Residence in Moldova
Population
In 2014, a census was conducted in Moldova. According to the results of the census, the total permanent population of Moldova was 2998235 people.
Among the administrative units of Moldova, Chisinau municipality was the most populated, with 532,513 inhabitants.
National structure
The results of the Census determined that the main ethnic group of the country in 2014 were Moldovans, whose share in the total population of Moldova was 75.1%. The share of the country’s largest ethnic minority – Romanians was 7.0%, Ukrainians – 6.6%, Gagauzians – 4.6%, and Russians – 4.1%.
Of the total number of residents, who indicated the language of communication (2,720.3 thousand people), 54.6% usually speak Moldovan, 24.0% – Romanian, 14.5% – Russian, 2.7% – Ukrainian and the same proportion – Gagauz and 1.0% – Bulgarian.
Read on the official site of the National Bureau of Statistics of Moldova.
The right of temporary residence
Foreigners wishing to settle in the Republic of Moldova for more than 90 days, can apply for the right of temporary residence.
The right of temporary residence may be granted for the purpose of:
- family reunification;
- work;
- education;
- project realization;
- humanitarian, voluntary or religious activities;
- long-term medical treatment;
- foreign investors;
- victims of human trafficking;
- other cases.
In order to obtain the right of residence, foreigners are obliged to appear in person at the point of documentation of foreigners (or. Chişinău, bd. Ştefan cel Mare 124) or at one of the regional services of documentation of foreigners (or. Bălţi, str. Dostoevschii 12; or. Comrat str. Comsomolului 22) with a completed and signed application for right of residence and an appropriate set of supporting documents (original and copy), at least 30 days before the expiration of legal residence in Moldova.
The period of consideration of the application submitted for granting/renewing the right of temporary residence is 30 days. This term may be shortened to 10 days at the request of the foreigner, upon payment of the fees established to expedite the examination of the application in this regard.
On the basis of the decision to grant a temporary residence permit, a foreigner’s temporary residence permit is issued, which is a document certifying the identity of foreigners residing in the Republic of Moldova.
If a foreigner fails to meet the deadline for applying /extending the right of residence, he/she will be subject to an administrative sanction, which must be paid to extend the application/renew the right of residence.
Foreigners who are temporarily legally present in the territory of the Republic of Moldova may remain there only until the date on which the granted temporary residence right expires and/or until the expiry of the residence permit.
A foreigner may also claim the right of permanent residence if the following conditions are met:
- The foreigner has been the holder of a temporary residence right for family reunification for at least 3 years;
- The foreigner is a holder of a temporary residence right for 5 years – for other categories the deadline for processing of the permanent residence right application is 90 days. Term of application review can be shortened up to 2 months or up to 1 month at foreigner’s request with payment of fee established for expediting review of application in this regard.