Moldova Visa for UAE Residents: e-Visa, Fee and Who Needs One

The short answer: Emiratis, together with nearly 100 other nationalities on Moldova's visa-free list, can enter without a visa. Most other UAE residents need a Moldovan visa first, usually the e-visa at the government's own portal, evisa.gov.md, which costs EUR 40 and is reviewed within 10 calendar days, extendable to 20. Indian passport holders are the exception among the big expat groups here: Moldova's own visa list excuses them from needing a separate Moldovan visa if they already hold a valid Schengen, EU, UK, US or Canadian visa or residence permit. A UAE residence visa does not count, for any nationality. Pakistani, Filipino, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan and Egyptian passport holders need the Moldovan visa regardless of what other visas they hold.

Moldova sits between Romania and Ukraine, and Chisinau's wine cellars, Soroca's fortress and the Orheiul Vechi monastery are now a short break away with flydubai's direct flight. Here is what each passport needs, and the one rule that catches people out: holding a Schengen or UK visa does not automatically make Moldova visa-free for you.

Moldova visa for UAE residents at a glance

Passport	Answer (October 2026)
United Arab Emirates	Visa-free entry
India	e-visa needed, unless holding a valid Schengen, EU, UK, US or Canadian visa or residence permit
Pakistan	e-visa needed, plus an invitation letter unless the Schengen/EU/UK/US/Canada waiver applies
Philippines	e-visa needed, plus an invitation letter unless the Schengen/EU/UK/US/Canada waiver applies
Egypt	e-visa needed, plus an invitation letter unless the Schengen/EU/UK/US/Canada waiver applies
Bangladesh	e-visa needed, plus an invitation letter unless the Schengen/EU/UK/US/Canada waiver applies
Sri Lanka	e-visa needed, plus an invitation letter unless the Schengen/EU/UK/US/Canada waiver applies
UK and other Western passports	Visa-free entry
e-visa fee	EUR 40
Processing	Up to 10 calendar days, extendable to 20

These are the rules for ordinary passports, from Moldova's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration. They are set by nationality, not by where you live, so a UAE residence visa does not change them for any passport.

Who is visa-free

Moldova's foreign ministry lists Emiratis among nearly 100 nationalities, alongside the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Japan and every EU and Schengen country, who can enter without a visa. The exemption runs by passport, so it covers Emirati citizens wherever they live, not other nationalities who happen to live in the UAE.

The reciprocal basis for this is a memorandum signed on 5 August 2025 in Abu Dhabi, between Moldova's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mihai Popsoi, and the UAE's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, abolishing visa requirements for holders of ordinary, official and diplomatic passports. Moldova's foreign ministry gave 5 September 2025 as the date it entered into force. Separately, Moldova's General Inspectorate for Migration states the general rule for both visa-exempt and visa-holding visitors: a stay of up to 90 days is permitted within any 180-day period.

Who needs a visa, and the Schengen-visa exception

Everyone else named here, meaning Indian, Pakistani, Filipino, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan and Egyptian passport holders, is on Moldova's list of nationalities that need a visa to enter, exit or transit the country. A footnote on that list excuses some of them, by nationality, if they already hold a document from elsewhere:

• Indian passport holders do not need a separate Moldovan visa if they hold a valid residence permit or visa (not a transit visa) issued by an EU or Schengen state, the UK, the US or Canada, for as long as that document stays valid.
• Pakistani, Filipino, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan and Egyptian passport holders are not on this footnote. They need the Moldovan e-visa, or an embassy visa, regardless of any other visa or residence permit they hold.

Does a UAE residence visa count?

No. The exemption is tied to a specific list of issuers: the EU, the Schengen area, the UK, the US and Canada. A UAE residence visa or Emirates ID is not on that list, for any nationality, so it does not get you into Moldova without a Moldovan visa.

Invitation letters

Pakistani, Filipino, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan and Egyptian nationals are also on Moldova's list of passport holders who normally need an invitation letter, issued through Moldova's General Inspectorate for Migration, to support a visa application. That requirement is waived for anyone on the list who holds a valid visa or residence permit (other than a transit visa) from an EU or Schengen state, the UK, the US or Canada. Indian nationals are not on the invitation list at all. The waiver only removes the invitation step: for the five nationalities above, it does not replace the Moldovan visa itself.

How to apply for the e-visa

Apply only at evisa.gov.md, run by Moldova's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration. The portal issues transit (type B) and short-stay (type C) visas, for business, tourism, visiting relatives or friends, and several other stated purposes. Airport transit (type A) and long-stay (type D) visas are not available online: apply through a Moldovan embassy or consulate instead.

1. Fill in the online application with your passport and travel details.
2. Upload your documents, including an invitation letter if your nationality needs one and you have no qualifying Schengen, UK, US or Canadian document.
3. Pay the EUR 40 fee by credit or debit card once the application is complete.
4. Wait for a decision, usually within 10 calendar days, extendable to 20 if the authorities need longer.
5. Receive your eVisa by email as a PDF if approved, and check the result at any time on the portal's VisaFile page.
6. Print it and carry it with your passport. An eVisa is not a sticker in the passport: it is a separate document you present at the border.

Documents

• Passport, valid for your trip
• A recent photo
• Medical health insurance covering your stay in Moldova: the portal lists this as a document to present at the border
• An invitation letter and other supporting documents for your purpose of travel, where your nationality requires one
• A debit or credit card for the EUR 40 fee

At the border, carry the printed eVisa, your passport, your invitation copy if you needed one, and proof of your medical insurance.

Fees, processing time and validity

• Fee: EUR 40 for the e-visa, paid by card once the application is complete.
• Processing: up to 10 calendar days from completing the application, extendable to 20 days.
• Stay: the e-visa issues a short-stay (type C) visa, which under Moldovan law can run up to 90 days within any 180-day period, and can be single-entry or multiple-entry.
• Who examines applications: the Consular Affairs Directorate of Moldova's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with other relevant authorities.

Moldova's portal is clear that the eVisa only moves the application online: it does not remove the invitation-letter step for nationalities that need one, unless the Schengen, EU, UK, US or Canada waiver applies.

The embassy covering the UAE

Moldova's Embassy in Abu Dhabi handles consular matters for the UAE, including the airport transit and long-stay visas that cannot be applied for online.

• Address: Al Mushrif area, 20 Al Thikra Street, PO Box 31705, Abu Dhabi
• Telephone: +971 2 444 0505
• Email: consulat.abudhabi@mfa.gov.md

Arrival rules and Transnistria

UK government travel advice asks British visitors for a passport valid for at least three months after the date they plan to leave Moldova, with at least one blank page, and a return or onward ticket; other passports should check the same points with the embassy. Moldova's General Inspectorate for Migration allows 90 days in any 180. Declare cash or travellers' cheques worth EUR 10,000 or more.

Transnistria, the breakaway strip along Moldova's border with Ukraine, is outside the Moldovan government's control, and the UK government advises against all travel there.

Flights from the UAE

flydubai flies non-stop between Dubai and Chisinau, in about five hours. Days change by season, so check its timetable before you plan the trip around a date.

Frequently asked questions

Do UAE residents need a visa for Moldova?

Emiratis do not: Moldova lists the UAE among its visa-free nationalities. Most other UAE residents do, through the e-visa at evisa.gov.md or an embassy visa, unless their passport qualifies for the Schengen-visa exemption described above.

Does my UAE residence visa let me enter Moldova without a Moldovan visa?

No. Moldova's exemption covers valid visas or residence permits from the EU, the Schengen area, the UK, the US and Canada only. A UAE residence visa or Emirates ID is not on that list, whatever your nationality.

How much is the Moldova e-visa, and how long does it take?

EUR 40, paid by card on evisa.gov.md. Processing is normally up to 10 calendar days from completing the application, extendable to 20 days, so apply well before you travel.

Do Indians in the UAE need a Moldova visa?

Usually yes, unless they already hold a valid Schengen, EU, UK, US or Canadian visa or residence permit, in which case Moldova's own visa list excuses them for as long as that document stays valid.

Do Pakistanis need a visa for Moldova from the UAE?

Yes. Pakistani passport holders need the e-visa or an embassy visa, plus an invitation letter, unless they hold a valid Schengen, EU, UK, US or Canadian visa or residence permit, which waives the invitation but not the visa itself.

Is Transnistria safe to visit from Moldova?

The UK government advises against all travel to Transnistria, which is outside the Moldovan government's control. It also notes military activity in Ukraine close to some of Moldova's borders.

Planning a trip to Moldova

Chisinau works well as a long weekend, with Cricova's wine cellars, the open-air museum at Orheiul Vechi and Soroca's fortress all within a few hours' drive. See visa services for help with your application, browse holiday packages, or talk to us about flights and hotels.

Related guides

• Georgia visa from Dubai
• Armenia visa for UAE residents
• Azerbaijan visa from Dubai
• Schengen visa for UAE residents

Last checked 9 October 2026 against Moldova's e-Visa portal (evisa.gov.md), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration's visa-regime list and its announcement of the UAE memorandum, the General Inspectorate for Migration's guidance on stay limits, the Moldovan Embassy in Abu Dhabi's contact page, UK government travel advice for Moldova, and flydubai's own booking site. This guide is general information, not immigration advice. Confirm the current requirements on evisa.gov.md or with the Moldovan Embassy in Abu Dhabi before you apply or travel.