How to obtain a residence permit in Moldova

The residence permit is a document issued by a certain state that confirms the right of a foreign or stateless citizen to live in a certain country for a limited or unlimited period of time. Thus, a residence permit can be either temporary or permanent.
Depending on the grounds on which it was issued, the residence permit can be of different types, for example, residence permit for work, for those who have an employment contract, for carrying out entrepreneurship, short-term residence permit, residence permit for family reunification, for foreign students studying at universities in the country, etc.
In most cases, the holder of the residence permit, being on the territory of the issuing country, has the obligation to have this document with him at all times. The obligation to present the residence permit may also be imposed if it is required for identification or verification by the representatives of the legal authorities.
The process of obtaining a residence permit itself can vary greatly depending on the legislation of each country.
Therefore, it is necessary to familiarize yourself with the specific grounds for obtaining a residence permit and directly with the procedure of the country where you intend to apply for the residence permit.

Residence permit in Moldova

The residence permit in Moldova is an identification document that confirms the legality of the stay in the country and the foreigner’s right to live, study or work on the territory of the Republic of Moldova. In fact, the residence permit gives the foreign citizen most of the constitutional rights that the citizens of the Republic of Moldova have, but the biggest difference is the lack of the right to choose and be chosen, that is, the electoral rights.
The residence permit identifies the foreigner and confirms his right to stay in Moldova, as well as the duration of his stay and the purpose for which this right was granted.
The holder of a residence permit is obliged to carry the document with him at all times, not transfer it to another person and present it to authorized bodies upon request.

The grounds for obtaining the resident permit in Moldova

It should be noted that the law of Moldova provides for foreigners the right to temporary stay and the right to permanent stay.

The grounds for obtaining a temporary residence permit may be:

a) Immigration to work;
b) studies in some educational institution in Moldova;
c) family reunification;
d) humanitarian or religious activities;
e) long-term medical treatment, and recovery treatment;
e1) the foreigner is a victim of trafficking in human beings;
e2) the foreigner is a victim of domestic violence;
f) other purposes, when foreigner’s activity does not contravene the laws of the Republic of Moldova or if his staying in the Republic of Moldova is necessary in its public interest or national security.
f1) the foreign citizen carries out activities in the field of information technology;
g) the foreigner is a foreign investor. Most often, these are the founders of companies with foreign capital; (See the procedure for company formation in Moldova in a separate article.);
h) the foreigner has a management position in a company;
i) the foreigner is a specialist in a certain field;
j) a foreigner is a trainee-graduate of a university.

The ground for obtaining a permanent residence permit:

The ground for obtaining a permanent residence permit is the possession of the right to temporary residence, if the foreigner meets the following requirements:

a) entitled to legal temporary and continuous residence in the territory of the Republic of Moldova for at least 3 years- in the case of an foreigner married to a citizen of the Republic of Moldova;
b) entitled to legal temporary and continuous residence in the territory of the Republic of Moldova for at least 5- years in the case of foreigners from other categories.
c) brings the proof that he/she has sufficient financial means of support; exceptions are foreigners
married to citizens of the Republic of Moldova;
d) has living space;
e) speaks the official language at a satisfactory level;
f) still meets the conditions for entry into the Republic of Moldova;
g) did not intervene, during the stay in the Republic of Moldova, one of the reasons for the
interdiction to enter the Republic of Moldova;
h) no criminal record in the past three years.

Required documents for residence permit in Moldova

Depending on the grounds for obtaining a residence permit in Moldova, the list of required documents may be different. However, in all cases, the foreigner must provide:
– Fulfilled application of the established form;
– Valid passport of a foreign citizen;
– Documents confirming the availability of living space in Moldova (this may be rented housing);
– Police clearance certificate from the country of origin;
– Documents confirming the grounds for obtaining a residence permit.

How long is take to examine the application for obtaining the residence permit in Moldova

The General Inspectorate for Migration will consider the application within a period of not more than 30 calendar days from the date of submission of the application and will issue a decision on granting the right to temporary residence or on refusing to grant such a right to a foreigner. If the term of the foreigner’s stay on the territory of the Republic of Moldova expires before the decision is issued, the Bureau will issue the foreign citizen a certificate confirming his status, i.e. the fact that the latter has submitted the file for extension, but the decision has not yet been issued . The term of consideration can be reduced to 10 days at the request of a foreigner with the payment of a state fee established for expedited consideration of the application.

The validity period of the residence permit in Moldova

Depending on the purpose, the right to temporary residence can be granted for a period of up to 5 years, and in cases provided by law – for a period of another duration. Usually, the residence permit is issued for one year, with its subsequent prolongations, if the foreigner continues to meet the conditions of entry to the Republic of Moldova. For example, a foreign citizen received the residence permit on the basis that at the time of submission of the application, he held the position of director of the foreign company and at the time of filing the application for the extension of the residence permit, he still holds this position.

How to extend a residence permit in Moldova

To extend the residence permit, a foreigner must submit an application for the same purposes for which the right to stay was granted, on the basis of which he is in the territory of Moldova.

The residence permit in Moldova can be extended by the competent authority for foreigners, if the foreigner continues to meet the conditions under which he received the residence permit, and also if during the period of stay in the country were not discovered any of the circumstances that do not allow entry into the territory of Moldova. It is important to note that a foreign citizen must have a passport valid for the period for which the extension of the residence permit is requested.

The decision on the application is issued within 30 calendar days from the date of its submission.

Why to choose Law office “Viorel Furtuna”

Our company is your reliable partner who can perform all procedures quickly and efficiently. It doesn’t matter from which country you came to the Republic of Moldova, with us the procedure for obtaining a residence permit in Moldova will become much simpler. We will help you obtain a residence permit and advise you on all related matters.

Rest assured that we comply with all applicable laws and ensure complete data confidentiality. Contact us to turn a tedious and time-consuming process into an efficient process with your minimal participation!

Legal services for residence permit in Moldova applicants

• examination of the client’s circumstances;
• verification of the legality of staying on the territory of Moldova;
• identification of the grounds for obtaining a residence permit;
• assistance in the collection of documents in accordance with the chosen basis;
• fulfilment of the necessary applications for obtaining a residence permit;
• payment on behalf of the client all necessary state duties and fees;
• submission of all fulfilled documents to the General Inspectorate for Migration, and we receive a decision for you on granting the right to temporary or permanent residence;
• fulfilment of all necessary applications for the extension of the residence permit;
• representation of the client’s interests in front of the General Inspectorate for Migration for the extension of the residence permit;
• we provide advice on any issue related to immigration;
• we solve any difficulties through legal methods.

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