How much Moldovan citizenship costs in 2026

7 min read · Published 6 October 2026

The state fee for a Moldovan passport is about $380 per adult. The main costs are not the fee but archives, translations and preparing for the language exam.

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Key point	2026 figures
Route	recognition of citizenship by Moldovan descent
Who qualifies	descendants of people born in Moldova
Fee	~$380 per adult
Main condition	Romanian language and Constitution exam
Processing	up to 12 months
Relocation	not required
Dual citizenship	allowed

Amounts checked: 2026-10-06

A Moldovan passport cannot be bought: the citizenship by investment programme has been closed since 2020. The descent route is open instead, for those whose parents, grandparents or great-grandparents were born in Moldova. You do not need to live in the country, and the passport gives visa-free travel to Schengen.

The processing fee is about $380 per adult. But the real cost is made up of archive records, translations, apostilles and preparing for the Romanian language and Constitution exam. Below is every cost item, family amounts, timelines and what happens if you are refused.

What the cost is made of

Cost item	Amount	Who pays
State citizenship fee	~$380	each adult
Romanian language and Constitution exam	at the exam centre's rate	each adult
Archive records	from $20 per request	per request
Apostille and Romanian translation	from $30 per document	per document
Police certificate	up to $50	each adult
ID card and passport	at the Public Services Agency's rate	each family member

The fee is set by the 2023 law on state fees, with exemptions for some categories. Dollars at the official National Bank of Moldova rate, rounded up.

You apply at a Public Services Agency office in Moldova or at a consulate abroad, so a trip to Chisinau is not required.

The fee is $380, but a refusal costs more

The biggest losses in the Moldovan programme come not from the fee but from time: a gap in the chain of certificates, the ancestor's surname spelled differently in documents from different years, an archive record that does not confirm the place of birth. Murblz checks your family line before filing, requests records from archives in Moldova, Russia and Ukraine, fixes discrepancies through registry offices and prepares you for the language and Constitution exam.

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How much it costs for a family of 2, 3 and 4

Family	Minimum
Two adults	from $760 if both spouses have Moldovan roots; a spouse without roots qualifies on another ground
Two adults and a child	from $380 for the applicant plus the child's documents
Two adults and two children	from $380 for the applicant plus the children's documents

Each adult with Moldovan roots files their own application and pays their own fee. Minor children are recognised through a parent's application. A spouse without roots needs another route, for example marriage to a Moldovan citizen once you hold the passport.

We will work out online when you can apply and what fees and documents will cost for your family.

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What the cost does not include

flights and accommodation if you apply in Chisinau rather than at a consulate;
Romanian language courses and mock exams;
correcting surname errors through registry offices or courts;
duplicate birth and marriage certificates from registry offices in Russia, Ukraine and other countries;
the ID card and passport after citizenship is recognised.

Timeline by step

Step	Time
Family line check: which ancestor gives the ground	1-2 weeks
Archive records and certificates along the line	1-4 months
Preparing for and passing the language and Constitution exam	2-6 months
Filing at the Public Services Agency or a consulate	1 day
Review of the application	up to 12 months, may be extended by 6
ID card and passport	after citizenship is recognised

The whole path usually takes 1-2 years. Archives and language take longest, so they are started in parallel.

Is money refunded if you are refused

There is no investment in this programme, so a refusal mainly costs time. The fee, translations and certificates are paid again when you reapply.

The most common reasons for refusal are a gap in the chain of documents between you and the ancestor and different spellings of surnames. They are fixed before filing, not after a refusal.

Comparison with neighbouring programmes

Country	Route	Minimum for one	Time	Dual citizenship
Romania	Citizenship restored by descent (Article 11)	from $60	Years in the National Citizenship Authority (ANC) queue	allowed
Bulgaria	Citizenship by Bulgarian origin	fees at the tariff	1-2 years	allowed
Armenia	Citizenship by Armenian origin	from $140	4-6 months, no residence required	allowed

Romania gives an EU passport, but the agency queue stretches for years. Armenia by origin is faster and has no exam, but its passport does not open Schengen. Moldova sits in between: the exam is required, but processing takes up to a year and Europe is visa-free.

What a Moldovan passport gives

Moldovan citizens travel to the Schengen area visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180. In total the passport opens about 119 destinations without a visa. Moldova is a candidate for European Union membership, and dual citizenship is allowed.

Russian citizens must notify the Interior Ministry of a second citizenship within 60 days of getting the passport.

Documents for the application

passport;
birth and marriage certificates along the whole line from you to the ancestor born in Moldova;
the ancestor's documents: a passport copy or death certificate;
an archive record of the ancestor's birth or residence if the ground relates to a date before 28 June 1940;
police certificates from countries of citizenship and residence;
the language and Constitution exam certificate;
an autobiography and two photos.

Russian-language documents are translated into Romanian and certified. The shorter the line to the ancestor, the fewer certificates and costs.

Who Moldovan citizenship suits

Those with an ancestor from Moldova, Bessarabia or Northern Bukovina who are ready to learn Romanian to exam level. It is the fastest route to visa-free Schengen for people from the former Soviet Union with Moldovan roots.

It does not suit those who need a passport within a few months without the language: Moldovan citizenship cannot currently be obtained for money.

This topic in other countries

Citizenship cost in other countries:

More about the country:

All programmes and a family calculator - how much citizenship costs in different countries.

FAQ

How much does Moldovan citizenship cost in 2026?

The state fee is about $380 per adult. On top come archive records, translations, apostilles and the language exam, usually a few hundred dollars more.

Can you buy Moldovan citizenship?

No, the citizenship by investment programme has been closed since 2020. Today the passport comes by descent, through marriage or naturalisation.

How much does Moldovan citizenship cost for a family?

Each adult with roots pays about $380. Children under 18 get citizenship through a parent's application; a spouse without roots needs another route.

Do I need to know Romanian?

Yes, adults need an exam in Romanian and the Constitution. Only people with severe disabilities and those who would otherwise be stateless are exempt.

How long does Moldovan citizenship take?

Review takes up to 12 months and may be extended by 6 to check documents. With preparation the whole path usually takes 1-2 years.

Do I need to live in Moldova?

No. Recognition by descent does not require relocation, and you can apply at a consulate.

Can Russian citizens get Moldovan citizenship?

Yes, if they have an ancestor born in Moldova. After getting the passport they must notify the Russian Interior Ministry within 60 days.

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