Moldova's citizens can travel visa-free to European Union, Schengen Area for 11 years

The 11th anniversary of the abolition of the visa regime for short-term travel by Moldova’s citizens to the European Union and the Schengen Area is marked today.

Republic of Moldova - the first Eastern Partnership country to get visa-free regime with EU

On April 28, 2014, following a lengthy and complex process, the European Union abolished for citizens of Moldova, holders of biometric passports, the short-stay visa requirement to travel in the EU and the Schengen Area. Thus, Moldova was the first country of the Eastern Partnership to get the visa-free regime with the European Union.

The liberalized visa regime with the EU is one of the most tangible benefits of European integration for the citizens of Moldova - freedom of movement. Visa-free travel has significantly facilitated interpersonal contacts and has further strengthened business, social and cultural ties between Moldova and the European Union.

The possibility of traveling without visas is open to all citizens holding biometric passports, including those from the left bank of Dniester.

Statistics data on travel to European Union and Schengen Area

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE), on this period, 2,668,615 Moldovans benefited from the liberalized visa regime, traveling to the European Union 18,279,446 times. The total number of border crossings between Moldova and the European Union was 36,290,266, with 18,279,446 exits and 18,010,820 entries.

During the period 2014 – 2019, each year of the visa-free regime was characterized by an upward dynamic, with the annual number of beneficiaries increasing from 157,816 people, who traveled to the Schengen Area in 2014, to 890,974 – in 2019. Meanwhile, according to the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex), out of the total number of trips, only about 0.3 – 0.4% of cases of entry refusals and 0.5 – 0.7% of cases of illegal stays were recorded.

In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and travel restrictions introduced by the member states of the European Union, free movement was significantly affected. In 2020, the number of visa-free regime beneficiaries decreased compared to 2019 by 2.4 times (from 890,974 to 366,254), and the number of trips – by 2.9 times (from 2,322,787 to 793,243).

In 2021, there was a gradual improvement in the situation, but the number of visa-free regime beneficiaries remained 1.5 times lower than in 2019 (614,873 compared to 890,974), and the number of trips – 1.8 times lower (1,297,528 compared to 2,322,787). At the same time, the rate of entry refusals and illegal stays increased disproportionately, reaching in 2020 1.1% (8,668 cases) and, respectively, 2.6% (20,425 cases). In 2021, the rate of entry refusals significantly decreased to 0.6% (7,798 cases), while the rate of illegal stays increased to 2.8% (36,177 cases).

In the years 2022 – 2024, a return to pre-pandemic usage intensity of the visa-free regime occurred. In 2022, 991,514 Moldovan citizens traveled to the Schengen Area 2,361,945 times. In 2023, the figures were 1,045,329 citizens and, respectively, 2,606,042 trips. In 2024, there were 2,480,622 visits by 1,001,987 Moldovans in the Schengen Area. Concurrently, the values comparable to those from before the pandemic returned in the entry refusal rate, though with a moderate upward trend (2022 – 0.2% (4,821 cases), 2023 – 0.3% (7,719 cases), 2024 – 0.43% (10,706 cases)). Meanwhile, the rate of illegal stays recorded a gradual decreasing trend (2022 – 1.6% (38,502 cases), 2023 – 1.36% (35,495 cases), 2024 – 1.02% (25,196 cases)).

The large number of travelers to the EU, compared to the total population, illustrates the positive impact of the visa-free regime

MAE pointed out that Moldovans have proved and continue to prove a responsible attitude towards the freedom to travel in the Schengen Area, successfully overcoming the anomaly related to travel limitations during the pandemic period.

“The large number of travelers to the European Union compared to the total population of Moldova eloquently shows the positive impact of the visa-free regime in facilitating interpersonal contacts and contributing to further strengthening business, social and cultural ties between Moldova and the Schengen Area countries,” MAE said.

The institution reiterated that national authorities “continue to ensure the implementation of the conditionalities that underpinned the visa regime liberalization, and take into account the recommendations of the European Commission’s annual reports on the European Union Mechanism for suspending the visa-free regime.”

The Schengen Area includes - 26 out of 27 European Union member states, with only Ireland as an exception, as well as - Switzerland, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.