Applying for asylum in Moldova

Refugee status is granted to a foreigner who, owing to a well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside their country and cannot or will not seek its protection, or to a stateless person in the same situation. Humanitarian protection is for people who do not qualify as refugees but would face a real risk of serious harm if returned.

Applications are accepted at the GIM one-stop shops for the documentation of foreigners in Chișinău, Bălți, Comrat and Cahul, and by institutions under the National Administration of Penitentiaries or detention units of law enforcement bodies. The authorities must give access to the procedure to any foreigner on Moldovan territory or at the border once the person expresses, in writing or orally, the wish for protection.

Before a decision the applicant is interviewed by a GIM specialist as soon as possible and no later than 21 days after the application; the deadline can be extended by 21 days if more research on the country of origin is needed. Applicants must tell the truth and provide all evidence for the reasons for their fear. The examination can be extended by one month at a time, by no more than three months, and the total examination period does not exceed nine months. The decision is notified in writing, in person or by post to the last declared address.

Recognised refugees and their children receive a refugee identity card valid for five years and, regardless of age, a travel document under the 1951 Convention, also valid for five years. Beneficiaries of humanitarian protection receive an identity card and a travel document valid for three years. These documents are issued by the GIM on the basis of the decision granting protection.

Petitions and complaints about the work of the GIM can be submitted to its chancery at 124 Ștefan cel Mare și Sfânt Boulevard in Chișinău or by e-mail to the address published by the GIM.