Ukraine - Moldova: entry rules, checkpoints, how to get there (2024)

Entry rules for Ukrainian citizens to Moldova

• Visa-free regime: Ukraine and Moldova have a visa-free regime, so Ukrainians can stay in Moldova for up to 90 days within 180 days without a visa.
• To cross the border, you need to have a valid biometric or regular passport. It is recommended that the passport be valid for at least 3 months after the planned departure from Moldova.

Do I need insurance to enter Moldova?

Refugees are not required to have insurance at the border. However, for tourist purposes, Ukrainians need to have an insurance policy that covers possible medical expenses abroad. 

There are several main checkpoints between Ukraine and Moldova:

• Mamalyga - Kryva (Chernivtsi-Moldovan checkpoint)
• Mohyliv-Podilskyi - Otach (located in the central part, this checkpoint is convenient for those traveling from Vinnytsia region).
• Vynohradivka - Vulcanesti
• Tabaki - Myrne
• Palanka - Mayaki - Udobne
• Kuchurhan - Pervomaisk
• Reni - Giurgiulesti

Getting to Moldova from Ukraine

• By car

Traveling by car is one of the most convenient ways to get to Moldova. The main highways connecting Ukraine and Moldova are in good condition, although road repairs are possible in some places. You need to have a valid driver's license, vehicle registration certificate, and Green Card policy.

You can check the waiting time at the checkpoints with Moldova to enter Ukraine here. 

• By bus

Regular bus services are provided from major cities of Ukraine, such as Kyiv, Odesa, Vinnytsia, and others. The trip usually lasts from 5 hours (from Odesa), from 7 hours (from Chernivtsi) and from 9 hours (from Kyiv). 

You can find bus schedules, compare prices and buy tickets on our website in the Tickets section.

• By train

There are several railway routes between Ukraine and Moldova, for example, the Kyiv-Chisinau route. The train ride will take about 18 hours. Ticket prices range from ~40 to ~70 euros. The train from Kyiv runs on odd numbers.

Do I need to apply for a Green Card to travel by car?

A Green Card (motor vehicle liability insurance) is required for entry. Starting from January 10, 2023, vineti (payment of road tax) is also required to enter the territory of Moldova, both from Ukraine and Romania.

A Green Card is a necessary insurance for traveling by car outside Ukraine for safe travel. It takes a few minutes to apply for an insurance policy. All you need to do is follow the link, provide the necessary data and pay for the service.

Temporary protection for refugees from Ukraine

For full information on the asylum or refugee procedure, please contact the green line of the General Inspectorate for Migration - 0 8000 15 27. The call is free from anywhere in the Republic of Moldova.

Call the hotline: 080001527 (calls to 112 will be forwarded to the hotline)

Official resource created in Moldova to help Ukrainian refugees.

This resource provides useful information for Ukrainian citizens in Moldova, in particular:

✅ Help groups

✅ Housing

✅ Medical assistance

✅ Nutrition

✅ For children

✅ Financial services

✅ Work

✅ Animals

✅ Telecommunications

Psychological assistance

Learn from authentic sources and join the Prima Sursa Telegram channel by following the link.

The Embassy of Ukraine in Moldova has a chatbot that provides useful information and answers to frequently asked questions of Ukrainian citizens in Moldova.

❗️ Additional useful information for citizens of Ukraine (accommodation, food, financial issues, medical care, etc.).

Questions and Answers in connection with military operations in Ukraine;

‼️ NO RECORD IN THE ELECTRONIC QUEUE ‼️

All visitors are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.

We also remind you that the Consulate of Ukraine in the northern region of Moldova operates in the city of Balti, which also provides consular and legal assistance to Ukrainian citizens.

Address of the Consulate: 143, Kyivska St., Beltsy, tel.: +373 231 66 508, Facebook page.

How to apply for asylum?

Phone number of the Green Line of the Information Center of the Bureau for Migration and Asylum of the Republic of Moldova: 0 8000 15 27 (http://bma.gov.md).

The call to the Information Bureau is free of charge (24/24) from any mobile or landline phone in the Republic of Moldova.

You can submit your asylum application orally in the presence of an officer. The officer will help you fill in the asylum application form and inform you about the requirements for the asylum:

- The procedure for obtaining a residence permit in Moldova;

- Where to stay temporarily if you do not have relatives and/or money;

- Where are the Temporary Crisis Centers for Foreigners in the Republic of Moldova and what services are provided there, etc.

You can apply even if you do not have a travel document.

No one has the right to refuse to accept your asylum application.

Can I get a passport of a citizen of Ukraine for traveling abroad at the consular section of the Embassy of Ukraine?

You can apply for and receive a "foreign" passport, which is produced and issued in Ukraine.

However, this process is currently suspended due to the hostilities on the territory of Ukraine;

Therefore, it is currently impossible to predict when you will receive a new "foreign" passport.

Can I get an "internal" passport of a citizen of Ukraine at the Embassy of Ukraine?

No, you can't, they are made and designed exclusively in Ukraine.

Can I extend the validity of my Ukrainian passport for traveling abroad at the Embassy of Ukraine?

Citizens of Ukraine, whose passports are about to expire or have already expired, may apply for the extension of their passports at the Embassy of Ukraine in the Republic of Moldova (2008, Republic of Moldova, Chisinau, Vasile Lupu str. 17) or the Consulate of Ukraine in Balti (3121, Balti, 143, Kievskaya str.). Visitors are admitted without prior registration every day, seven days a week and without a lunch break, from 10:00 to 16:00. Documents are issued from 16:00 to 18:00.

Data about children who arrived with you to Moldova without a passport of a citizen of Ukraine for traveling abroad can be entered into your passport at the consular section of the Embassy of Ukraine in Chisinau or at the Consulate of Ukraine in Balti upon submission of a request for entering information about the child and pasting the child's photo into the passport of the parents/legal representatives.

Is it possible to make changes to the "internal" passport of a citizen of Ukraine at the consular section of the Embassy of Ukraine?

All changes to the "internal" passport of a citizen of Ukraine are made in Ukraine.

Can I get a certificate of return to Ukraine (residence permit) at the Embassy of Ukraine?

Due to the large number of applications, all the residence permit forms available at the Embassy of Ukraine were issued on 25.02.2022;

As of today, the Embassy has not received any new arrivals of residence permit forms, and the date of delivery of the new batch of residence permit forms is unknown.

To return to Ukraine, a citizen of Ukraine must present a certificate of return to Ukraine (CRU), or "foreign passport", at the border of Ukraine.

Can I get a certificate of return to Ukraine (white passport) at the Embassy of Ukraine to leave Moldova for Europe?

Ukrainian citizens can travel to other countries from the territory of Moldova on the basis of valid foreign passports. The "white passport" does not give such a right. If you entered Moldova as a refugee, you need to apply to the Bureau for Migration and Asylum of the Republic of Moldova for refugee status and obtain a "refugee" passport, which you can use to travel to other countries, subject to obtaining entry visas to these countries.

What should you do if you have a child with you without a passport?

Children can cross the Ukrainian-Moldovan border with birth certificates.

Is it possible to enter Moldova with animals?

Starting from December 1, 2023, certain requirements must be met in order to import pets into the territory of Moldova:

- the animal must be identified by a microchip and have an up-to-date rabies vaccination.

- it is necessary to obtain a serological titer for rabies with a three-month waiting period.

- you must have an international health certificate issued on the basis of a veterinary certificate.