South Africa passport → Moldova

Moldova visa for South African citizens

Visa required

Visa required

South African citizens need a visa for Moldova, arranged before the trip. Moldova is not in the Schengen area: visa-free visitors may stay up to 90 days in any 180-day period, counted separately from Schengen. Arrival is registered automatically at the border.

Official details are shown in English.

Status
Visa required
Max stay
Not fixed in our data
Also limited
90 days in any 180
Last checked
30 October 2026

What it means in practice

Apply well before the trip: visa processing for Moldova depends on the embassy or consulate handling your application. The length of stay is the one printed on your visa.

How Moldova counts your stay: Up to 90 days in any 180-day period; the 180 days are counted back from each day of stay.

Before you go

Official details are shown in English.

  • Moldovan short-stay visa (C) — Cost: Shown on the e-visa portal; Stay: Up to 90 days in any 180. Apply on the official site
  • Apply for a Moldovan e-Visa — Before travel; Shown on the e-visa portal. Apply online on the official government e-visa portal. Official site

At the border

Official details are shown in English.

  • Passport valid at least 3 months after planned departure, with at least one blank page
  • Return or onward ticket
  • Overstaying is penalised with fines and expulsion

How to avoid overstaying

  • Go by your stamp or visa. The date the officer gives you is the one that counts, even if it is shorter than the maximum.
  • Extend before you run out. For longer stays apply for a residence permit at the General Inspectorate for Migration before your permitted stay ends.
  • Keep a record of every entry and exit. The period limit adds up all your stays, and border officers can see them.
  • What overstaying costs. Overstaying is penalised with fines and expulsion

Good to know

Official details are shown in English.

  • In Transnistria passports are checked but not stamped; you fill in a migration card in two copies and keep one to show when leaving. The de facto authorities may refuse entry.

Staying longer

Visa-free days are for visits. For months or years in Moldova, these are the long-stay routes in Bordr's guide (checked against official sources):

Official details are shown in English.

Costs, income thresholds and how to apply are in the Bordr guide.

Questions

Do South African citizens need a visa for Moldova?

South African citizens need a visa for Moldova, arranged before the trip.

Can I extend my stay in Moldova?

For longer stays apply for a residence permit at the General Inspectorate for Migration before your permitted stay ends.

What do I need at the border in Moldova?

Passport valid at least 3 months after planned departure, with at least one blank page; Return or onward ticket; Overstaying is penalised with fines and expulsion.

When was this checked?

Bordr last checked the entry rules for Moldova against official sources on 30 October 2026. Rules change: confirm with the official source before you travel.

Sources and last check

Entry rules for this destination were last checked against official sources on 30 October 2026. Visa-free days come from the passport matrix in the Bordr app, corrected where the official rules differ.

This page is general information, not legal advice. Entry rules change and border officers have the final say. Check the official government source for your destination before you travel.

Includes visa data from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0), retrieved 1 November 2026; Bordr's official-source checks take precedence.

More destinations for South Africa passports

Popular with nomads

Europe

All destinations for South Africa passports

Moldova for other passports