How do you apply for a residence permit in Moldova in 2026?

Decide your lane first. Employment, study, family reunification, company investment, and the digital-nomad remote-work category each carry their own document list on igm.gov.md. Investor shareholders follow a separate capital or jobs floor confirmed on the Country To Live investor residence pathway. Digital nomads must show foreign-sourced remote income at or above the current lei threshold (built from average salary forecasts and published by IGM for the filing year), health insurance covering Moldova, accommodation proof, and an apostilled criminal record.

Gather passport bio pages, visa evidence where required, rental or host papers, employment or enrolment contracts, fee receipts, and notarised Romanian or English translations when originals need them. File at least the advance window IGM lists before your current stay right expires (often cited near 30 days for renewals). Bank and ID numbers sit beside the residence story: Get an IDNP and Open a bank account.

Most newcomers use IGM regional desks in Chișinău or the e-filing channels IGM publishes for immigration files. Book ahead when green-line guidance says desks are busy. Bring organised packs: passport, application form, address proof, purpose documents, insurance, and criminal-record translations. Biometrics and card collection follow approval; do not treat a pending email as a finished permit.

After issuance, confirm the IDNP printed or linked to your file matches every later bank and landlord form. Keep copies of every stamped page. A tourist lease screenshot is weaker address evidence than a written rental contract you can renew with the same permit story: Monthly budget. English café help does not rewrite Romanian forms at the counter.