Moldovan (official, virtually the same as the Romanian language), Russian, Gagauz (a Turkish dialect)

Eastern Orthodox 98%, Jewish 1.5%, Baptist and other 0.5%

Moldova remains one of the poorest countries in Europe despite recent progress from its small economic base.

National Army: Ground Forces, Rapid Reaction Forces, Air and Air Defense Forces

Citizens of the United States, EU member states, Canada, Switzerland, and Japan do not require visas to enter Moldova. For more information on entry requirements, please contact the Moldovan Embassy, 2101 S Street N.W., Washington, D.C. 20008, telephone: (202) 667-1130, (202) 667-1131, or (202) 667-1137, fax: (202) 667-1204, e-mail. Travelers may also wish to consult the Embassy of Moldova website for general information on Moldovan visas and for application forms. U.S. citizens are exempt from Moldovan visa requirements. They are able to stay in Moldova for up to 90 days within a six-month period without registration. Residence and work permits are still required for stays over 90 days, which may prove problematic for some long-term American visitors. Immigration, residence, and work permits usually need to be extended annually, but may be issued for up to five years. U.S. citizens are able to enter Moldova through Transnistria. However, because they will not have been registered at the border, travelers must register within three days of arrival in right-bank (western) Moldova at the Ministry of Information Development (MID) registration office on 49, Kogalniceanu str. in Chisinau. HIV/AIDS restrictions: Some HIV/AIDS entry restrictions exist for visitors to and foreign residents of Moldova. Short-term visitors (periods of less than 90 days) do not require HIV testing. Applicants for residence permits, however, are required to submit to a HIV test and demonstrate that they are HIV negative. Please verify this information with the Embassy of Moldova at before you travel. Information about dual nationality or the prevention of international child abduction can be found on our website. For further information about customs regulations, please read our Customs Information page.

Airports:  12, Airports w/paved runways:  6

Chisinau International Airport (KIV/LUKK)
Chisinau Airport, Moldova, Bul Dacia 80/3, Chisinau, MD 2026, REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA
Tel: +373 (0)2 52-60-60, (Flight information) +373 (0)2 52-54-12/3
Fax: +373 (0)2 52-60-87
Website:  www.airport.md
Customs, hours: 24 hours
Tel: +373 (0)2 52-67-42
Fax: +373 (0)2 52-49-57

The US Government has no information related to the targeting of US citizens, interests or facilities by terrorist organizations in Moldova, and no Americans have been killed or injured as a result of terrorist activity in Moldova. Because Moldovan Government authorities often ask to see identification on the street, Americans should carry a copy of their passport with them at all times. The separatist regime in control of the Transnistria region is not recognized by the US, and consular assistance to American citizens cannot be ensured. Travelers should exercise caution when visiting or transiting Transnistria. Racially motivated incidents against foreigners and persons of color have occurred in Moldova. Persons of African, Asian or Arab heritage may be subject to various types of harassment, such as verbal abuse, and denied entrance into some clubs and restaurants.

Moldova’s economic difficulties, as well as increased organized criminal activity and more frequent travel by foreigners to Moldova, contribute to the risk visitors face from street crime, some potentially violent.

Infant MR total:  13.88 deaths/ 1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth:  TOTAL 70.2 years  (male 66.51/ female 74.11)

Required:  None

Recommended:  Hep A & B, Rabies, Typhoid
Boosters:  MMR, DPT, poliovirus

Major health concerns include Hepatitis A (food-borne), Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C (blood and body fluids-borne).

Tickborne encephalitis (TBE) is widespread, occurring in warmer months in the southern part of the nontropical forested regions of Europe and Asia. Cases of diphtheria have declined (after a large outbreak in the 1990s) with improved rates of immunization.

Medical care in Moldova is substandard throughout the country including in Chisinau. In the event of serious medical conditions, every effort should be made to go to Western Europe. Hospital accommodations are inadequate throughout the country and advanced technology is lacking.

Highly pathogenic avian influenza virus H5N1 has been documented in wild birds or other avian species in several of the countries in Eastern Europe. Human cases and death were reported from Azerbaijan in 2006. Avoid all direct contact with birds, including domestic poultry (such as chickens and ducks) and wild birds and avoid places such as poultry farms and bird markets where live birds are raised or kept.

The incidence of sexually transmitted diseases is high as it is in most developing countries.
Tuberculosis is common in Moldova and the World Health Organization has placed it in its “highest risk” category.

Country Calling Code:  +373

Internet Country Code:  .md