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Germany for Moldovan passport holders: Visa-free

Your circumstances

Passport:
🇲🇩 Moldovan
Lives in:
Not specified (general rule)
Going to:
🇩🇪 Germany
Purpose:
Holiday

Route summary

Visa-free

Visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180 days (Schengen)

Moldovan passport holders do not need a visa for short stays in Germany and the rest of the Schengen area: up to 90 days in any 180-day period.

Conditions

  • Only holders of biometric (chip) passports are visa-exempt; a non-biometric passport needs a Schengen visa.
  • Up to 90 days in any 180-day period across the whole Schengen area (all 29 Schengen countries count together).
  • Entry/Exit System (EES): since 10 April 2026 your fingerprints and face are registered at the first Schengen border and passport stamps are no longer used.
  • ETIAS is not yet in operation (official EU site, checked 4 Oct 2026) – no pre-travel authorisation is needed for now; when it starts it will cost EUR 20.
  • Passport must be valid at least 3 months after you plan to leave the Schengen area and issued within the previous 10 years (Schengen Borders Code art. 6).
  • No work allowed on a visa-free stay; border guards can ask for proof of purpose, accommodation, funds and return travel.

About this route

Route type
Visa-free: no visa application needed.
Documents
Document list not published by the official source.
Fee
No visa fee (as published).
Processing
Processing time not published by the official source.

Next step

Steps not published by the official source — use the official link to start.

Official sourceeur-lex.europa.eu ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Last checked 4 Oct 2026 against eur-lex.europa.eu · EUR-Lex consolidated text read 2026-10-04; ETIAS page rendered 2026-10-04 ("currently not in operation")

Documents

Document list not published by the official source.

Fees

Official government fee
No visa fee
Visa-centre / service fee (not a government fee)
None stated by the official source
Notes from the source
No visa fee. ETIAS (EUR 20) not yet required.

Visa-centre, service or other third-party charges are never official government fees.

Processing and validity

Processing time
Not published by the official source
Validity
Not published by the official source
Maximum stay
90 days in any 180-day period (whole Schengen area)

Requirements for all visitors to Germany

These apply on top of the visa rules above, whatever your passport, unless an item says otherwise.

  • Proof of fundsProof of means of subsistence: no fixed amount (case by case); about EUR 45/day if circumstances cannot be shown; return/onward journey must be possible

    Applies to: non-EU/EEA/Swiss visitors at the external Schengen border, on request.

    Official source: home-affairs.ec.europa.eu · Last checked 2 Nov 2026

Quick answers

Do Moldovan passport holders need a visa for Germany?

Visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180 days (Schengen). Moldovan passport holders do not need a visa for short stays in Germany and the rest of the Schengen area: up to 90 days in any 180-day period. Source: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:02018R1806-20251230

Business, work or just passing through?

The rules above are for a holiday: tourism and visiting family and friends. Business visits, paid work and transit are covered separately below.

Business visits to Germany

Option 1
Visa-freeBusiness visit (meetings, conferences – not paid work)

Business visit: Visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180 days (Schengen)

Short business visits (meetings, conferences, negotiations – not paid work) follow the same route as a holiday, because the official source covers business visits (Tourism, family visits, business meetings (short stay)). Moldovan passport holders do not need a visa for short stays in Germany and the rest of the Schengen area: up to 90 days in any 180-day period.

Conditions

  • Only holders of biometric (chip) passports are visa-exempt; a non-biometric passport needs a Schengen visa.
  • Up to 90 days in any 180-day period across the whole Schengen area (all 29 Schengen countries count together).
  • Entry/Exit System (EES): since 10 April 2026 your fingerprints and face are registered at the first Schengen border and passport stamps are no longer used.
  • ETIAS is not yet in operation (official EU site, checked 4 Oct 2026) – no pre-travel authorisation is needed for now; when it starts it will cost EUR 20.
  • Passport must be valid at least 3 months after you plan to leave the Schengen area and issued within the previous 10 years (Schengen Borders Code art. 6).
  • No work allowed on a visa-free stay; border guards can ask for proof of purpose, accommodation, funds and return travel.
Government fee
No visa fee
No visa fee. ETIAS (EUR 20) not yet required.
Processing
Not verified yet
Validity
Not verified yet
Max stay
90 days in any 180-day period (whole Schengen area)
Steps, documents & where to apply

How to apply

Steps not verified yet — follow the official source below.

Documents checklist

Document list not verified yet — check the official source.

✓ EUR-Lex consolidated text read 2026-10-04; ETIAS page rendered 2026-10-04 ("currently not in operation")

Official wording

“Regulation (EU) 2018/1806, Annex II (consolidated 30 Dec 2025): Moldova listed among countries whose nationals are exempt from the visa requirement for stays of no more than 90 days in any 180-day period.”

Working in Germany

Main work visa routes for Germany

These are the main routes and what they require. Whether you qualify depends on your circumstances; the official page decides.

EU Blue Card

For: University graduates with a job offer in Germany

  • German university degree, or a foreign degree comparable to a German one
  • Job offer with a gross annual salary of at least €50,700 (or €45,934.20 in shortage occupations / for recent graduates, with Federal Employment Agency approval)
  • Work contract of at least six months
Length
Duration of the contract plus three months, at most four years
Longer term
Settlement permit after 27 months with German A1, or after 21 months with B1

Source: Make it in Germany (Federal Government) – EU Blue Card (make-it-in-germany.com).

What the source says

"Your job in Germany must enable you to earn a gross annual salary of at least €50,700" … "salary of at least €45,934.20 (as of 2026) if the Federal Employment Agency (BA) has approved your employment." … "You are in possession of either a German university degree or a foreign university degree." … "However, the validity period cannot exceed four years." … "minimum working period of six months is stated in your work contract." … "After 27 months, EU Blue Card holders can obtain a settlement permit if they can prove that they have German language skills at level A1" … "the settlement permit can be issued after only 21 months"

Work visa for qualified professionals (Sections 18a/18b Residence Act)

For: People with a recognised university degree or qualified vocational training and a job offer in a qualified position

  • Qualification recognised in Germany or comparable (licence to practise for regulated professions such as healthcare)
  • Specific job offer for a qualified position
  • Usually approval by the Federal Employment Agency
  • Over 45 and first time working in Germany: at least €55,770 a year (2026) or adequate pension provision
Length
Up to four years (contract length plus six months if shorter)
Longer term
Settlement permit possible after at least three years of employment, under certain circumstances

Source: Make it in Germany (Federal Government) – Work visa for qualified professionals (make-it-in-germany.com).

What the source says

"eligible for a residence permit in accordance with Section 18a or Section 18b of the Residence Act [AufenthG] to take up qualified employment as a skilled worker in Germany." … "You have a specific job offer from an employer in Germany." … "must enable you to earn a gross annual salary of at least €55,770 (as of 2026)" … "Residence permits for qualified employment are issued for a maximum of four years." … "If you have held a residence permit for the purpose of employment for at least three years, you may, under certain circumstances, be eligible for a settlement permit."

Opportunity Card (job search)

For: Skilled people who want to come to Germany to look for a job

  • A recognised vocational qualification or degree, or at least six points in the points system
  • Enough money for the job search, e.g. a blocked account with at least €1,091 net per month (2026)
Length
Up to one year

Source: Make it in Germany (Federal Government) – Opportunity Card (make-it-in-germany.com).

What the source says

"or you obtain at least six points in the points system." … "a blocked bank account (containing a minimum of €1,091 net per month , amount applicable in 2026)" … "allows the holder to stay in Germany for up to one year"

Checked 16 Oct 2026. Overview: Make it in Germany – Visa and residence. Requirements, fees and thresholds change; confirm on the official page before applying.

Transit through Germany

Option 1
Visa-freeAirport transit (changing flights in Germany)

Airside transit: no airport transit visa needed; leaving the transit area needs normal Schengen entry

Unless your nationality is on the EU common airport-transit-visa list or Germany's national list (those passports have their own rule here), you don't need an airport transit visa to change planes in the international transit area of an airport in Germany. If you have to pass through border control (e.g. to collect bags, change airport or terminal outside the transit area, or your onward flight is to another Schengen country), you are entering the Schengen area and the normal entry rules for your passport apply - see the holiday section.

Conditions

  • Stay in the airport's international transit area (do not pass border control).
  • Flights to or from another Schengen country count as entering the Schengen area: normal entry rules for your passport apply.
  • Hold the documents required for your final destination; your airline may check them.
Government fee
Fee not officially published
Processing
Not verified yet
Validity
Not verified yet
Max stay
Not verified yet
Steps, documents & where to apply

How to apply

Steps not verified yet — follow the official source below.

Documents checklist

Document list not verified yet — check the official source.

✓ Checked on the live official page

Official wording

“Visa Code (Reg. 810/2009) Art. 3: an airport transit visa is required for nationals on the common list (Annex IV; Handbook Annex 7A) and, where a member state has notified one, its national list (Handbook Annex 7B, 1 July 2026). Nationals not on these lists need no airport transit visa.”

Alert me if this route changes

Get an email when we update the guidance for Moldovan passport holders going to Germany, after we've checked the change against the official source. Nothing else.

Tell me about changes to

We send a confirmation email first. Unconfirmed sign-ups are deleted after 7 days.

Before you go to Germany

Customs cash limits and the scams official travel advice warns about in Germany.

Cash you can bring in and take out

Bringing cash in
Declare cash of EUR 10,000 or more (or equivalent) when arriving from outside the EU.
Taking cash out
Declare cash of EUR 10,000 or more (or equivalent) when leaving to a country outside the EU.

Official source: taxation-customs.ec.europa.eu · Last checked 4 Oct 2026 · Details

Common tourist traps

  1. Theft in stations, airports and crowds

    How it works: Muggers, bag-snatchers and pickpockets work airports, railway stations and crowded places.

    How to avoid it: Stay alert there and never leave bags unattended.

  2. Counterfeit money

    How it works: Visitors have been arrested for paying with fake notes they received.

    How to avoid it: Change money only at banks, ATMs or official exchanges and check your change.

  3. Shell game (matchbox game) on busy squares

    How it works: A crowd gathers around someone moving three boxes over a ball; the 'winners' are part of the team and newcomers who bet lose their money. Visitors report it on Berlin's tourist streets and squares.

    How to avoid it: Don't stop, bet or take out your wallet. Watch for pickpockets in the crowd. Call the police on 110 if you're cheated.

    From visitor reviews, not official Berlin city centre. Sources: reddit.com · reddit.com · berlin.de. Researched 23 Oct 2026; there is no official page to re-check, so this date is not updated automatically.

Emergency numbers in Germany

  • Ambulance & fire 112
  • Police 110

Other traps paraphrased from official travel advice: gov.uk · FCDO page updated 11 Aug 2026 · Last checked 2 Nov 2026.

Explore Germany

Planning more than the paperwork? Our Germany guide picks out places to visit, things to do and where to shop, with a source for every tip.

Places to visit:
Berlin Wall Memorial, Bernauer Straße · Museum Island · Neuschwanstein Castle
Things to do:
Reichstag dome – free, but register first · Walk the East Side Gallery · Free museums and memorials
Shopping:
Mauerpark flea market · KaDeWe
Read the full Germany guide

Moldovan passport: of the 149 destinations with a rule verified from an official source, 73 visa-free, 14 visa on arrival, 30 eVisa or travel authorisation, 32 embassy visa.

Germany: rules verified from an official source for 198 of 198 passports. Germany guide and every passport →

Where else can Moldovan passport holders travel? See every destination we cover →

Optional travel offers

Some links are affiliate links. Booking through them costs you nothing extra, and a small commission helps pay MyVisaPort’s ongoing hosting and maintenance costs and keeps the site free of banner ads. We only list services we think are useful, and they never affect the visa information we publish. These offers are not part of the visa guidance above and are never used to rank routes. How partner links work

Plan your trip to Germany

Verify with the embassy before you book. Visa rules change without notice. We link every rule to its official source and last checked it on 4 Oct 2026, but the embassy, official e-visa portal and your airline have the final say. MyVisaPort is not a visa agent and is not affiliated with any government.