Moldova Work Visa: How to Get a Work Permit and Residence Permit

Moldova is a small country in Eastern Europe between Romania and Ukraine. It signed an Association Agreement with the European Union in 2014. It was granted EU candidate status in June 2022, and it has been aligning its immigration and labour laws with EU standards since then — but it is not a member of the EU, the EEA, or the Schengen Area. Hence, a Moldovan permit confers no right to work in Europe.

This guide explains the work permit, the Type D visa, the residence permit, the labour market test, the documents, the costs and renewal — and gives professional drivers an honest picture of a country whose relationship with European road transport is real, but which sends drivers abroad rather than recruiting them.

What is a Moldovan work permit?

Foreign citizens and stateless persons who want to take up employment in Moldova must obtain a work permit — the autorizatie de munca, or permis de munca — from the National Employment Agency, known by its Romanian initials ANOFM. The permit is the employment authorisation itself: it names the employer, the job title and the duration of employment, and the employer or its legal representative submits the documents on the worker’s behalf. It is not a residence document, and it is not enough on its own.

Work permit, Type D visa, and residence permit

Three documents work in sequence. The ANOFM work permit comes first. On the strength of it, you apply for a Type D long-stay visa at a Moldovan diplomatic mission abroad, before entering the country — the visa is typically issued for the duration of the approved work permit. Foreign citizens who plan to stay for more than 90 days must then obtain a temporary residence permit from the Bureau for Migration and Asylum (Biroul Migratie si Azil, or BMA), part of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, whose office is on Boulevard Stefan cel Mare in Chisinau. Foreign nationals who are not Moldovan citizens and do not already hold permanent or long-term residence need both the work permit and the temporary residence permit before starting paid work.

Who needs a work permit in Moldova?

Most foreign nationals do, but there is a notable exemption: EU, EEA and Swiss nationals are exempt from the work permit requirement, though they must still register their residence with the Bureau for Migration and Asylum. Everyone else — non-EU and non-EEA employees of Moldova-registered companies, including subsidiaries — must obtain the permit before beginning work. The framework rests on Law 200/2010 on the regime of foreigners, the master statute, together with the Law on Labour Migration. Between them, these set out who counts as a foreigner, the grounds on which a residence permit may be issued, the duration attached to each ground, and the obligations that residence creates — and Moldova’s EU association process has been steadily pulling both closer to European norms.

Types of work authorisation

• Work permit and temporary residence for employment — the standard route through ANOFM and the BMA.
• IT specialist route — the Moldova IT Park administration attests to work permits for IT specialists.
• Investor residence — for foreign nationals investing in a Moldovan business.
• Study and family reunification — the other grounds carrying a foreigner into residence.
• Permanent residence — available after sufficient continuous lawful residence.

The labour market test and the salary rule

Immigration for work is allowed primarily when the local workforce cannot fill vacant positions, and only under explicit conditions. A foreign worker may be employed only when the employer has officially announced and registered the vacant position, the National Employment Agency has been unable to fill it with local candidates, and the foreign worker possesses the required professional qualifications. There is also a wage floor, and it is a low one by European standards: the employer must pay the foreign employee a monthly salary of at least 50 per cent of the forecast average monthly salary in Moldova for the year in question. The system is designed to protect the domestic labour market while letting businesses bring in qualified specialists where they genuinely cannot recruit locally. In practice, this means the route is realistically open to specialists rather than to general labour, because for most ordinary roles ANOFM will be able to put forward a Moldovan candidate.

Eligibility

You need a valid job offer from a registered Moldovan employer and qualifications matching the role. Because permits are issued for a defined period tied to the underlying ground rather than to you personally, the ground has to hold. When it changes, the permit position changes with it, which is why renewals here are evidence-led rather than automatic. The employer drives the process, submitting the file to ANOFM. That makes the employer’s own standing important: it must be properly registered in Moldova, and the vacancy it advertises must be a real one that matches the role you will actually do.

Documents you’ll need

The authorities set the requirements; a typical file includes:

• A copy of your passport and the passport annex containing a valid visa.
• The employment contract or offer with a registered Moldovan employer.
• Evidence that the vacancy was announced and registered with ANOFM.
• Proof of your professional qualifications.
• A medical certificate on your state of health, in original.
• Medical test results for HIV and AIDS, in original.
• Translations and legalisation of foreign documents and proof of health insurance.

Step by step

1. You secure a job offer from a registered Moldovan employer.
2. The employer announces and registers the vacant position with ANOFM.
3. If ANOFM cannot fill the post with local candidates, the employer submits the work permit file.
4. ANOFM approves and issues the work permit to the employer.
5. You apply for a Type D long-stay visa at a Moldovan embassy or consulate in your home country.
6. The mission processes the visa, typically in 20 to 40 working days.
7. You travel to Moldova once the visa is approved.
8. You register with the Bureau for Migration and Asylum within 30 days of arrival for your temporary residence permit.

Processing time

The visa stage alone runs about 20 to 40 working days at the embassy, and the ANOFM stage precedes it, so allow a couple of months overall once the vacancy has been advertised. The 30-day registration deadline after arrival is firm, and the medical certificate and HIV test results must be provided as originals; it is best to arrange these before you travel rather than after. Where documents are issued abroad, allow additional time for translation into Romanian and for legalisation or apostille, as these steps run independently of the permit and visa and are a common cause of delay.

Fees

Costs are modest by European standards: the state fees for the work permit, the Type D visa and the temporary residence permit, plus translation, legalisation and health-insurance charges. Confirm the current schedule with ANOFM and the Bureau for Migration and Asylum before you pay, as government fees are subject to change. Living costs in Moldova are among the lowest in Europe, which offsets the low wages to a degree, but salaries in most sectors remain far below EU levels.

Validity and renewal

Work permits are typically valid for one year and can be renewed as long as the employment continues. Because the permit is tied to the ground on which it was granted, a renewal has to re-evidence that ground rather than roll forward. After continuous legal employment, foreign nationals can move toward temporary and then permanent residence, which brings long-term stability. Time accrued on a work-based residence permit counts toward that, provided the underlying employment ground has been maintained without gaps.

After you arrive

Register with the Bureau for Migration and Asylum within 30 days to obtain your residence permit, keep your work permit and contract aligned, and remember that the permit names your employer and job title — changing either affects your status. Keep copies of the permit and residence card, which you will need for banking, tenancy and everyday administration. Notify the Bureau for Migration and Asylum of any change of address, employer or civil status, since the residence permit is tied to the circumstances you declared.

Common reasons for refusal

The most common problems are a vacancy that was not properly announced and registered with ANOFM; a local candidate being available, which stops the process; qualifications that do not match the advertised role; a salary below the 50 per cent floor; missing original medical certificates or HIV test results; or attempting to work on a visa that does not carry a work permit behind it. Because permits attach to the ground rather than the person, a change in circumstances can also undermine a renewal. Gaps in employment are particularly damaging because the ground for the permit ceases to exist during them.

Tips to get approved

Make sure the employer advertises and registers the vacancy properly with ANOFM first, because everything else depends on that step being documented. Get the medical certificate and HIV test results issued as originals before travelling, since copies are not accepted. Keep the job title on the contract identical to the one on the permit application, and start the Type D visa process early, given the 20- to 40-working-day window.

Your rights as a foreign worker

Once authorised, you work under a Moldovan employment contract with the protections of Moldovan labour law, and the salary floor gives a minimum benchmark. Family reunification is one of the recognised grounds for residence, so that relatives can apply on that basis. Continuous legal employment builds toward temporary and then permanent residence. Moldova’s EU association process has been progressively aligning its labour and immigration framework with European standards, making the rules more predictable.

For professional drivers in Moldova

Moldova’s connection to European road transport is genuine, but it runs outward rather than inward. The country is effectively landlocked — its only maritime access is a short stretch of Danube frontage at Giurgiulești, which gives river and Black Sea access but nothing resembling a seaport economy. It borders Romania, an EU member, and Ukraine, where the war has reshaped every route in the region. Since 2022, Moldova has become an important transit corridor for Ukrainian trade, and the EU liberalised road freight with Moldova through a dedicated road transport agreement, giving Moldovan hauliers access to EU markets they never previously had. That matters enormously — for Moldovan operators and Moldovan drivers. It does not make Moldova a destination. This is one of Europe’s poorest countries; its economy is substantially supported by remittances from a very large diaspora, and Moldovan citizens have held visa-free access to the Schengen Area since 2014, so the drivers here overwhelmingly work for EU operators rather than at home. The wage floor for hiring a foreign worker — half the forecast average salary — tells you plainly what the pay looks like. If you are a Moldovan driver, the opportunities are wide, and our EU country guides set out the routes. If you are a foreign driver, Moldova has very little to offer and no EU work rights.

• Browse driver vacancies in Moldova.
• Register a driver profile.
• For employers — recruitment and compliance support

Work permits by region in Moldova.

The rules are national and apply wherever you work, run by ANOFM and the Bureau for Migration and Asylum. Still, Moldova’s regions differ in their economies and in which border they face — Romania and the EU to the west, and Ukraine to the east and north.

Chisinau

The capital and by far the largest economy, home to most employers, the IT sector, the BMA headquarters and the country’s main distribution network. Driver jobs in Chisinau.

North

The northern region around Balti, Moldova’s second city, with food processing, manufacturing and agriculture, and routes toward Ukraine and Romania. Driver jobs in the North.

Centre

The central region surrounding the capital, dominated by agriculture, wine production and the road links west into Romania. Driver jobs in Centre.

South

The southern region extends to Giurgiulești, Moldova’s only Danube port and sole access to river and Black Sea shipping. Driver jobs in the South.

Gagauzia

The autonomous territorial unit in the south, centred on Comrat, with agriculture, wine and a small local labour market. Driver jobs in Gagauzia.

Related guides

• EU work visa — overview
• Moldova residence permit
• Health insurance in Moldova
• Moldovan citizenship

Official government sources

• Bureau for Migration and Asylum — residence permits and registration.
• National Employment Agency — work permits and the labour market check.
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs — visa procedures and official guidance on residence and work permits.
• Legis.md — the state register of legal acts, including Law 200/2010.

Information only — not legal or immigration advice. Immigration rules, salary thresholds and fees can change without notice. Always confirm current requirements with the official Moldovan authorities before you apply or pay anyone.