In order to travel in the European Union visa-free, the Moldovans must hold a biometric passport valid for three more months after the planned return to Moldova. Several trips can be made to the Schengen Area during 90 days within half a year, but the number of days of stay must be calculated exactly so as not to exceed the allowed period. The information was provided by the EU Delegation to Moldova, which answered the most frequently asked questions about the visa regime, IPN reports.
The Moldovans can travel visa-free in all the EU member states, except for the UK and Ireland. The EU member states that form part of the Schengen Area are Portugal, Spain, France, Germany, Belgium, Luxemburg, the Netherlands, Italy, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Austria, Greece, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, and Malta. The EU member states that haven’t yet implemented the Schengen acquis (the states that do not form part of the Schengen Area without internal borders) are: Cyprus, Croatia, Romania, and Bulgaria. But the Moldovans will be able to travel visa-free to these states as well. The liberalized visa regime is also applied in the case of the Schengen Area associates: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland.
The abolition of the visa requirements does not yet annul other entry and short-stay conditions. The member states can deny entries and short stays on their territory if one or more of the entry conditions are not met. The entry conditions include the holding of valid travel documents or documents allowing crossing the border, justification of the goal and conditions of the planned stay, possession of sufficient financial resources for the planned stay and for returning to the country of origin. The person should also not be in the list of persons about whom alert signals were issued in the Schengen Information System.
There are also documents that must be shown to the border guard at the border crossing point. Besides the passport, the border guard can also ask for the round-trip ticket, evidence of the sufficient financial resources and hotel reservation, letter of invitation in the case of a private visit and conferences, the certificate of admission to an education institution in the case of studies, etc.
The possession of financial resources can be proven by showing the cash, traveling checks and bank cards. Traveling health insurance is not mandatory for the citizens of the countries exempted from visas, but is recommended. In the case of trips by plane/train/bus, it is recommended having a ticket for the trip back. But this condition is not compulsory.
Most of the member states oblige the persons to obtain a work visa or a work permit if they intend to do paid work, even if for a period shorter than three months.
If the persons plan to visit a friend or a relative who has the residence in the Schengen Area, they can be asked to proved detailed information about this friend or relative, including the address and contact phone number. Those who go to study must obtain a permit only if the period of stay will exceed 90 days within half a year (180 days).
There is no control at the internal borders between the countries of the Schengen Area, only at the borders between the Schengen countries and Cyprus, Croatia, Bulgaria, and Romania. The citizens of Moldova must have the passport on them throughout the trip as the national legislations can provide for ad-hoc control at the internal borders.
If the Moldovans stay in the Schengen Area for a period longer than 90 days during the 180 days, without stay permit or long-stay visa, their stay is considered illegal. Doing paid work in the Schengen Area, even if for a period shorter than 90 days, is also considered illegal. In both of the cases, the person who violates the legislation can be banned from entering the Schengen Area afterward.
