ID card

The ID card is issued to citizens of the Republic of Moldova residing in the territory of the Republic of Moldova. The ID card serves as proof of identity and citizenship of the Republic of Moldova, as well as a travel document for crossing the borders of the Republic of Moldova in accordance with international agreements.

Citizens of the Republic of Moldova residing in the Republic of Moldova are required to possess an ID card from the age of 14.

The ID card is issued with the following validity periods:

a) 4 years, for individuals aged between 0-7 years ;

b) 7 years, for indiviuals aged between 7-14 years;

c) 10 years, for individuals aged between 14-70 years;

d) Unlimited, for idnividuals after reaching the age of 70 years.

If an individual applies for an ID card within one month before reaching the age required to fall into a subsequent age group specified in letters a)-d), the ID card will be issued with the validity period established for that age group.

When issuing the ID card, individuals for whom fingerprint collection is permanently or temporarily physically impossible, as well as children under 12 years, are exempt from the fingerprint collection procedure.

If fingerprint collection is temporarily physically impossible, the ID card is issued with a validity period of 1 year.

All types of previous identity cards (identity card, electronic identity card, temporary identity card) issued to citizens of the Republic of Moldova until March 31, 2025 are considered valid according to their validity period, unless situations occur where they become invalid, according to legal provisions.

The ID card contains data in printed format and in a format inscribed using special techniques, personalization and security elements, as well as data in electronic form stored in the electronic data storage medium.

The following data is recorded in the electronic data storage medium of the ID card:

• data from the printed and inscribed format;
• the qualified certificate for Electronic Signature;
• the biometric data of the holder: facial image and fingerprint images.

The qualified certificate for Electronic Signature is recorded in the ID card of an individual with full legal capacity. The application for registration of the qualified certificate for Electronic Signature is submitted simultaneously with the application for issuance of the ID card. The recording of the qualified certificate for Electronic Signature in the ID card is carried out after its production.

The qualified certificate for Electronic Signature requested simultaneously with the ID card is issued for a maximum possible validity period of 5 years, and the qualified certificate for Electronic Signature requested again upon expiration of its validity period or after its revocation is issued for the maximum possible validity period, but it shall not exceed the remaining validity period of the ID card.

The expiration of the validity period of the qualified certificate for Electronic Signature and/or malfunction of the electronic data storage medium does not affect the validity of the ID card.

Cases for issuing the ID card

The ID card is issued in the following cases:

1) initial issuance to children;

2) replacement of Soviet-style passports (1974 model);

3) replacement of invalid internal identity documents, for the following reasons:

a) change, modification, rectification or completion of personal data;

b) detection of inaccuracies, discrepancies, forgeries in document entries, identity theft or false identity;

c) expiration of the validity period;

d) change of permanent residence (domicile);

e) change of name or status of localities, streets, renumbering of buildings or their reassignment, establishment of localities or streets, or in case of modification, rectification or completion of domicile address data;

4) in case of loss, theft or damage;

5) upon acquisition or reacquisition of citizenship of the Republic of Moldova;

6) in case of repatriation;

7) at the holder's request to replace the previous identity card/ID card.

The cases provided in subparagraph 3) letters d) and e) apply to holders of identity cards, including electronic ones, issued after March 7, 2013 (ID-I format).

Within 30 days from the occurrence or detection of one of the situations provided in subparagraphs 3), 4) and 5), the holder or their legal representative is required to request the competent authority to issue a new ID card.

Application Submission

The ID card is issued based on an application submitted by the applicant in his home country at the subdivisions of the Public Services Agency (PSA), and abroad at the diplomatic missions and consular offices of the Republic of Moldova (DMCO). If there is no DMCO in the applicant's country of residence, the application may be submitted at any DMCO.

Submission of the application by other persons is permitted in the following special cases:

• For children, including those without parental care or temporarily without parental care placed in guardianship/custody, the legal representative (one of the parents, guardian or custodian) acts as the applicant, with mandatory presence of the child. The term "child" does not include persons who, under Article 26 paragraphs (2) and (3) of Civil Code No. 1107/2002, have acquired full legal capacity before reaching the age of 18 years;
• For a child whose parents are minors or whose sole parent is a minor, the legal representative of the minor parents/sole minor parent acts as the applicant;
• For a child separated from parents, including those placed in family-type placement services (except guardianship/custody services) or residential placement services, the application is submitted by the territorial guardianship authority within whose jurisdiction the child is located or placed, with mandatory presence of the child;
• For persons under judicial protection in the form of guardianship, the legal representative (guardian) acts as the applicant, with mandatory presence of the represented person;
• For immobilized persons, those undergoing compulsory treatment, or those in pre-trial detention or detention, the ID card application may be submitted by a representative authorized through a notarized power of attorney or by other legally authorized persons, or through electronic signature-based representation authorization recorded in the Electronic Authorization Register;
• For immobilized persons exempt from or unable to provide fingerprints, the ID card application may be submitted by a representative authorized through a notarized power of attorney or by other legally authorized persons, or through electronic signature-based representation authorization recorded in the Electronic Authorization Register;
• For persons hospitalized in medical institutions in serious condition (unconscious, in coma), the application is submitted by someone acting in their interest (family member, relative), and in absence of such person, the ID document is issued following initiative of the medical institution or local public administration authority if the hospitalized person receives social assistance;
• For persons with mental illnesses or physical, mental or psychological disabilities maintained in treatment institutions or in the social institution, on which the protection measure is not established in any form, the application is submitted by the administration of the respective institution.

When submitting the ID card application, the applicant undergoes facial image capture and, where applicable, fingerprint collection procedures according to normative requirements.

The ID card application is rejected if the applicant provided fraudulent information or submitted insufficient, discrepant, invalid or inauthentic documents. For this purpose, the notion of invalid document does not apply to identity documents being replaced.

Re-examination of applications occurs after resolving the issues that caused the previous rejection.

Rejection of the ID document application may be appealed as established in Administrative Code No. 116/2018 of the Republic of Moldova.

Knowingly providing, communicating or declaring incorrect, incomplete or false data by individuals, whether for themselves or third parties, is punishable under criminal or contraventional legislation.

ID card delivery

The ID card is delivered against signature either:

Personally to the holder, or

To their legal representative, or

To an authorized representative through a notarized power of attorney or other legally authorized persons, or

Through electronic signature-based representation authorization recorded in the Electronic Authorization Register, or

To a person acting in the holder's interest under legal provisions.

The identity document may be delivered to a third party with the written consent of the holder or their legal representative, expressed to the competent authority.

Minors over 14 years of age may collect the identity document issued in their name with the written consent of their legal representative expressed to the competent authority or authenticated by a notary or other legally authorized persons.

The ID card containing the Qualified Electronic Signature Certificate is delivered exclusively to the holder.

When delivering the identity document to a legal representative, authorized representative, or person acting in the holder's interest, they must identify themselves with an identity document. In the absence of an identity document, identification is made through information from the State Population Register and, where applicable, by presenting documents confirming representation rights.

Uncollected internal identity documents (new ID card or previous identity card) are kept by the issuing authority for three years from the date of issuance, after which they are destroyed according to established procedures.

Prior appointment for requesting services at territorial subdivisions of PSA is available at: https://re.asp.gov.md/