The Republic of Moldova is a small country, favorably situated in the Southeast part of Europe, neighboring Romania to the West and Ukraine to the East. This piece of land boasts a rich history, abundant in dramatic and agitated events. From the XIV century it was a part of the Moldova Principality, situated between Oriental Carpathians and the Nistru River, in the north bounded by Hotin, and in the South – by the Low Danube and the Black Sea. Following the Peace concluded in Bucharest, in 1812, a part of this territory was assigned to Czarist Russia, which called it Basarabia - an older name, earlier attributed to the southern part. The aim was to identify this territory as a separate geographic entity from the Moldova Principality.

The Independence of the Democratic Republic of Moldova was proclaimed in January 1918. And later, on March 27 1918 it was decided to re-unite it with Romania. The next annexure process took place in 1940, following the Molotov - Ribbentrop summit. According to this Basarabia became part of the USSR and was proclaimed as the Soviet Socialist Republic of Moldavia. It comprised only nine Basarabian counties and six districts from the left bank of the Nistru River. The present territory of Moldova is smaller compared to the area attributed to Russian authorities in 1812, since the North Hotin, Acherman and the southern Ismail were given up in 1940 by the Soviet authorities to Ukraine.

Geography

Moldova is a small landlocked state in southeastern Europe – one of the most highly populated republics of the former USSR. To the north, east and south Moldova, is bound by Ukraine; to the west by Romania. The River Prut constitutes the border with Romania. The country has rich pastures and wooded slopes, ideal for wine-growing.

Official Languages: Moldovan

Recognized regional languages: Gagauz, Russian and Ukrainian

Demonym: Moldovan, Moldavian

Currency: Moldovan leu (MDL)

Time Zone: EET (UTC+2)

Summer (DST): EEST (UTC+3)

Internet TLD: .md

Calling Code: +373

VISA FORMALITIES

Passports
Passport valid for at least six months required by all nationals of countries referred to in the chart above.

Visas
Not required by nationals of countries referred to U.K, Canadian, USA, and other EU for stays of up to 90 days except nationals of Australia who do require a visa.

Visa Note
(a) Nationals of Australia need a letter of invitation and in some cases a return ticket.

(b) All foreign visitors must register with the police within three days of arrival.

(c) For stays exceeding three months, a formal invitation is required.

(d) Nationals not referred to in the chart above are advised to contact the embassy to

Check visa requirements (see General Info).

Types of Visa and Cost
Tourist, Simple, Service (Business) and Transit. All may be issued on a single-, double- or multiple-entry basis. Costs vary depending on nationality of applicant and type of visa. Contact embassy for further details.

Validity
Tourist: One month from date of issue.

TRAVEL ATTRACTION AND THINGS TO DO:

Excursions Chisinau

The Moldovan capital of Chisinau (formerly Kishinev) stands on the banks of the small River Byk. The city was founded around 1470 and the history and life of Moldova through the centuries is best presented in the History and Regional Lore Museum, a beautiful Turkish-style complex. The Fine Arts Museum houses good examples of Russian, West European and Moldovan paintings, sculpture and applied arts. The Pushkin House is the place where the Great Russian poet spent his days in exile between1820-23. The museum is famous as the place where Pushkin began working on his epic poem Eugene Onegin. There are also two old cemeteries in Chisinau, the Armenian Cemetery and the Jewish Cemetery. The latter is famous as the burial place for the victims of the Chisinau Pogrom in 1903; in the 1960s, the lower part of the cemetery was deliberately razed by the authorities. Owing to massive Jewish emigration from Moldova during the 1980s and the beginning of the 1990s, the state of the cemetery has significantly deteriorated. The only working synagogue in Chisinau is situated not far from the city center, on Habad-Liubavici str. The former Chisinau Choral Synagogue today houses the Chekhov Drama Theater. The Monument of Stefan cel Mare (Stefan the Great) is situated at the entrance to the well-tended Pushkin Park. He was Moldova’s Gospodar (ruler) between 1457-1504 during a time of brief independence thus securing him a special place in Moldova’s history. The monument by the sculptor Plamadeala was unveiled in 1927. In 1990-91, the monument was the focal point of meetings and violent clashes between Moldova’s Nationalists and pro-Soviet supporters. Just outside the park is an impressive building housing the largest cinema, Patria (Fatherland), which was built in 1947 by German, POWs’. Picturesque bathing beaches line the manmade Chisinau Lake (formerly Komsomol Lake). Boats can also be hired. There are two parts to the complex: the Exhibition of Achievements and the open-air Green Theater with a seating capacity of 7000.

CLIMATE

The Republic of Moldova is located in a zone with a temperate continental climate approximately half way between the Equator and North Pole. The four seasons of the year is clearly defined, winter being warm and summer long, with a lot of sunny days. The general movement of the atmospheric air mass is mostly from the Northwest Atlantic or Southwest. The mean temperature of the air from North to South ranges between +7.5 0C and +10 0C the temperature of the soil ranges between +10 0C and +12 0C. There are 2060–2360 hours of sunshine per year in Moldova; temperatures above freezing are registered 160–200 days per year; and precipitation ranges between 370 and 560 mm/year and more than 10% falls as snow, which can melt several times during winter.

The winter in Moldova is moderate, with a mean temperature in January of –5 to -3 0C. Some days it can fall to –15 to -20 0C, and during an intrusion of the arctic air mass even to –35 0C. The spring is not stable, as the number of sunny days and the mean air temperature is rising. In May the temperature is around +15 0C, decreasing the risk of late frosts.

The summer is hot and long, with the long periods of drought. The mean temperature in July is +19.5 to +22 0C, but sometimes can reach +35 to +40 0C. The summer rains are in most cases heavy and of short duration, sometimes causing local flooding.


The autumn is warm and long too, a so-called “Indian summer”. In November the mean temperature falls to +5 to +3 0C and may bring the first snowfalls and frosts.