Car Stay Duration in Moldova from Ukraine: How to Avoid Fines

Recently, a Ukrainian citizen who bought a car with Ukrainian registration and registered it in their name encountered unexpected difficulties when entering Moldova. Despite receiving new plates and a technical passport, Moldova’s customs officers warned about potential fines due to exceeding the 180-day limit for a vehicle’s stay in the country, which had already been used by the previous owner. This situation caused justified outrage, as the new owner could not and should not have known how many days the car had been in Moldova before.

Car Registration by VIN Code in Moldova Since January 1, 2023, Moldova implemented a system for recording the entry of vehicles with foreign plates using their VIN code. When a vehicle enters the country, its data is entered into the Customs Service’s information systems, recording the date and time of the first entry. From that moment, the 180-day period begins, during which the car can stay in the country without customs duties. If the car is not exported within this time, it must be registered with the payment of necessary duties and taxes.This system was introduced to combat “europlates” — cars with foreign registration that were brought into the country and used without paying duties. However, the system also applies to vehicles with Ukrainian registration, which created absurd situations for new owners who had no information about the car’s previous trips to Moldova.
Duration of Foreign Vehicles’ Stay in Moldova The new Customs Code of Moldova, effective from January 1, 2024, regulates the stay of vehicles with foreign registration in the country. According to Article 150 of the Customs Code, cars with Ukrainian registration can stay in Moldova for no more than 180 days within a calendar year if the car was imported by a person without temporary protection status. If the person importing the car has temporary protection or receives it after entry, the car can stay in Moldova until the end of the protection period. Temporary protection for Ukrainian citizens is valid until March 4, 2024, with the possibility of an extension.
Legal Pitfalls and Absurdity of the Situation The absurdity of the situation is that the new owner of the car cannot and should not track how many days the car has already spent in Moldova under the previous owner. The previous owner may have left the car in Moldova for an extended period for various reasons, such as traveling for work or business, and then returned to sell it in Ukraine. Moreover, there was previously a state of emergency in Moldova, and the time spent by cars with Ukrainian registration was not counted. The legislative changes that followed created a legal trap for the new owner, who may now face significant fines despite not having any information about the car’s past in Moldova.It is especially unreasonable to expect the previous owner to inform the new owner about how many days the car spent in Moldova. This requirement is absurd, as such information is not reflected in Ukrainian documents and is not legally required to be passed on.
Fines for Violating Stay Periods of Vehicles in Moldova If the stay period of a vehicle with Ukrainian registration is exceeded in Moldova, significant fines are imposed. If the stay exceeds the limit by up to one month, the fine is 4,500 lei (approximately 250 USD), and for exceeding the limit by more than one month, the fine is 64,000 lei (approximately 3,550 USD). It is important to note that the days when the vehicle was outside of Moldova are subtracted from the total stay period.
How to Avoid Issues When Buying a Car To avoid such unpleasant surprises when buying a car with Ukrainian registration, it is recommended to:
- Check the VIN code with the Moldovan Customs Service: Before purchasing the car, you can call the Customs Service at +373 22 78 88 88 and inquire about the car’s history in Moldova using its VIN code. This will help determine how many days the car has already spent in the country.
- Check the remaining days upon entry into Moldova: When first entering Moldova with a newly purchased car, even if border officials don’t mention anything, it is better to ask how many days the car has already spent in the country. This is important because the car might have already spent 160-170 days in Moldova, and the fine may be just around the corner.