Study abroad in Moldova: The European Health Insurance Card does not apply there, and the social security agreement with Germany covers only pensions according to the DVKA. Up to 90 days you do not need a visa. For a study period longer than that, your host university applies for a residence card. Tuition fees and living costs are not sourced.
Moldova is neither an EU member state nor part of the European Economic Area. Your health insurance and your visa therefore follow different rules than inside the EU.
Study abroad in Moldova at a glance
| Item | Information (status October 2026) | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Health insurance | European Health Insurance Card does not apply, the agreement covers only pensions according to the DVKA | European Commission, DVKA |
| Visa | Visa-free up to 90 days without gainful employment, for study a residence card via your host university | Federal Foreign Office, General Inspectorate for Migration |
| Tuition fees | Not sourced, the inspectorate page names no fees | No official figure |
| Living costs | Not sourced, a proof of funds is required without an amount | General Inspectorate for Migration |
| Auslands-BAföG (federal training assistance abroad) | Possible, responsible office is the Studierendenwerk Chemnitz-Zwickau | German Student Services Organisation (DSW), status January 2026 |
All information is general and not individual advice. The linked official pages are authoritative in each case. The German version is authoritative.
How are you insured in Moldova?
European Health Insurance Card and social security agreement
According to the FAQ of the European Commission, the European Health Insurance Card applies in the EU member states, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. Moldova is not named there, so the EU rules on treatment under the conditions of the host country do not apply.
The social security agreement does not help in this case either. The excerpt checked by the German Liaison Office for Health Insurance Abroad (DVKA) names for Moldova in Article 2 only pensions: old-age pensions, survivors’ pensions, invalidity pensions and benefits for occupational accidents and occupational diseases. Health insurance is not listed. Ask your health insurance fund to confirm its arrangement in writing. The basics of private cover are explained in the guide PKV für Studierende im Nicht-EU-Ausland (in German).
For the residence card, the General Inspectorate for Migration requires valid health insurance. It does not name an amount. Clarify with your fund or insurer which cover meets this requirement.
Health care and vaccinations in Moldova
The Federal Foreign Office points out that medical care does not meet Western standards. The page names no advance payment requirement for Moldova, but it notes in general that in many countries bills must be settled or paid up front before discharge. No vaccinations are required for direct entry from Germany. The office names the standard STIKO vaccinations, especially against measles, and hepatitis A. For long stays or special exposure, hepatitis B, rabies and tick-borne encephalitis are added.
Private travel health insurance and repatriation
The Federal Foreign Office advises a travel health and repatriation insurance. It should cover repatriation and treatment that can wait until your return. Which benefits you need depends on your contract, your university and the length of your stay. Background information is in the guide Travel health insurance for Erasmus, USA and work and travel (in German).
Do you need a visa for Moldova?
With a German passport you can stay visa-free for up to 90 days without gainful employment. Accepted documents are passport, provisional passport, identity card and children’s passport, but not the provisional identity card. The document must be valid for at least three months beyond the planned departure date.
For a stay longer than 90 days, and for any gainful employment, you need a residence permit. The Federal Foreign Office recommends applying for it immediately after entry at the General Inspectorate for Migration in Chişinău.
For study purposes, the General Inspectorate for Migration names a residence card for study purposes under Law No. 200/2010. The educational institution submits the application, and the inspectorate is responsible. The card is issued only when the institution has completed its procedures and all documents are available. The inspectorate lists these documents:
- Application from the educational institution
- Passport in original and as a copy, and a long-stay visa if applicable
- Proof of enrolment and a study contract
- Proof of residence, such as a rental contract, an extract from the real estate register or a dormitory place
- Criminal record certificate, legalised or apostilled
- Valid health insurance
- Proof of financial means
- Passport photo, 3 x 4 cm
According to the inspectorate, university applications run exclusively online through the platform E-Admitere. You must report changes to your passport or your residential address to the General Inspectorate within 15 days.
According to the Federal Foreign Office, Moldova has a partial travel warning. Travel to Transnistria is discouraged, and there is no warning for the rest of the country (status of the page 24 October 2026). The domestic political situation is currently stable according to the page. In border regions close to Ukraine, the security situation remains volatile because of Russia’s war of aggression.
What does a study abroad semester in Moldova cost?
Tuition fees
Which fees apply at the host university depends on the exchange agreement of your home university. We do not name a general amount, because we have no official figure that we can cite. The inspectorate page refers to a PDF with state fees, whose content we could not view. Ask your home university and the host university before you accept a place.
Living costs
We do not state a sourced monthly amount for living costs. The General Inspectorate requires proof of financial means but names no amount. Ask your host university for its budget for exchange students and for the costs of dormitory places.
Funding: Erasmus+ and Auslands-BAföG
In the Erasmus+ programme guide, Moldova belongs to the third countries of the Neighbourhood East that are not associated with the programme. Funding is therefore possible only in certain actions. More on this in the guide Planning Erasmus and a semester abroad (in German).
According to the flyer of the German Student Services Organisation (status January 2026), Auslands-BAföG is possible for Moldova. The responsible office is the Studierendenwerk Chemnitz-Zwickau, telephone 0371/5628-450. Outside the EU and Switzerland, funding covers at most two semesters, and at least one year of study in Germany is required beforehand. A study abroad period lasts at least six months. All details are in the guide Auslands-BAföG: requirements, amounts and supplements (in German).
How to prepare before you leave
- Ask your health insurance fund to confirm in writing how you are insured in Moldova before you sign the learning agreement.
- Take out a travel health and repatriation insurance that covers your entire stay and repatriation.
- Check that your travel document will still be valid for at least three months beyond your departure date.
- Ask your host university whether it applies for the residence card and which documents it needs from you.
- Get a valid health insurance confirmation that the General Inspectorate accepts as proof.
- Clarify your vaccination status with your doctor. The Federal Foreign Office names the standard STIKO vaccinations and hepatitis A.
- Submit your Auslands-BAföG application to the Studierendenwerk Chemnitz-Zwickau about six months before your start, if you want funding.
- Plan to report any change of passport or residential address within 15 days.
Frequently asked questions
Does my European Health Insurance Card work in Moldova?
No. The European Commission’s FAQ names only the EU member states, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. Ask your health insurance fund for its arrangement for Moldova and get it confirmed in writing.
Do I need a visa for Moldova?
Not for up to 90 days without gainful employment. For study purposes, your host university applies for a residence card at the General Inspectorate for Migration.
Do I have to pay tuition fees in Moldova?
That depends on the exchange agreement of your home university. We do not state an amount, because none is sourced.
Who is responsible for Auslands-BAföG for Moldova?
According to the DSW flyer (status January 2026), the Studierendenwerk Chemnitz-Zwickau is responsible, telephone 0371/5628-450.
Does the social security agreement cover health insurance?
According to the excerpt checked, the agreement for Moldova covers only pensions. Health insurance is not listed.
Is there a travel warning for Moldova?
There is a partial travel warning. Travel to Transnistria is discouraged. For the rest of the country, the Federal Foreign Office issues no warning.
Sources
- Federal Foreign Office, Moldova: travel and security advice (status of the page 24 October 2026), auswaertiges-amt.de
- General Inspectorate for Migration Moldova, Studying in the Republic of Moldova (published 21 July 2026, updated 12 September 2026), igm.gov.md
- European Commission, FAQ on the European Health Insurance Card (no date), European Commission
- European Commission, Erasmus+ programme guide: eligible countries (no date), erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu
- German Liaison Office for Health Insurance Abroad (DVKA), social security agreement Moldova (checked excerpt), dvka.de
- German Student Services Organisation, flyer Auslands-BAföG (status January 2026), studierendenwerke.de
Sources retrieved on 25 October 2026, unless stated otherwise.
Related reading
- Health insurance during a semester abroad: what applies? (in German)
- Auslands-BAföG: requirements, amounts and supplements (in German)
- Travel health insurance for Erasmus, USA and work and travel (in German)
- Planning Erasmus and a semester abroad (in German)
- Study abroad in Romania: insurance, visa, costs 2026
- Study abroad in Poland: insurance, visa, costs 2026
- All countries for your semester abroad at a glance (in German)
You can find the online check at check.academycon.de.
Last updated: October 2026. This guide is general information and does not replace individual advice. The German version is authoritative.
