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Please be advised that the Department of Foreign Affairs’ Travel Advice is now available at Ireland.ie/travel. Travel Advice on this webpage is no longer being updated. To ensure you receive the latest Travel Advice for Moldova, please see Ireland.ie.

Moldova, Republic of

If you’re travelling to Moldova, our travel advice and updates give you practical tips and useful information.

Security Status

  • Normal precautions
  • High degree of caution
  • Avoid non-essential travel
  • Do not travel
  • Overview
  • Safety and Security
  • Local Laws and Customs
  • Additional Information
  • Embassy Contact

Overview

Overview

Security Status

High Degree of Caution

Latest Travel Alert

Due to the regional security situation, Irish citizens should exercise a high degree of caution regarding travel to the Republic of Moldova. The Department of Foreign Affairs is closely monitoring the situation in Ukraine together with our EU and other international partners.  Current travel advice in relation to Ukraine is available here.

Irish citizens who wish to enter Moldova from Ukraine should do so at one of the internationally recognised border crossing points between Moldova and Ukraine in the north and south of the country. Irish citizens should not attempt to enter Moldova from Ukraine via Transnistria.

Irish citizens should not travel to Transnistria, which is outside the control of the Moldovan Government.

We encourage all Irish citizens in Moldova to register their details with the Irish Embassy in Bucharest and to monitor our social media channels for the latest updates.

General Travel Advice

Irish citizens do not require a visa to enter Moldova.

A valid passport is required for travel to Moldova. Irish passports should have a minimum validity of three months after the date of departure from Moldova.

For more information on visa and passport requirements, please see the Additional Information tab.

Visitors to Moldova are advised to follow the guidance of national and local authorities and stay fully informed of what's going on by monitoring local news and social media.

Citizens can also follow the Embassy on social media (Twitter @IrishEmbBuch) and Facebook) to ensure access to relevant updates and alerts.

Emergency Assistance

The best help is often close at hand so if you have problems, try talking to your local contacts, tour operator representative or hotel management.

You can contact the emergency services in Moldova by dialling 112.

Our tips for Safe Travels:

  • Get comprehensive travel insurance that covers all your planned activities.
  • Register your details with us so that we can contact you quickly if there’s an unforeseen crisis like a natural disaster or a family emergency.
  • Follow us on twitter @dfatravelwise for the latest travel updates.
  • Read our ‘Know Before You Go’ guide.

As there is no Irish Embassy in Moldova, we are limited in the help we can offer you in an emergency. However, if you need assistance, you can contact the Irish Embassy in Bucharest.

Safety and Security

Safety and security

Health

Inoculations are generally not needed but visitors with existing medical conditions or illnesses should seek specific advice in advance from their GPs.

Public medical services in the Republic of Moldova are of an uneven quality and the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) is not valid there.  It is strongly recommended that travellers to the Republic of Moldova take out comprehensive travel insurance in order to maximize potential treatment options.

While the water supply in the Republic of Moldova is not known to be contaminated it is recommended to use bottled or filtered water as a safer alternative.  

Crime

As elsewhere, visitors should be alert to the risk of street crime and petty theft, including pickpockets and bag snatchers, particularly in Chişinău. 

It is useful to carry a small torch after dark, as street lighting is often poor or non-existent.

Transport

Public transport in Chişinău and throughout the Republic of Moldova is not as well as developed as elsewhere and motorways are few and far between.  Rail, bus and taxis are, however, relatively inexpensive.

Driving

If you’re planning to drive in the Republic of Moldova, you should be extremely careful.

  • Irish and international driving licences are valid in the Republic of Moldova. 
  • Some Moldovans drive erratically and at excessive speeds and vehicles are not always fully roadworthy.  Serious road traffic accidents regularly occur. Visitors entering the Republic of Moldova by road or driving there should ensure that they have adequate insurance cover. Insurance companies or brokers should be consulted in advance about this, if necessary. Drivers should be in possession of original car ownership and insurance documents.  
  • The quality of road surfaces in the Republic of Moldova can be uneven. Travel by road in remoter areas should be restricted to primary routes, and daylight hours.
  • In the event of an accident involving another vehicle, await police permission before moving your own vehicle.
  • In winter, drivers should ensure that vehicles are prepared for extreme weather conditions, including fitting mandatory winter tyres.   

Local Laws and Customs

Local laws and customs

There are frequent police security checks. Visitors should be in possession of the original or a copy of their passports at all times.

Visitors arriving in the Republic of Moldova by air are automatically registered by the Moldovan immigration authorities.  Moldovan hotels are also responsible for registering the presence of foreign visitors. 

Visitors entering the country by land and staying in private accommodation for more than three days must register with the Department of Information Technologies (address: 42 Puşkin Str, Chişinău, tel: 504 656) or the local passport office, within three working days.  This requires presentation of the following documents: (a) a written request for registration providing certain details of stay including address, duration, purpose and host and (2) passport.  Failure to register may result in fines and/or difficulties when departing the Republic of Moldova. 

Additional Information

Additional information

Entry requirements (visa/passport)

No visas are required for Irish citizens who are coming to Moldova on short visits of less than 90 days. Irish citizens can remain in Moldova for no more than 90 days out of each 180 day period.

Passports must be valid for at least three months after the date of departure from Moldova.

Travel Insurance

We can’t pay for emergency medical repatriation, repatriation of remains, or for expenses as a result of a personal emergency while you are abroad. If you buy an appropriate travel insurance policy, these costs will be covered, provided you haven’t broken the terms and conditions.

Buying comprehensive travel insurance can save you and your family a lot of money if something goes wrong. It will also ensure that you get the medical attention you need, when you need it. Hospital bills can quickly run into thousands of euro, and a medical evacuation back to Ireland can cost thousands more.

Not all policies are the same, and the cheapest one might be cheap for a reason. Make sure your policy covers all the activities you plan to do on your trip. Insurance Ireland recommend that you purchase a policy that provides a minimum medical cover of €1 million.

Emergency expenses

Your policy should cover:

  • All medical care abroad, including evacuation by air ambulance, or other emergency procedures, and any other costs associated with an unexpected longer stay.
  • Your entire trip, from departure to return. Consider an annual multi-trip policy if you’re making more than one trip in the year.   
  • 24-hour emergency service and assistance.
  • Personal liability cover (in case you’re sued for causing injury or damaging property).
  • Lost and stolen possessions.
  • Cancellation and curtailment.
  • Any extra activities you intend to do that are excluded from standard policies (e.g. water sport activities such as jet skiing or other extreme sports).

Exclusions: You should know most insurance policies will not cover drink or drug-related incidents.

 

Embassy contact

Embassy Contact

In case of a genuine consular emergency while the Embassy is closed, please leave a message with name, location and telephone number at +4021 310 2131 and the Duty Officer will call you back.

Alternatively, the Duty Officer at the Department of Foreign Affairs in Dublin can be contacted at +353-1-408-2000.

Embassy of Ireland
50-52 Buzesti St
3rd Floor, Sector 1
Bucharest
Romania

Tel: +40 21 3102131
Fax: +40 21 3102181

Monday to Friday 09:30 to 12:30; 14:00 to 17:00

Contact us

Honorary Consulate Contact

Dr. Suzanne O'Connell

Skytower
Office 1A, 5th Floor
Vlaicu Pircalab Str. 63
Chisinau, MD-2012
Republic of Moldova

Tel: + 373-22-80-7145

Email: Email us