Moldova Travel Guide

Entry requirements

Citizens of Canada, CIS countries, the EU, Japan, Norway, Switzerland, UK and the US do not need a visa to enter Moldova and can stay in the country for up to 90 days within a six-month period without registration. Citizens of other countries must either obtain a visa in the nearest Moldovan embassy or alternatively could obtain a visa on arrival in Chișinău airport and on some land border crossings provided that an officially endorsed invitation letter from Moldova is obtained beforehand.

The leu (plural: lei) is the currency of Moldova (ISO 4217 code MDL) . Like the Romanian leu, the Moldovan leu is subdivided into 100 bani (singular: ban). The name of the currency originates in Romania, and means "lion".

Moldova is small enough to be explored very quickly. For example, a long walk to Chișinău from Bolhrad − even though that sounds highly impractical − will take you about 34 hours. The most reliable way of getting around the country is by bus. Buses can get you to most parts of the country. You can find information about long-distance bus services in Moldova on the Autogari website, for example. This site contains information on bus stations in Moldova, timetables and routes between cities.

The official language of the country is Romanian. Since 2023, it has been the state language of the country. Russian is widely spoken in the country, both as a first and second language. If you don't know any Romanian, communicating in Russian should be no problem.

Visitors to Moldova for business or romance should be aware of the potential risk of scams, particularly if first contact was made on the Internet. See International financial scams and Russian Internet dating schemes.

Very few healthcare facilities are on par with Western standards, and accessibility may be hindered if you're not proficient in Romanian and/or Russian. In the event of a serious medical emergency, it is strongly recommended that you make every effort to seek medical care elsewhere. Neighbouring Romania may have better healthcare facilities than neighbouring Ukraine.

Tourists are likely to attract stares from the locals. Do not be alarmed or surprised; this doesn't indicate hostility, but rather, curiosity. This may cause some to treat you as a "walking wallet" or someone who is "wealthy". If you feel like you are about to be scammed by someone, simply ignore them or tell them to go away. Don't feel the need to be polite with scammers; nobody should put up with such behavior.