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Moldova transit visa for travel to Ukraine: what a foreigner needs to know

Updated: November 2026
 
Ukraine’s airspace is closed, so foreigners enter the country by land through neighbouring states. For citizens of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, China, the Philippines and many other countries, the route through Chișinău is often the most convenient, but it requires a Moldovan visa. This is the step where trips most often fail: the visa takes a long time to process, and holding one does not guarantee that the traveller will be admitted at the border.
 
When a Moldovan visa is required
Whether a visa is required depends on citizenship. The list of countries whose citizens need one is published by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Moldova. To enter Ukraine, the foreigner usually already holds a Ukrainian type D visa issued under the Rules for issuing visas for entry into Ukraine and transit through its territory (in Ukrainian). A Ukrainian visa gives no right to enter Moldova: it is a separate state with its own rules.
 
Travel through Moldova to a third country is covered by a type B transit visa. It allows a stay of no more than five days. A foreigner who plans to stay longer or has other business in Moldova needs a type C short-stay visa.
 
How to apply for a transit visa
A type B transit visa is applied for online through the government portal evisa.gov.md. An electronic visa gives the same right of entry as a sticker in the passport; it is printed and shown at the border. The fee for an electronic visa is 40.00 EUR.
 
The application includes the passport, a photo, proof of the route and medical insurance valid in Moldova for the whole transit, with cover of at least 30 000.00 EUR. The key document for a transit visa is proof that the destination country will admit the traveller. For a trip to Ukraine, this is the Ukrainian visa and, where the purpose is employment, the work permit.
 
The portal does not guarantee a processing time, and in practice it can take several weeks. A Ukrainian type D visa is valid for 90 days, so apply for the Moldovan visa as soon as it is issued and buy tickets only after the decision.
 
Invitation
Citizens of some countries, including Pakistan, Bangladesh and the Philippines, need an invitation issued by the General Inspectorate for Migration of Moldova to get a Moldovan visa. It is obtained by the host in Moldova, and this is a separate and lengthy procedure.
 
No invitation is required for a transit visa if the applicant has shown that the destination country will admit them. How fully the application documents the basis for entering Ukraine therefore decides whether the invitation procedure can be avoided.
 
When a Moldovan visa is not required
A foreigner who holds a valid visa or residence permit of a European Union or Schengen state, the United Kingdom, the United States or Canada may enter Moldova without a Moldovan visa. There are two caveats. Transit visas of these states do not count. In addition, the exemption does not apply to citizens of every country, so check it against the list of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Moldova for your own citizenship.
 
If you hold a Schengen visa, compare the route through Moldova with entry through Poland, Romania or Hungary: it is sometimes simpler.
 
What happens at the border
A visa does not guarantee entry: the final decision is made by the border officer. There are cases where a foreigner with a valid Moldovan visa is refused entry because they cannot explain the purpose of the trip or do not carry the documents that supported the application.
 
At the border, carry the printed electronic visa, the passport with the Ukrainian visa, documents on the basis for entering Ukraine, the insurance policy, tickets or proof of the onward route, and proof of funds. The same applies at the Ukrainian border. If entry into Ukraine is refused, the refusal can be challenged.
 
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