Procedure of entrance, stay of investors in Moldova to be further facilitated

Chisinau, 24 July /MOLDPRES/ - Solutions for the further facilitation of procedures of foreigners’ documentation, including of the entrance and stay of investors in Moldova, were discussed at a working meeting at the government today, the cabinet’s communication and protocol department has reported.   

Prime Minister Pavel Filip stressed the importance of these measures to attract investors and fill the uncovered demand of jobs. “We have spoken a lot about the easing of the visa regime; yet, given that we do not have too much labour force in Moldova, we should see what we do with the stay and work permits,” the PM said.    

Thus, the participants in the meeting analyzed the impact of the reform on the labour migration, started in October 2017. As a result, the term of providing the right to work and stay was shortened by two thirds, the way of extending the right to stay on labour purpose was simplified and the number of procedures needed for legalization decreased by over 30 per cent.   

Among the new proposals, there are the cut in the number of documents demanded to process the stay permit on purpose of work and to extend it, increase from one to two years the period for which the right to stay is issued for labour purpose for the workers whose qualification is included in the list priority occupations; introduction of the right to change the status of temporary stay of the foreigner, without obliging him/her to leave the country.  

At the same time, other improvements regard the providing and extending the right to stay for foreigners employed within foreign assistance projects, resident investors or workers of the free economic zones, as well as for foreigners carrying out teaching activities, in the fields of culture, health and sport. Moreover, the file for getting the right of temporary stay on labour purpose could be submitted online.   

In the context, the PM demanded a thorough analysis of the steps a foreigner is to make in the process of documentation in Moldova and maximum simplification of the procedure, by omitting aspects which do not imply risks.  

Also, Pavel Filip demanded facilitation of entrance in Moldova of citizens of the states who ask for entrance visas for Moldova. The set of documents necessary to be presented, as well as the taxes paid for processing a visa are to be revised.

In early 2018, decision-makers eliminated the obligation to hold visas for citizens of 33 states when crossing Moldova’s state border, while the need to get an invitation was excluded for citizens of 48 states.