Moldova Travel Overview

By | July 22, 2021

GENERAL

Official name of the state

Republic of Moldova.

Capital

Chisinau.

Geography

According to topschoolsintheusa, Moldova borders Ukraine to the north, east and south and Romania to the west. The Prut River forms the Romanian-Moldavian border. The country is densely wooded, with many forests having to give way to arable land. There are partly hilly landscapes up to 429 m high and good wine-growing areas.

Government

Republic since 1991. Constitution of 1994. Parliament (Parlamentul) with 101 members, elected for four years. Gagauzia and the Dniester region have autonomous status (their own legislation). Since 1991 independent state of the CIS.

Head of state

Igor Dodon, since December 2016.

Head of government

Pavel Filip, since January 2016.

Electricity

220 V, 50 Hz.

Time zone

Eastern European Time: CET +3 (CET +4 from March 26 to October 29, 2017)

TRAVEL WARNING

Country-specific safety instructions

Transnistria

The breakaway part of Transnistria (self-proclaimed “Pridnestrovian Moldovan Republic”) is outside the control of the Moldovan government.

Travelers who nevertheless go to Transnistria are advised that consular support from the German embassy Chișinu cannot be provided. Before traveling to or through Transnistria, travelers should inform themselves about the current political situation.

Photographing military installations and important industrial and transport facilities is prohibited in Transnistria.

LANGUAGE

Overview

The official language is Moldovan (Latin script), a dialect of the Romanian language. Business language is mostly Russian. After the annexation to the Soviet Union in 1940, Moldova introduced the Cyrillic script in order to give the country a “national identity”. The Latin alphabet was reintroduced in 1989, but after 45 years of Soviet rule, many people found it difficult to speak Moldovan. Russian is still the most widely spoken language; also Ukrainian, Gagauz (a Turkic language) and other minority languages. Occasionally, English and French are understood as foreign languages, especially in the big cities.

Moldovan differs from Romanian spoken in Romania in particular in the pronunciation, e.g. the s is pronounced much harder in Moldova than in Romania. There are also some differences in grammar. The vocabulary, however, is almost the same. In Moldova, some Russian loanwords are used, while in the more western-oriented Romania, French and English words are mainly found. Linguists see Moldovan not as a separate language, but as a dialect of Romanian. The term Moldavian is therefore only politically justified. According to Moldovan law, Moldovan and Romanian are equal; The term Romanian is used in schools, the media and in some administrative areas.

In Transnistria, besides Moldavian, Russian and Ukrainian are the official languages, in Gaugasia Russian and Gaugasian.

Moldova Travel Overview

ECONOMY

Opening hours

Business hours: Mon-Fri 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

Economy

Federation of German Industry, Eastern Committee of German Business,
Breite Strasse 29, D-10178 Berlin
Tel: (030) 20 28 14 52, 20 28 15 51.
Internet: www.ostausschuss.de

Austrian Chamber of Commerce, Foreign Trade Organization, Eastern European Department
Wiedner Hauptstrasse 63, A-1045 Vienna
Tel: (01) 501 05 43 22.
Internet: www.wko.at

United Economic
Chambers Sonnenbergstrasse 48, CH-8032 Zurich
Tel: (044) 268 43 00.
Internet: www.jointchambers.ch

Industrie- und Chamber of Commerce of the Republic of Moldova
Eminescu 28, MD-2012 Chisinau
Tel: (02) 22 15 52.

Business contacts

Federation of German Industry, Eastern Committee of German Business,
Breite Strasse 29, D-10178 Berlin
Tel: (030) 20 28 14 52, 20 28 15 51.
Internet: www.ostausschuss.de

Austrian Chamber of Commerce, Foreign Trade Organization, Eastern European Department
Wiedner Hauptstrasse 63, A-1045 Vienna
Tel: (01) 501 05 43 22.
Internet: www.wko.at

United Economic
Chambers Sonnenbergstrasse 48, CH-8032 Zurich
Tel: (044) 268 43 00.
Internet: www.jointchambers.ch

Industrie- und Chamber of Commerce of the Republic of Moldova
Eminescu 28, MD-2012 Chisinau
Tel: (02) 22 15 52.

COMMUNICATION

Phone

The country code is 00373. There are public card phones. Phone cards are available from Moldtelecom (Internet: www.moldtelecom.md/ ; Stefan cel Mare Blv. 12, Chisinau), at the post office, in hotels and at kiosks. International calls can be made from the public card phones. Elsewhere you go to a telephone exchange for international calls.

Cellphone

Cell phone companies are Moldcell (GSM 900) (Internet: www.moldcell.md) and Orange Moldova (GSM 900) (Internet: www.orange.md). Roaming contracts exist with Germany and Austria, among others. It is also possible to buy prepaid cards on site. The cellular network covers almost the whole country.

Internet

Main provider: Ua Dynamic Network Technologies (Internet: www.dnt.md). Internet cafés are available in Chisinau. Mobile internet is available with the Alocard from Moldcell and with the prepaid card from Orange with compatible mobile phones.

Post Office

Post traffic to and from Moldova is subject to long delays, with items taking up to six weeks to travel. It is recommended that all correspondence be sent by registered mail or international couriers. The main post office in Chisinau is located at Stefan cel Mare 73. Opening times: Mon-Sun 9 am-8pm.

Radio

Since the use of shortwave frequencies changes several times over the course of a year, it is advisable to contact Deutsche Welle customer service directly (Tel: (+49) (0228) 429 32 08. Internet: www.dw-world.de) to request.

 

CULTURE

Religion

Predominantly Russian Orthodox (98%), Jewish minority (1.5%), Baptists and others.

Social rules of conduct

General: Moldova is known for its folklore, which is lovingly cared for. Moldovans love to party. A typical Moldovan wedding celebration often lasts over 24 hours and the wedding party often consists of more than 250 invited guests.

Customs: On March 1st, a red and white string, the so-called Mar (ișor (little march), is typically given away. The colors red and white stand for snow and sun and are meant to symbolize spring. The marțişor is attached to clothing and worn until you see a blooming tree, into which you then throw the ribbon and make a wish.

Clothing: Clothing should not be too casual, more elegant clothes are worn for social occasions.

Manners: The common forms of courtesy should be observed. Shake hands to greet you. One should behave rather cautiously, since Moldova is only visited by a few tourists and one is already noticed as such. Invitations to private homes are common, so you should always have a few favors on hand. Small souvenirs such as cigarettes, perfume or coffee are gladly accepted. Also popular are, for example, culinary or alcoholic specialties from the home country as well as illustrated books. The children look forward to a few small sweets.

Photographing: Military facilities / plants and industrial zones may not be photographed. People should be asked before they are photographed.

Tip: Usually you give 5-10% of the invoice amount.

CLIMATE

Best travel time

Moderate continental climate. Overall pleasantly mild. Nice warm summers, clear sunny autumn days and cold, sometimes snowy winters. The best travel time starts in May and ends in September.

COUNTRY DATA

Area code +373 Area (sqkm) 33800 Population 3546847 Population density (per sqkm) 105 Population in 2015 Member of the EU No main emergency number 112