Moldova: a year after the introduction of the visa-free regime

28 April 2015 marked a year since the EU lifted the visa requirement for Moldovan citizens (for travel up to three months). This has not caused a substantial increase in the number of Moldovans leaving for the EU or in the number of asylum applications submitted to EU countries (as was the case with the countries of the Western Balkans).

According to data from the Moldovan border police, between 28 April 2014 and 27 April 2015 over 241,000 holders of Moldovan biometric passports left for EU countries (only holders of biometric passports are entitled to cross the EU borders without visa). 90% of them have already returned to Moldova. Only 1,355 Moldovans holding biometric passports were denied the entry to the EU and 2,397 Moldovans infringed the rules of staying in the Schengen zone (these are mainly migrants who have exceeded the permitted length of stay and are trying to legalise their stay following the introduction of the visa-free regime).

ESO: Background information: Parliament gives green light to visa-free travel for Moldovan citizens http://www.europeansources.info/record/press-release-parliament-gives-green-light-to-visa-free-travel-for-moldovan-citizens/

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