Good to know
- Who this is for: Moldovan citizens, and foreigners with a right of residence in Moldova, who want a family member to join them.
- Each step is a separate procedure with its own office, fee and waiting time. The first four happen before your family member travels.
- Who counts as family is different for citizens and for foreigners with a residence right. The list is in the guide to the approval.
- Your situation is unusual? Ask us about your case.
Steps, in order
- You do this
Check who you can bring
Full guide: Family reunification: approval to bring a family member to Moldova →checked 19 October 2026The list of relatives depends on whether you are a citizen or a foreigner with a residence right. Check that your family member is on it before you start.
- You do this
Get your papers from abroad ready
Full guide: Consular legalisation (super-legalisation) of a document →checked 19 October 2026Full guide: Transcribing foreign civil status documents into the Moldovan register →checked 19 October 2026Marriage and birth certificates issued abroad must be recognised in Moldova. They are either transcribed in the Moldovan civil register, or legalised or apostilled, translated into Romanian and notarised, or authenticated by a Moldovan mission.
- You do this
Ask for the approval (aviz)
Full guide: Family reunification: approval to bring a family member to Moldova →checked 19 October 2026Go in person to the migration service One-Stop Shop for foreigners (IGM). Bring your documents and your proof of payment. An officer checks the file.
- You do this
Collect the approval
Full guide: Family reunification: approval to bring a family member to Moldova →checked 19 October 2026You receive it at the same counter and sign for it. Your family member needs it to apply for the visa.
Your family member applies for a long-stay visa
Full guide: Moldova visa: how to apply →checked 19 October 2026They apply at a Moldovan embassy or consulate, with the approval and their other documents. A long-stay visa (type D) cannot be requested online.
- You do this
Apply for the residence permit
Full guide: Residence permit in Moldova (right of residence) →checked 19 October 2026When your family member is in Moldova with the visa, ask for temporary residence for family reunification at the migration service (IGM). Both of you sign the application, and you must be present when it is submitted.
Your family member gets the residence permit card
Full guide: Residence permit card and other ID documents for foreigners →checked 19 October 2026The decision gives the right of residence. The card that proves it is a separate step, with its own fee.
- You do this
Register the address where they live
Full guide: Register your home address (or deregister) in Moldova →checked 19 October 2026The guide explains the difference between a home address and a temporary residence.
- You do this
Arrange health cover and a family doctor
Full guide: Compulsory health insurance in Moldova →checked 19 October 2026Full guide: Register with a family doctor in Moldova →checked 19 October 2026Find out how your family member can be covered by compulsory health insurance, then register with a family doctor.
- Practical tip · not from an official source
Ask the office before you go
Requirements can differ from case to case. Before you go to any office, call the number in the guide and ask what to bring.
- Not covered here
Something unusual in your case
Ask about your case →A case that does not fit the list, or a family member who is already in Moldova. These are not covered here.