The Moldova Citizenship-by-Investment (MCBI) program requires applicants to make a defined economic contribution to the country through the Public Investment Fund. In exchange, and subject to a stringent vetting and due diligence process, including thorough background checks, applicants and their families are granted citizenship.

Benefits

Moldovan citizenship has many benefits including:

• Visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 122 destinations around the world, including Russia, Turkey, and Europe’s Schengen Area.
• Citizenship in a European country with an open culture, a continental climate, and a charming landscape.
• A reasonable contribution amount and a highly efficient application process.
• Full citizenship with passport rights for the applicant and included family members.
• Dependent children up to 29 years of age and parents (of either the main applicant or the spouse) from 55 years of age can be included.
• Citizenship transferable to future generations without restrictions and at no additional charge.
• Citizenship in a member state of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, the World Trade Organization, and many more.
• Citizenship in a state that has entered into an association agreement with the EU and is aiming to become a candidate country for EU membership.

Qualification Criteria and Requirements

To qualify for citizenship, the main applicant must be over 18 years of age, meet the application requirements, and make the primary qualifying contribution:

A minimum non-refundable contribution to the Public Investment Fund (PIF):

• EUR 100,000 for a single applicant
• EUR 115,000 for a couple
• EUR 145,000 for a family of four
• EUR 155,000 for a family of five or more

Government service provider and licensed agent fees amount to EUR 35,000 per application.

In addition, applicants are required to pay government fees of EUR 5,000 for the main applicant, EUR 2,500 for a spouse, EUR 1,000 for a child up to the age of 15 years, EUR 2,500 for a dependent child aged 16 to 29 years, and EUR 5,000 for a dependent parent — of the main applicant or of the spouse — who is 55 years of age or older.

Due diligence fees are EUR 6,000 for the main applicant and EUR 5,000 for a spouse, dependent children older than 16 years, and/or dependent parents. Biometric passport fees amount to EUR 300 per individual.

It is imperative that main applicants and their dependents have entirely clean personal backgrounds and no criminal records. The MCBI program regulations further stipulate that a person who has been denied a visa to a country or territory with which Moldova has visa-free or visa-on-arrival travel arrangements and has not subsequently obtained a visa to that jurisdiction shall not be accepted to the MCBI program.

Moldova has developed a four-tier due diligence system, which is considered the most thorough in the world.

Procedure and Timeline

Before an application is submitted to the government, all the relevant information provided (including the background of the applicant and any dependents) will be verified by one or more specialized due diligence service providers. Furthermore, the specific fees must have been received, and the source of all funds must have been verified. Once all the above requirements have been satisfied and the final payments have been made, biometric data is collected, and an oath of allegiance is pledged. Citizenship will then be granted, and the passport issued thereafter.

The issuance of a certificate of naturalization under the MCBI program shall take a maximum of three to four months from the date on which the complete application is submitted, provided that the due diligence processes are carried out without difficulties.