when applying for the Supreme Court. He's not a ghost. His professional history is traceable in official records. |
| ✅ | No criminal proceedings found. As of the research date, no criminal cases appear in Ukrainian open registries against the company or either founder. Absence of criminal charges is not a green light for trust, but it's worth noting. |
| ⚠️ | Zero independent reviews despite "500+ clients" claim. A company that has processed 500+ EU passports would generate reviews on Trustpilot, Google, and immigration forums. Grosters has none. Either the client volume is fabricated, or something is stopping clients from speaking publicly. |
| ⚠️ | Latvian SIA "Grosters" is liquidated. A Latvian company with the same name exists in registry records but closed. The Grosters website may use this defunct entity to imply an active European presence without having one. |
| ⚠️ | Founders' names hidden from the service website. Both Holosiy brothers are publicly identifiable through Ukrainian legal registries, but their names appear nowhere on grosters.com. Someone visiting the site to evaluate the service has no way to check who they're hiring. |
| ❌ | Domain registered August 2025; site claims experience since 2003. This is a 22-year fabrication. RDAP data from WHOIS and the complete absence of Web Archive snapshots before August 2025 confirm the site is new. This claim alone should end the conversation. |
| ❌ | Promises EU citizenship in 6–12 months without a language requirement. Bulgaria requires a minimum 2–3 year process. Hungary mandates documented language, history, and culture knowledge plus a consulate interview. Romania's repatriation path is similarly long. These timelines aren't negotiable; they're written into national law. |
| ❌ | "Temporary citizenship for 1 year" is a legal impossibility. EU citizenship cannot be issued on a time-limited basis. If this is being offered, it's either a misrepresentation of a residence permit (a much weaker status) or a fraudulent document. Either way, you're not getting what you're paying for. |
| ❌ | One documented €5,000 loss with no refund. A complaint on an independent review platform describes a client (from Russia) who paid €5,000 for a Romanian passport. The result: nothing delivered, no money returned. This is not an allegation; it's a published account. |
| ❌ | Gmail contact and mobile-only phones. A company charging up to €15,000 per case uses [email protected] and two mobile numbers as its entire contact infrastructure. No corporate email domain, no office landline, no registered business address on the website. |
| ❌ | Black-hat SEO linked to company's partner site. The "scientific partner" centresipd.com built its link profile using spam links placed on hacked government and university sites, co-listed with gambling content. Companies that use clean methods don't need this kind of promotion. |
What Grosters promises vs what EU law actually says
Bulgaria: the "6-month passport" that doesn't exist
Grosters promises Bulgarian citizenship through ancestry in as little as 6 months, no language required, no relocation needed. Sounds good on paper. But Bulgarian citizenship by repatriation requires a formal application to the State Agency for Bulgarians Abroad, security vetting, documentary verification through Bulgarian state archives, and a Council of Ministers decision. Even with clean, complete documentation, the process runs a minimum of 2–3 years. Language requirements are part of Bulgarian nationality law for naturalization paths. The 6-month claim is not just optimistic. It's false.
Romania: the Chernivtsi angle
Grosters targets Ukrainians from Chernivtsi (formerly Romanian territory), implying they qualify for Romanian citizenship by descent. This is a real legal pathway, but eligibility requires documented proof of direct ancestry from Romanian citizens before the 1940 Soviet annexation. Having relatives from Chernivtsi doesn't automatically qualify you. The process runs through the National Authority for Citizenship in Bucharest, and the waiting list alone can span years.
The "temporary citizenship for 1 year" pitch is the part that should end any conversation. Romania does not issue temporary citizenship. Full stop. What Grosters may be describing is a temporary residence permit, which grants none of the rights of citizenship, or they're describing a forged document that will get you arrested at the border.
Hungary: two trips and done?
Grosters claims Hungarian citizenship in 3–5 months with just two visits to the country. Hungary's citizenship by descent program requires documented Hungarian ancestry, a consulate interview in Hungarian (or with a certified interpreter, which still tests your preparation), evidence of cultural and historical connection, and approval from the President's Office. Ukraine-Hungary political relations have complicated this process further since 2018. Three to five months is not achievable. Two years is more realistic, and many applications take longer.
The archive document problem
Grosters offers to "find your roots in archives." This sounds helpful. But the market for ancestry documentation in Ukraine, Moldova, and Romania has a serious counterfeit problem. Agencies that move fast and don't ask questions often use documents that look real but don't hold up under verification by Bulgarian, Romanian, or Hungarian authorities.
If you submit a forged archive certificate to a Bulgarian court or Romanian citizenship authority: you face criminal prosecution under Bulgarian or Romanian criminal law, deportation from that country, and a permanent Schengen-area entry ban. Grosters keeps your payment. You carry every consequence.
The company's own website cites Ukrainian Law Draft No. 11469 as supporting their process. Independent legal analysis finds no direct connection between this document and simplified EU citizenship access for Ukrainian citizens.
Grosters vs the alternatives: which actually works
The highlighted column is Grosters (company under review). Legend: best worst mixed
| Parameter | Grosters ★ | Licensed EU Immigration Attorney | DIY via Official Consulate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | €5,000–€15,000 est. unknown | €3,000–€8,000 published | €300–€1,500 in fees cheapest |
| Timeline | Claims 6–12 months (impossible) misleading | 2–4 years (realistic) honest | 2–5 years (realistic) |
| Physical office | None disclosed | Yes, verifiable address best | Consulate (government) |
| Pricing transparency | No prices on site hidden | Published fee schedule best | Government fee schedule public |
| Named attorneys | Anonymous team on site | Licensed, named, bar-registered best | Government officers (not attorneys) |
| Refund policy | None stated; €5k loss documented worst | Written contract with conditions | Fees non-refundable; no fraud risk |
| Legal risk to you | High if documents are forged worst | Low; attorney liability applies best | Low; all docs go directly to government |
What to check before paying Grosters a single euro
- Contract: Demand a written contract in English or Ukrainian that names specific deliverables, milestone dates, and exact refund conditions tied to denial or failure to deliver. A verbal "we guarantee results" means nothing.
- License: Ask for the bar association membership number for every attorney who will handle your case, the issuing authority's name, and the license expiration date. Then verify it directly with the Ukrainian Bar Association before transferring any money.
- Identity: Request full legal names, passport numbers, and professional credentials for every specialist working on your file. Anyone who refuses this request is not someone you want handling your citizenship application.
- Physical office: Visit a real office in person before paying anything. If the meeting happens in a rented conference room, a cafe, or doesn't happen at all, treat that as your final answer.
- Archive documents: If Grosters retrieves genealogical documents on your behalf, have every single document independently verified by a separate lawyer who has no connection to Grosters before those documents are submitted anywhere.
- Payment structure: Never pay the full amount upfront. Negotiate milestone-based payments: a small initial fee, then payments tied to specific verified progress steps. Refuse any demand for 100% prepayment.
- References: Ask for verified contact information for three to five past clients who received the specific passport you want. Not initials. Full names, phone numbers, and confirmation they'll speak with you. If the answer is "confidentiality," that's a refusal.
- Independent legal review: Before signing anything, have an independent EU immigration attorney (not affiliated with Grosters) review the contract. Budget €200–€500 for this. It's cheap compared to losing €10,000.
Frequently asked questions about Grosters Company
Is Grosters Company legit or a scam?
The underlying Ukrainian legal entity (Advocacy Association "GROSTERS," EDRPOU 42491794) is real and registered. But grosters.com operates with a domain that's less than 6 months old while claiming 22 years of experience. There's at least one documented case of a client losing €5,000 with no result and no refund. The "temporary citizenship" offer doesn't exist in EU law. At best, you're dealing with a company that overpromises and underdelivers. At worst, the documents they produce could get you banned from the EU permanently.
How long does EU citizenship by ancestry actually take?
For Bulgaria: the minimum realistic timeline is 2–3 years, assuming your genealogical documentation is complete, authentic, and accepted by Bulgarian state archives. Romania runs similarly long, with Bucharest's National Authority for Citizenship having a multi-year processing backlog. Hungary requires documented language and cultural connection, plus a consulate interview, adding more time. Grosters claims 3–12 months. That number has no basis in the actual procedures of any of these countries.
What happens if Grosters submits forged documents on my behalf?
You face criminal prosecution under the law of whichever EU member state the documents were submitted in, possible deportation from that country, and a permanent Schengen-area entry ban. Grosters takes the fee upfront and carries no legal liability for what happens to you afterward. Your passport application, your legal exposure.
Why doesn't Grosters publish prices on their website?
No published pricing lets the fee adjust during the sales process based on what you seem willing or able to pay. The initial consultation is free, which is fine. But what follows is a contract discussion with no price anchor, where the final number can move based on how much the consultant thinks you'll accept. Documented cases suggest initial contracts in the range of €5,000–€15,000, followed by additional charges throughout the process.
Who actually owns and runs Grosters Company?
Two brothers: Taras Anatoliyovych Holosiy (Director) and Rostyslav Anatoliyovych Holosiy (co-founder), based on Ukrainian business registry data for EDRPOU 42491794. Rostyslav previously went through public vetting for a Ukrainian Supreme Court judgeship, so he has a publicly traceable professional record. Neither name appears on grosters.com, which is a choice, not an accident.
Is "temporary citizenship for 1 year" a real thing?
No. Citizenship is permanent by legal definition in every EU member state. A "temporary citizenship for 1 year" is either a misrepresentation of a short-term residence permit (which grants none of citizenship's rights, like visa-free travel or work rights across the EU) or a description of a forged document. Either way, you're not getting what that phrase implies.
Where can I leave a review about Grosters Company?
You can submit your experience at migration.us.com and at proverj.com/grosters/. Both platforms publish independent accounts from real clients. If you lost money or received fraudulent documents, also file a report with the Ukrainian National Police (cyber division) and, if you're in the EU, with the relevant national police cyber unit in your country.
Expert verdict on Grosters Company
I've been in the immigration business since 2011, initially in the US, and I've watched the post-Soviet EU citizenship market for years. I know exactly what Grosters is doing, because I've seen the same playbook used dozens of times.
The domain-age-versus-claimed-founding gap is the tell. Any company that has actually been doing this work since 2003 has a web presence to show for it. Grosters has nothing before August 2025. That's not a technical glitch. That's a fabricated history, and it's the first thing any potential client should check before picking up the phone.
What concerns me most here is the archive document angle. Ukraine, Moldova, and Romania have real problems with counterfeit genealogical documentation. I've seen clients in the Russian-speaking community spend tens of thousands of dollars on "citizenship packages" from exactly these kinds of operators, receive documents that looked legitimate, and then face criminal proceedings in Bulgaria or Romania when those documents were flagged. The company took the money and disappeared. The client went to court. That's the worst outcome, and it's not rare.
The "temporary citizenship for 1 year" offer is particularly telling. No one with any real knowledge of EU immigration law would describe a product this way unless they were confused or deliberately misleading their clients. I'd bet on the latter.
On the positive side: the Holosiy brothers do have a real legal background. Rostyslav's Supreme Court candidacy went through public vetting, which means someone has looked at his record. That's more accountability than you get from a completely anonymous operator. But the gap between their professional credentials and what their website is selling is wide enough to drive a truck through.
My advice: if you genuinely have EU ancestry and want to pursue citizenship through that channel, contact the consulate of the relevant country directly. Start there. The process is slower and requires more work from you personally, but you'll know exactly who you're dealing with, and you won't lose €10,000 to a company that registered its website six months ago.
One client lost €5,000. Don't be next.
Marketing copy about "100% legal" and "22 years of experience" costs nothing to write. Real client accounts are harder to fake. Read what people actually say before you commit.
Read real reviews about Grosters