Moving to Moldova: visas, cost of living & immigrant guide

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Population

3,364,496

Population Growth Rate

-1.02%

Urban Population

47.700000

Population in Major Urban Areas

CHISINAU (capital) 677,000

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Age Structure

18.030000

Median Age

35.400000

Birth Rate - births/1,000 population

12

Death Rate - deaths/1,000 population

12.61

Total Fertility Rate - children born/woman

1.55

Contraceptive Prevalance Rate - female 12-49

67.8%

Contraceptive Prevalence Rate - female 12-49

67.8%

Mean Age for Mother's First Birth (age 25-49)

23.5

Mother's mean age at first birth

23.5

Sex Ratio at Birth - male/female

1.060000

Net Migration Rate - migrant(s)/1,000 population

-9.92

Ethnic Groups

Moldovan/Romanian 64.5%, Ukrainian 13.8%, Russian 13%, Jewish 1.5%, Bulgarian 2%, Gagauz and other 5.2%

Nationality Noun

Moldovan(s)

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Literacy - total population

99.1%

Literacy - male

99.6%

Literacy - female

98.7%

Literacy Definition

age 15 and over can read and write

Education Expenditures - percent of GDP

8.4%

Total School Life Expectancy - (primary to tertiary)

12.000000

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Life Expectancy at Birth

69.820000

Infant Mortality Rate

13.280000

Infant Mortality Rate - total deaths/1,000 live births

13.280000

Maternal Mortality Rate - deaths/100,000 live births

41

Physicians Density - physicians/1,000 population

3.64

Hospital Bed Density - beds/1,000 population

6.2

Health Expenditures - percent of GDP

11.4%

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

21.2%

Drinking Water Source - percent of urban population improved

99.500000

Sanitation Facility Access - percent of urban population improved

89.200000

Underweight - percent of children under five years

3.2%

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Economic Overview

Despite recent progress, Moldova remains one of the poorest countries in Europe.

With a moderate climate and productive farmland, Moldova's economy relies heavily on its agriculture sector, featuring fruits, vegetables, wine, wheat, and tobacco.

Moldova also depends on annual remittances of about $1.2 billion - almost 15% of GDP - from the roughly one million Moldovans working in Europe, Israel, Russia, and elsewhere.

With few natural energy resources, Moldova imports almost all of its energy supplies from Russia and Ukraine.

Moldova's dependence on Russian energy is underscored by a more than $6 billion debt to Russian natural gas supplier Gazprom, largely the result of unreimbursed natural gas consumption in the breakaway region of Transnistria.

Moldova and Romania inaugurated the Ungheni-Iasi natural gas interconnector project in August 2014.

The 43-kilometer pipeline between Moldova and Romania, allows for both the import and export of natural gas.

Several technical and regulatory delays kept gas from flowing into Moldova until March 2015.

Romanian gas exports to Moldova are largely symbolic.

In 2018, Moldova awarded a tender to Romanian Transgaz to construct a pipeline connecting Ungheni to Chisinau, bringing the gas to Moldovan population centers.

Moldova also seeks to connect with the European power grid by 2022.

The government's stated goal of EU integration has resulted in some market-oriented progress.

Moldova experienced better than expected economic growth in 2017, largely driven by increased consumption, increased revenue from agricultural exports, and improved tax collection.

During fall 2014, Moldova signed an Association Agreement and a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement with the EU (AA/DCFTA), connecting Moldovan products to the world’s largest market.

The EU AA/DCFTA has contributed to significant growth in Moldova’s exports to the EU.

In 2017, the EU purchased over 65% of Moldova’s exports, a major change from 20 years previously when the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) received over 69% of Moldova’s exports.

A $1 billion asset-stripping heist of Moldovan banks in late 2014 delivered a significant shock to the economy in 2015; the subsequent bank bailout increased inflationary pressures and contributed to the depreciation of the leu and a minor recession.

Moldova’s growth has also been hampered by endemic corruption, which limits business growth and deters foreign investment, and Russian restrictions on imports of Moldova’s agricultural products.

The government’s push to restore stability and implement meaningful reform led to the approval in 2016 of a $179 million three-year IMF program focused on improving the banking and fiscal environments, along with additional assistance programs from the EU, World Bank, and Romania.

Moldova received two IMF tranches in 2017, totaling over $42.5 million.

Over the longer term, Moldova's economy remains vulnerable to corruption, political uncertainty, weak administrative capacity, vested bureaucratic interests, energy import dependence, Russian political and economic pressure, heavy dependence on agricultural exports, and unresolved separatism in Moldova's Transnistria region.

Industries

food processing, agricultural machinery, foundry equipment, refrigerators and freezers, washing machines, hosiery, sugar, vegetable oil, shoes, textiles

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$5,000.00 (USD)

GDP - real growth rate

-1%

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GDP - Gross Domestic Product (PPP)

$32,260,000,000 (USD)

GDP Per Capita

$5,000.00 (USD)

GDP - real growth rate

-1%

GDP - official exchange rate

$6,188,000,000 (USD)

GDP - composition, by end use

• consumption: 86.6% government
• consumption: 17.5% investment in fixed
• capital: 22.9% investment in
• inventories: 1.1% exports of goods and
• services: 41.7% imports of goods and
• services: -69.8%

GDP by Sector- agriculture

16.2%

GDP by Sector- Industry

20.7%

GDP by Sector- services

63.2%

Industrial Growth Rate

7%

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Inflation Rate

7.3%

Exchange Rate per US Dollar

Moldovan leu (MDL)

Currency Name and Code

Moldovan Leu (MDL)

Fiscal Year

calendar year

Commercial Bank Prime Lending Rate

12.26%

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Labor Force

1,203,000

Unemployment Rate

6.5%

Major Industries

food processing, agricultural machinery, foundry equipment, refrigerators and freezers, washing machines, hosiery, sugar, vegetable oil, shoes, textiles

Agriculture Products

vegetables, fruits, wine, grain, sugar beets, sunflower seed, tobacco; beef, milk

Population Below Poverty Line

26.3%

Child Labor - # of children ages 5-14

72,364

Child Labor - % of children ages 5-14

16%

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Labor Force By Occupation- agriculture

26.4%

Labor Force By Occupation- industry

13.2%

Labor Force By Occupation- services

60.4%

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Annual Budget

$2,164,000,000 (USD)

Public Debt (% of GDP)

72.9%

Budget Surplus or Deficit - percent of GDP

-1.8%

Taxes and other revenues - percent of GDP

37%

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Full Country Name

Republic of Moldova

Country Name

Moldova

Local - Long

Republica Moldova

Local - Short

Moldova

Former Name

Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic, Moldovan Soviet Socialist Republic

Etymology- history of name

named for the Moldova River in neighboring eastern Romania

Independence

27 August 1991 (from the Soviet Union)

National Holiday

Independence Day, 27 August (1991)

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Government Type

parliamentary republic

Constitution

• history: previous 1978; latest adopted 29 July 1994, effective 27 August 1994
• amendments: proposed by voter petition (at least 200,000 eligible voters), by at least one third of Parliament members, or by the government; passage requires two-thirds majority vote of Parliament within one year of initial proposal; revisions to constitutional articles on sovereignty, independence, and neutrality require majority vote by referendum; articles on fundamental rights and freedoms cannot be amended; amended many times, last in 2018

Legal System:

civil law system with Germanic law influences; Constitutional Court review of legislative acts

Executive Branch:

• chief of state: President Maia SANDU (since 24 December 2020)
• head of government: Prime Minister Dorin RECEAN (since 16 February 2023)
• cabinet: Cabinet proposed by the prime minister-designate, nominated by the president, approved through a vote of confidence in Parliament
• elections/appointments: president directly elected for a 4-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 15 November 2020 (next to be held in fall 2024); prime minister designated by the president upon consultation with Parliament; within 15 days from designation, the prime minister-designate must request a vote of confidence for his/her proposed work program from the Parliament
• election results: 2020: Maia SANDU elected president in second round; percent of vote in second round - Maia SANDU (PAS) 57.7%, Igor DODON (PSRM) 42.3% 2016: Igor DODON elected president in second round; percent of vote - Igor DODON (PSRM) 52.1%, Maia SANDU (PAS) 47.9%

Legislative Branch:

• Description: unicameral Parliament (101 seats; 51 members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote and 50 members directly elected in a single, nationwide constituency by closed party-list proportional representation vote; all members serve 4-year terms
• Elections: last held on 11 July 2021 (next scheduled in July 2025)
• Election Results: 2021: percent of vote by party - PAS 52.8%, BECS (PSRM+PCRM) 27.1%, SOR 5.7%; seats by party - PAS 63, BECS 32, SOR 6; composition as of April 2023 - men 62, women 39, percent of women 38.6%

Judicial Branch:

• office: Supreme Court of Justice judges appointed by the president upon the recommendation of the Superior Council of Magistracy, an 11-member body of judicial officials; all judges serve 4-year renewable terms; Constitutional Court judges appointed 2 each by Parliament, the president, and the Higher Council of Magistracy for 6-year terms; court president elected by other court judges for a 3-year term
• subordinate courts: Courts of Appeal; Court of Business Audit; municipal courts

Regions or States:

32 raions (raioane, singular - raion), 3 municipalities (municipii, singular - municipiul), 1 autonomous territorial unit (unitatea teritoriala autonoma), and 1 territorial unit (unitatea teritoriala) raions: Anenii Noi, Basarabeasca, Briceni, Cahul, Cantemir, Calarasi, Causeni, Cimislia, Criuleni, Donduseni, Drochia, Dubasari, Edinet, Falesti, Floresti, Glodeni, Hincesti, Ialoveni, Leova, Nisporeni, Ocnita, Orhei, Rezina, Riscani, Singerei, Soldanesti, Soroca, Stefan Voda, Straseni, Taraclia, Telenesti, Ungheni municipalities: Balti, Bender, Chisinau autonomous territorial unit: Gagauzia territorial unit: Stinga Nistrului (Transnistria)

Political Parties and Leaders:

• Party of Action and Solidarity or PAS [Igor GROSU]
• Communist Party or PCRM [Vladimir VORONIN]
• Socialist Party or PSRM [Igor DODON]
• SOR Party [llan SHOR]

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal

Citizenship Criteria:

• birth: no citizenship by descent
• only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Moldova dual citizenship
• recognized: no residency requirement for
• naturalization: 10 years

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Capital Name

Chisinau in Romanian (Kishinev in Russian) pronounced KEE-shee-now (KIH-shi-nyov)

Capital - geographic coordinate

47 00 N, 28 51 E

Capital Time Difference

UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Daylight Savings Time

+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

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International Organization Participation:

• BSEC
• CD
• CE
• CEI
• CIS
• EAEU (observer)
• EAPC
• EBRD
• FAO
• GCTU
• GUAM
• IAEA
• IBRD
• ICAO
• ICC (NGOs)
• ICCt
• ICRM
• IDA
• IFAD
• IFC
• IFRCS
• ILO
• IMF
• IMO
• Interpol
• IOC
• IOM
• IPU
• ISO (correspondent)
• ITU
• ITUC (NGOs)
• MIGA
• OIF
• OPCW
• OSCE
• PFP
• SELEC
• UN
• UNCTAD
• UNESCO
• UNHCR
• UNIDO
• Union Latina
• UNMIL
• UNMISS
• UNOCI
• UNWTO
• UPU
• WCO
• WHO
• WIPO
• WMO
• WTO

International Law Organization Participation:

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Diplomatic Representation from US:

• Chief of Mission: Ambassador Kent D. LOGSDON (since 16 February 2022)
• Embassy: 103 Mateevici Street, Chisinau MD-2009
• Mailing Address: 7080 Chisinau Place, Washington DC 20521-7080
• Telephone: [373] (22) 408-300
• FAX: [373] (22) 233-044
• Email: ChisinauACS@state.gov
• Website: https://md.usembassy.gov/

Diplomatic Representation in the US:

• Chief of Mission: Ambassador Viorel URSU (since 12 December 2022)
• Chancery: 2101 S Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
• Telephone: [1] (202) 667-1130
• FAX: [1] (202) 667-2624
• Email: washington@mfa.gov.md
• Website: https://sua.mfa.gov.md/en

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Geographic Location

Europe

Geographic Coordinates

47 00 N, 29 00 E

Total Area

13,070 Square Miles 33,851 Square Kilometers

Land Area

12,699 Square Miles 32,891 Square Kilometers

Water Area

371 Square Miles 960 Square Kilometers

Land Boundaries

864 Miles 1,390 Kilometers

Border Countries

Romania 450 km, Ukraine 939 km

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Terrain

rolling steppe, gradual slope south to Black Sea

Highest Point

430 Meters

Highest Point Location

Dealul Balanesti 430 m

Lowest Point

2 Meters

Lowest Point Location

Dniester River 2 m

Natural Resources

lignite, phosphorites, gypsum, arable land, limestone

Irrigated Land

881 Square Miles 2,283 Square Kilometers

Time Zone

UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Daylight saving time

+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

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Climate

Moldova's climate is mild in the winter and warm in the summery.

Winter temperatures are typically in the 20s (F) but occasionally fall below zero.

Highs in the summer are typically in the 80s but can go as high as 100.

There are four distinct seasons, with foliage on trees between April and October.

The climate is semi‑arid.

Because of the clearing of land for agricultural cultivation--especially in the Soviet era for grape production--there are few forests or woodlands.

There has been soil erosion due to farming methods.

The effect in the cities is that occasionally dust can blow up from the streets in gusts.

Humidity in the summer can be high.

Terrain

rolling steppe, gradual slope south to Black Sea

Location

Eastern Europe, northeast of Romania

Total Area

13,070 Square Miles 33,851 Square Kilometers

Border Countries

Romania 450 km, Ukraine 939 km

Environment - Current Issues

heavy use of agricultural chemicals, including banned pesticides such as DDT, has contaminated soil and groundwater

extensive soil erosion from poor farming methods

Environment - International Agreements

party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

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Exports

$1,450,000,000 (USD)

Imports

$3,660,000,000 (USD)

Major Exports

foodstuffs, textiles, machinery

Major Imports

mineral products and fuel 32%, machinery and equipment, chemicals, textiles

Top Export Partners

Russia 34.6%, Italy 11.5%, Germany 9.1%, Ukraine 6.9%, Romania 6.2%, US 5.2%, Belarus 4.5%, Spain 4.1%

Top Import Partners

Ukraine 22.6%, Russia 20.2%, Germany 10.7%, Romania 8.3%, Italy 7%

Export Partners

Russia 34.6%, Italy 11.5%, Germany 9.1%, Ukraine 6.9%, Romania 6.2%, US 5.2%, Belarus 4.5%, Spain 4.1%

Import Partners

Ukraine 22.6%, Russia 20.2%, Germany 10.7%, Romania 8.3%, Italy 7%

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Country Description

The Republic of Moldova is a parliamentary democracy.

Moldova is a member of NATO's Partnership for Peace program as well as a member of the Council of Europe.

The capital, Chisinau, offers adequate hotels and restaurants, but tourist facilities in other parts of the country are not always highly developed and some of the goods and services taken for granted in other countries are not yet available.

Safety & Security

Although there have been no terrorist incidents and we are currently unaware of terrorist threats against U.S. citizens in Moldova, stay aware of your surroundings at all times.

Because police have the legal right to ask for identification on the street, carry your passport or a photocopy with you at all times.

A separatist regime controls the Transnistria region, east of the Dniester River.

Be careful when visiting or crossing Transnistria, since the U.S.

Embassy may not be able to help if you encounter difficulties.

There are many checkpoints along roads leading into and out of Transnistria.

Taking photographs of checkpoints, military facilities, and security forces is prohibited.

Members of racial minority groups visiting Moldova have sometimes reported that they were stared at, verbally abused, denied entrance into some clubs and restaurants, or harassed by police.

While Moldovan police can be helpful and might assist travelers in need, U.S. citizens have sometimes been harassed, mistreated, or subjected to extortion by Moldovan police.

If a policeman stops you, you have a right to see his identity card ("legiti-MAT-seeya" in Romanian).

Traffic police should also display a metal badge on the outside of their uniforms.

If the policeman harasses you or asks for a bribe, try to remember the official's name, title, badge number, and description, and contact the U.S.

Embassy.

If you refuse to pay a bribe, you might be delayed, but there have been few reports of any problems beyond inconvenience.

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Crime

• warning: There are various Internet scams in Moldova that target foreigners. Since 2008, "phishing" schemes have hacked the bank accounts of U.S. businesses and transferred the money to Moldova. Internet auction fraud, in which buyers fail to pay for purchases or send counterfeit checks as payment, is not uncommon. Be aware of dating scams, in which someone you met over the Internet asks for money. They may say they need money to help their family, buy plane tickets, pay medical bills, provide "economic solvency funds," etc. A number of U.S. citizens have been defrauded. Fraud committed in Moldova is subject to Moldovan law and could prove difficult to prosecute. The U.S. Embassy can do little to assist U.S. citizens defrauded via the Internet. Please see our information on International Financial Scams. If
• arrested: If you are arrested in Moldova, authorities of Moldova are required to notify the U.S. Embassy of your arrest. However, Moldovan police, particularly in Transnistria, do not always report the arrest or detention of U.S. citizens. If you are concerned the Department of State may not be aware of your situation, you should request the police or prison officials to notify the U.S. Embassy of your arrest.

Criminal Penalties

While you are traveling in Moldova, you are subject to its laws even if you are a U.S. citizen.

Moldovan laws and legal systems can be vastly different than our own.

In some places you may be taken in for questioning if you don't have your passport with you.

In some places, it is illegal to take pictures of certain buildings.

In some places driving under the influence could land you immediately in jail.

These criminal penalties will vary from country to country.

There are also some activities that might be legal in Moldova, but still illegal in the United States, and you can be prosecuted under U.S. law if you buy pirated goods.

Engaging in sexual conduct with children or possessing or disseminating child pornography in a foreign country is a crime prosecutable in the United States.If you break local laws in Moldova, your U.S. passport will not help you avoid arrest or prosecution.

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Medical Facilities

Medical care is substandard throughout Moldova, including in Chisinau.

If you are sick or injured, try to go to Western Europe for treatment.

In an emergency, try to contact the local ambulance service.

Hospital accommodations are inadequate, technology is not advanced, and there may be shortages of routine medications and supplies.

Elderly travelers and those with existing health problems may be at particular risk.

The U.S.

Embassy maintains a list of medical facilities and English-speaking doctors, but cannot endorse any doctors.

If you take prescription or over-the-counter medications, you should bring an extra supply with you.

Pharmacies are not always stocked to Western standards, products are not always labeled in English, and poor quality and/or counterfeit medications have been reported.

Traffic Safety

While in Moldova, you may encounter very different road conditions from those in the United States.

Moldova's highway infrastructure consists mainly of two-lane roads that often lack signage, are unevenly maintained, and seldom have lighting.

Be careful of tractors, bicyclists, horse-drawn carts, pedestrians, and livestock on the road.

Streets in Moldova are not well maintained.

Try to limit driving outside cities to daylight hours.

Many Moldovan drivers would be considered aggressive or erratic by U.S. standards.

Many accidents involve drunk drivers.

In 2009, Moldova adopted a law that established a maximum legal blood alcohol content of 0.03%, well under the levels allowed in most states in the United States.

If you drive with a blood alcohol level above 0.08%, you will be charged in criminal court.

However, traffic police generally do not have testing equipment at roadside, so if they can smell alcohol on your breath, you're likely to becharged with a crime.

If this happens, you have the right to request a blood test to confirm your actual blood alcohol level.

To be safe, don't drink alcohol before driving.

The quality and safety of public transportation vary widely.

Trains, trolleybuses, and buses are often old and frequently break down.

Taxis are available in most urban areas, and vary from old Soviet-era vehicles to new Western European or U.S. vehicles.

Emergency services are generally responsive, although you may not find an English-speaking operator.

You can call police at 902 and an ambulance at 903.

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Airports - total

7

Airports with Paved Runways

5

Railways

739 Miles 1,190 Kilometers

Roadways- total

5,811 Miles 9,352 Kilometers

Roadways- paved

5,490 Miles 8,835 Kilometers

Waterways

347 Miles 558 Kilometers

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Pipelines: Gas

1,184 Miles 1,906 Kilometers

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Telephones

1,139,000

Cell Phones

1,883,000

Internet Users

700,000

Internet Country Code

.md

Internet Hosts

492,181

Broadcast Media

• state-owned national radio-TV broadcaster operates 2 TV and 2 radio stations
• a total of nearly 40 terrestrial TV channels and some 50 radio stations are in operation
• Russian and Romanian channels also are available

Telephone System

• assessment: poor service outside Chisinau; some modernization is under way
• domestic: multiple private operators of GSM mobile-cellular telephone service are operating; GPRS system is being introduced; a CDMA mobile telephone network began operations in 2007; combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity 100 per 100 persons
• international: country code - 373; service through Romania and Russia via landline; satellite earth stations - at least 3 (Intelsat, Eutelsat, and Intersputnik)

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Electricity Consumption- Kilowatt Hours (kWh)

4,370,000,000

Electricity Exports- Kilowatt Hours (kWh)

240,000,000

Electricity Imports- Kilowatt Hours (kWh)

2,931,000,000

Electricity Production- Kilowatt Hours (kWh)

3,617,000,000

Natural Gas Consumption - Kilowatt Hours (kWh)

1,095,000,000

Natural Gas Imports- Cubic Meters (cu m)

1,095,000,000

Oil Consumption- Barrels Per Day (bbl/day)

15,320

Oil Reserves- Barrels Per Day (bbl/day)

7,330

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Anthem History

Limba Noastra has been since 1994 the national anthem of the Republic of Moldova. The lyrics are from Alexei Mateevici (1888-1917) and the music was composed by Alexandru Cristea (1890-1942). The original poem contains twelve stanzas, five of which have been kept for the anthem.

Anthem Lyrics

Limba noastra Limba noastra-i o comoara În adâncuri înfundata Un sirag de piatra rara Pe mosie revarsata.

Limba noastra-i foc ce arde Într-un neam, ce fara veste S-a trezit din somn de moarte Ca viteazul din poveste.

Limba noastra-i frunza verde, Zbuciumul din codrii vesnici, Nistrul lin, ce-n valuri pierde Ai luceferilor sfesnici.

Limba noastra-i limba sfânta, Limba vechilor cazanii, Care o plâng si care o cânta Pe la vatra lor taranii.

Rasari-va o comoara În adâncuri înfundata, Un sirag de piatra rara Pe mosie revarsata.

Anthem Lyrics English

A treasure is our tongue that surges From deep shadows of the past, Chain of precious stones that scattered All over our ancient land.

A burning flame is our tongue Amidst a people waking From a deathly sleep, no warning, Like the brave man of the stories.

Our tongue is the greenest leaf Of the everlasting forests, Gentle river Nistru's ripples Hiding starlight bright and shining.

Our tongue is more than holy, Words of homilies of old Wept and sung perpetually In the homesteads of our folks.

A treasure will spring up swiftly From deep shadows of the past, Chain of precious stones that scattered All over our ancient land.