Digital Nomad Visa to Moldova

The digital nomadism program has been operating in Moldova since 2024, giving foreign IT specialists and representatives of other professions the opportunity to legally stay on its territory and pay tax at a reduced rate. The country is attractive for its affordable cost of living, loyal migration legislation and convenient geographical location in Eastern Europe. If they receive sufficient income from abroad, foreigners with remote employment and a digital nomad visa feel comfortable in the capital and travel across the EU on direct flights.

What are the features of the Moldovan digital nomad visa

The Digital Nomad Visa is intended for freelancers and “remote workers” who are employed in companies or have their own business outside Moldova. It is forbidden to work in the domestic market. It is necessary to confirm income annually and extend the freelancer’s visa in order to maintain the right to legal residence in the country.

Legislative initiatives

In Moldova, the issuance of visas for freelancers is regulated by the Ministry of Economic Development and Digitalization. In August 2024, the agency agreed in the State Chancellery draft laws designed to increase the growth rate of the digital economy and eliminate regulatory barriers for foreign specialists. The text of the law contains additions to 13 regulations governing online commerce and the remote work market. Here are the main innovations:

• description of the concept of a digital nomad and the visa regime for relocators from the digital sphere: IT specialists, entrepreneurs, representatives of creative professions;
• creation of tax benefits and approval of a minimum monthly income for a freelancer in the amount of 3 average salaries of a local employee;
• clarification the procedure for legalizing foreigners who plan to stay in Moldova for 2-8 years in order to conduct investment activities and invest at least 100,000 euros in the country’s economy.

The initiative of the Ministry of Economic Development of the Republic is designed to reduce the number of inefficient formalities and issue visas according to a unified scheme.

Advantages of obtaining

A foreigner with a remote job for hire or with a remotely operated business can enjoy the following advantages of a nomad visa:

• Low cost of living compared to Western European cities. Prices for groceries, rental housing, transportation and other services in the republic are half lower than in other EU countries;
• A fast-growing IT industry. Moldova IT Park operates in the state, registration in which provides a foreigner with a nomad visa with a reduction in the tax rate and legal support for activities. In the period from 2020 to 2025, the volume of the digital services market grew by more than half due to a sound policy of attracting startups and hired specialists with remote employment.
• Advantageous geographical location. From Moldova, you can get to neighboring Eastern European countries cheaply and quickly.
• Trips to the Balkans and the EU are becoming as accessible as possible.

What taxes will you have to pay?

Since 2017, employees and owners of non-resident companies with financial transactions within Moldova and operating in the IT sector have been taxed at 7%. There is no corporate income tax in the country. Due to international treaties, protection against double taxation is provided. For freelancers in the technical and creative fields, all this allows them to optimize their tax burden and work as efficiently as possible.

Registration procedure

The process of obtaining a digital nomad visa in the Republic looks like this:

1. Choosing the basis for obtaining a residence permit. In the case of remote workers, this means freelancing, self–employment, or setting up your own non-resident company.
2. Submission of the application and documents. The application is processed online on the website of the Bureau of Migration and Asylum or on the spot in person at the department after arrival in the country. Remote employees need a standard list of documents that have been legalized and translated into Romanian. It includes bank statements, contracts with foreign clients, and other evidence of income adequacy. There are no strict requirements for financial viability. However, the Bureau of Migration and Asylum is more willing to consider cases with a monthly salary of $1,500–$2,000. This amount exceeds 3 average salaries in the economy.
3. Obtaining an identification certificate – ID. To do this, a foreigner comes to Moldova, rents a house and registers at the place of temporary residence. Then he submits an application to the migration police department. The validity period of the ID is 1 year with the possibility of extension up to 5 years.

Required documents

A digital nomad planning to legalize himself in the republic submits the following set of documents for verification:

• passport with a remaining validity period of 6 months;
• confirmation of financial viability by bank statement or through contracts with clients not from Moldova;
• medical insurance (for 1 year);
• certificate of non-criminal record;
• an apartment or house rental agreement in the country;
• an employment contract marked “can provide professional services remotely”;
• 4 photos of the applicant.

Terms of review

The cases of foreign specialists and businessmen with a remote work format are reviewed by the Moldovan Bureau of Migration and Asylum within 30-60 days. In practice, applicants receive a response within the first month after submitting their documents.

Among the common reasons for rejecting an application, it is worth highlighting:

• incorrect paperwork – for example, problems with translation or legalization;
• insufficient income. To comply with the requirement, you can attach to the salary certificate or the contract with the client an account statement with financial savings;
• violations of the migration regime in the past.

A negative response to an application can be overcome by collecting the missing documents, correcting mistakes, and resubmitting the application. An immigration lawyer can help with this. If it doesn’t help, you should consider other ways to obtain a residence permit.

Alternative options for legal stay in Moldova

A residence permit in the Republic is issued on the basis of employment in a local organization, university studies, reunification with relatives, marriage with a citizen of the country, investment in the economy or opening a company. The validity period of any residence permit is 1 year with the possibility of extension. After 5 years, it is allowed to apply for permanent residence.

Cities popular with digital nomads

The most convenient place in Moldova from the point of view of foreign freelancers is Chisinau. Renting a studio apartment in the capital will cost $400-500, it will take $200-250 to buy food for one person, another $ 30-50 will be needed to pay for public transport (trolleybus and taxi), $ 10-15 for Internet provider services.

Here are popular Chisinau coworking spaces with high-speed Internet, kitchens, recreation areas and the opportunity to attend lectures by the professional community.:

• Dreamups Hub is an individual office and cubicle, open space and conference rooms;
• iHub is an international high–comfort coworking space with fast Internet, located in the central district of Chisinau;
• Coworking 99 is a space for office workers with a quiet atmosphere.

Remote specialists who come to the republic without a family can settle in an EcoVillage Moldova type of housing, where there are places to work and live. It is convenient to search for long-term rental housing on the sites 999.md and makler.md.