Visiting Moldova: visa-free stay, C visa and eVisa

Moldova's list of visa-exempt nationalities includes Türkiye, all EU states, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Japan, Israel, the Republic of Korea and most of the former Soviet states, among others. Exempt travellers may stay up to 90 days in any 180-day period, counted backwards from each day of stay. Some nationals on the visa list may also travel without a visa while they hold a valid residence permit or visa, other than a transit visa, issued by an EU or Schengen state, the United Kingdom, the United States or Canada.

The passport must have been issued in the last ten years and be valid for at least three months after the planned departure. Applicants add, depending on the purpose, a hotel booking or a maintenance and accommodation commitment signed by a person in Moldova, a return ticket or the car documents and green card, a bank statement no older than ten days showing EUR 30 per day and at least EUR 300 for short trips, and medical insurance for the whole territory covering at least EUR 30,000. Private visits need a copy of the host's ID and a free-form invitation; some nationalities also need an invitation issued by the General Inspectorate for Migration.

The Ministry's general list shows a consular fee of EUR 20 for airport transit visas and EUR 40 for transit and short-stay visas, plus additional fees where applicable; individual embassies may publish their own amounts, so check the page of the mission where you apply. A visa may be extended inside Moldova at the GIM for EUR 25 per month plus MDL 50 state fee.

Visas are issued by Moldovan embassies and consulates and, for types A, B and C, by the Directorate for Consular Affairs through the eVisa portal, available around the clock. You complete the online form, attach the scanned documents and pay by card; the e-visa arrives by e-mail and is printed for the journey. It is equivalent to a traditional visa and is not inserted in the passport.

A C visa granting fewer than 90 days can be extended for the same purpose, provided the total does not exceed 90 days in any 180-day period. The application is filed at a GIM one-stop shop at least three working days before the visa ends, by the foreigner, the inviting organisation or a legal representative, with health insurance for the whole stay, proof of housing and documents on the purpose. Holding a visa never guarantees entry; border police can still refuse travellers who do not meet the entry conditions.