Arriving and settling
- Moving to Moldova as a foreigner: what to do and in what orderMoving to Moldova means a few separate procedures. Which ones you need depends on how you enter and why you stay. This page puts them in…11 steps
- Residence permit, permanent stay or citizenship: which one is for you?Living in Moldova long term can mean a residence permit, a permanent right of residence, or citizenship. Which one fits depends on how…7 steps
- How the 90 days in 180 days rule works on a Moldovan short-stay visaA Moldovan short-stay visa lets you stay up to 90 days in any 180 days. An extension cannot take you over that total. This page explains…7 steps
- Your residence permit is about to expire: what to do and whenTo keep your right of residence in Moldova, you ask for an extension before the current one ends. The card that proves your right is…7 steps
- Coming to Moldova for long medical treatment: visa and residence permitLong medical treatment is one of the reasons for a temporary right of residence in Moldova. You usually need a visa to enter, and a letter…5 steps
- Owning a flat or house in Moldova without living hereIf you own a home in Moldova but live elsewhere, a few things stay official: the ownership record, a tax code if you are a foreigner, and…5 steps
- Driving a foreign car in Moldova: vignette, licence and registrationIf you drive a foreign-registered car in or through Moldova, you must buy a road vignette online before you drive. If you stay, your…5 steps
- Refused an invitation, visa or residence permit: what happens nextA refusal is communicated in writing, and some refusals can be challenged. What exactly applies depends on the procedure. Find yours below.6 steps
- Studying in Moldova as a foreigner: the steps in orderStudying in Moldova as a foreigner takes a few steps in a fixed order: the university and the Ministry of Education first, then the…13 steps
Family
- Having a baby in Moldova: registration, documents and paymentsAfter a birth in Moldova you register the child, and the state sets up most payments from data it already holds. The father applies for…10 steps
- Getting married in Moldova: what you need and how long it takesTo marry in Moldova you apply at a civil status office, and the marriage is registered after a waiting time. If you are a Moldovan citizen…8 steps
- How to bring your wife, husband or children to MoldovaTo bring a family member to Moldova, you first ask the migration service for an approval (aviz). With it, your family member applies for a…11 steps
- How to get a divorce registered in MoldovaA divorce in Moldova is registered by a civil status office, or in some cases by a notary or a consulate. How you start depends on whether…7 steps
Work and money
- Working in Moldova as a foreigner: the permits and registrations you may needForeigners can work in Moldova in different ways, and each way has its own permit or registration. This page shows what exists and which…8 steps
- Starting a business in Moldova: choose a form and register itTo start a business in Moldova you first choose a form: a sole proprietor, a company, a patent or a non-profit organisation. Each is…8 steps
- Working for yourself in Moldova: freelancer, sole proprietor or patent?There are several ways to work for yourself in Moldova. Each one is registered differently and suits different work. Find your route…7 steps
- Lost your job in Moldova? How to register and get unemployment benefitIf you lose your job, you register as unemployed first. Registration is free, and the unemployment benefit builds on it. Each step below…7 steps
Cars, property and pets
- Buying or bringing a car to Moldova: registration and platesAfter you buy or import a car in Moldova, you record the new owner or register the vehicle, and you get a registration certificate and…7 steps
- Buying or selling a home in Moldova: what to check and registerWhen you buy or sell a home in Moldova, the official record is the Register of Immovable Property. You check it before the deal and update…6 steps
- Travelling with a pet from Moldova: the pet travel certificateTo take a pet across the Moldovan border for a holiday or a move abroad, you need a travel certificate from the National Food Safety…5 steps
Visas by country
- Do you need a visa for Moldova? Check your countryType your citizenship and see whether you need a visa, an invitation or an airport transit visa, according to the lists of the Ministry of…
- Moldova for Turkish citizens: visa-free travel and longer staysTurkish citizens do not need a visa to enter Moldova, according to the list of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. For a longer stay, a…6 steps
- Moldova visa for Indian citizens: when you need one and how to applyIndian citizens need a visa to enter Moldova. A valid EU, UK, US or Canada visa or residence permit can replace the Moldovan visa. Each…8 steps
- Moldova visa for Nigerian citizens: invitation, visa and where to applyNigerian citizens need a visa to enter Moldova, and an invitation before the visa. A valid EU, UK, US or Canada visa or residence permit…9 steps
- Moldova visa for Chinese citizens: when you need one and how to applyChinese citizens need a visa to enter Moldova. A valid EU, UK, US or Canada visa or residence permit can replace the Moldovan visa. Each…8 steps
- Moldova visa for Egyptian citizens: invitation, visa and the embassy in AnkaraEgyptian citizens need a visa to enter Moldova, and an invitation before the visa. A valid EU, UK, US or Canada visa or residence permit…9 steps
- Moldova visa for Moroccan citizens: invitation, visa and the embassy in LisbonMoroccan citizens need a visa to enter Moldova, and an invitation before the visa. A valid EU, UK, US or Canada visa or residence permit…9 steps
- Moldova visa for Iranian citizens: invitation, visa and the embassy in BakuIranian citizens need a visa to enter Moldova, and an invitation before the visa. A valid EU, UK, US or Canada visa or residence permit…9 steps
For Moldovans abroad
- Renewing your Moldovan passport or ID card while you live abroadMoldovan citizens abroad get a new passport or identity card at a Moldovan embassy or consulate. Adults apply in person. Each step below…7 steps
- Lost or stolen passport abroad: report it, get home, get a new oneIf you lose your Moldovan passport abroad, you report the loss, and a Moldovan embassy or consulate can give you a temporary document for…6 steps
- Married, divorced or had a child abroad: how to make it count in MoldovaA civil status document that a Moldovan citizen gets abroad has legal force in Moldova only after it is transcribed into the Moldovan…7 steps
- Your child was born abroad: which Moldovan documents you can getWhen a child of Moldovan parents is born abroad, the foreign birth certificate has legal force in Moldova only after it is transcribed…6 steps
- Using Moldovan documents abroad: apostille, legalisation or multilingual extractTo use a Moldovan document in another country, it usually needs an apostille, a legalisation or a special multilingual form. Which one…6 steps
- Worked in Moldova and abroad: counting your insurance years for a pensionIf you worked legally in Moldova and then abroad, a form can confirm your insurance years in Moldova. It is sent to the pension…5 steps
- Coming back to Moldova after years abroad: documents, address and insuranceAfter years abroad, a few things in Moldova may need updating: your ID, your address, your health cover and sometimes your documents from…8 steps
Documents, money and rights
- Which public services are free for you? Pensioners, people with disabilities, veterans and othersMany public services in Moldova are free, or cheaper, for some groups of people. The lists sit in different guides. This page collects…8 steps
- Passport or ID card expiring before a trip: how fast can you get a new one?A new Moldovan passport or identity card can be issued faster if you pay more. The speeds range from the standard time to the same day…6 steps
- Your old ID (buletin) can stop being valid when you move: what to doIf your old-style ID (buletin) was issued between 7 March 2013 and 31 March 2025, it stops being valid when you change your home address…6 steps
- Proof of income or tax status: which certificate do you need?Banks, employers, visa offices and foreign tax authorities ask for different proofs. In Moldova there are several certificates, each…6 steps
- Criminal record certificate from Moldova for a job or a visa: how to get it and use it abroadA Moldovan criminal record certificate can be ordered in Moldova or, if you are abroad, through a Moldovan embassy or consulate. It is…6 steps
Everyday life
- Emergency numbers and useful contacts in MoldovaIn an emergency in Moldova you call 112. For everything else, the official service pages list the phone numbers of the institutions. This…7 steps
- Renting a flat in Moldova: what to check before you payBefore you pay for a flat in Moldova, check who the owner is and get a written lease. The landlord has a duty to register it with the tax…6 steps
- Feeling ill in Moldova: who to call and where to goIn an emergency you call 112. For everything else, your first contact is usually a family doctor, and the insurance decides what is paid…6 steps
- Getting a SIM card and a bank account in Moldova as a foreignerA phone number and a bank account make daily life in Moldova easier. Operators and banks set their own rules, so the best step is to ask…5 steps
- Paying public service fees in Moldova: MPay, card, terminal, bank and post officeMost public service fees in Moldova can be paid online through MPay, and often also at the counter, at a terminal, at a bank or at the…6 steps
- Enrolling a child in school or kindergarten in Moldova as a foreignerSchools and kindergartens in Moldova can ask foreign families for several documents. This page covers the ones our guides describe. Each…6 steps