When an employer intends to terminate an individual employment contract of either indefinite or fixed duration, the Moldovan Labour Code requires the employer to notify the employee in advance through a written order or another method that allows confirmation of receipt. The notice period depends on the ground for dismissal:
No notice is required in case of dismissal due to an employee’s violation of work obligations or gross misconduct. During the notice period, the employee is entitled to at least 1 paid working day per week, with their average salary maintained, for the purpose of seeking new employment.
Foreign nationals who wish to work in Moldova need both a temporary right of residence for employment purposes and a temporary residence permit, which are handled through a single application process administered by the General Inspectorate for Migration under the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Applications are submitted through the IGM’s “Single Window” service centers in Chișinău, Bălți, Cahul, or Comrat.
The employer acts as the sponsoring applicant, and the employment contract must provide for a salary of at least 50% of the forecast average monthly salary for the relevant year. Residence permit applications are processed within 7 calendar days, extendable by an additional 7 days if further review is required.
Effective March 18, 2026, Moldova introduced special rules for EU and Schengen citizens under legislation implementing key EU free movement directives. These individuals may work in Moldova for up to 90 days without a residence permit or residence card and are entitled to equal treatment in employment, taxation, social insurance, workplace safety, and unemployment protection. For stays exceeding 90 days, they must apply for a residence card through the IGM.
All employees are entitled to paid annual leave in Moldova. The minimum annual leave is 28 calendar days, excluding holidays. Certain professions may have different leave durations specified by law. Annual leave pay is at least equal to the average salary for the leave period.
Annual leave for the first year of work is typically granted after 6 months of employment. However, certain employees, such as women before or after maternity leave, minors, or those with specific legal protections, may receive leave earlier. Employers determine annual leave schedules for the following year in consultation with employee representatives.
Annual leave can be postponed or extended for reasons such as medical leave, fulfilling state duties, or other legal circumstances. However, at least 14 days of leave must be taken in the current year. Leave cannot be postponed for 2 consecutive years, and minors or employees with hazardous work leave rights cannot have leave withheld.
The standard workweek in Moldova is 40 hours. The distribution of working time within the week is, as a rule, uniform and constitutes 8 hours per day for 5 days, with 2 days of rest. The daily duration of working time cannot exceed 12 hours, including overtime. For certain categories of employees, depending on age, state of health, working conditions, and other circumstances, a reduced duration of working time is established.
Employees are entitled to a daily meal break of at least 30 minutes. Daily rest periods between shifts must be at least 11 consecutive hours. Weekly rest is granted for 2 consecutive days.
Employers are required to keep records of their employees’ working times.
Female employees, interns, and dependent wives of employees are entitled to maternity leave and benefits in Moldova. Maternity leave includes prenatal leave of 70 calendar days (in the case of pregnancies with 3 or more children – 112 calendar days) and postnatal leave of 56 calendar days (in the case of complicated births or the birth of 2 or more children - 70 calendar days). Female employees can also avail their annual leave before maternity leave, and combine both.
Maternity allowance is paid by the CNAS (Casa Națională de Asigurări Sociale; National House of Social Insurance) for the entire duration of the leave. The allowance is 100% of the average insured income in the previous 12 months. Starting from March 1, 2023, the maternity allowance is calculated from the insured income of one of the insured spouses, which will determine a higher amount of the maternity allowance.
After maternity leave ends, insured individuals can request partially paid leave to care for their child up to age 3. This leave is available to one parent, grandparent, relative, or guardian. Both parents can use this leave alternately, and it counts towards seniority and contribution periods.
All employees have the right to a guaranteed minimum salary. The amount of the minimum salary is mandatory for all employers, legal or natural persons who use salaried work, regardless of the type of property and the legal form of organization. This amount cannot be reduced either by the collective labor contract or by the individual labor contract. The minimum wage is set to MDL 5,500 (Moldovan lei) per month for the year 2025. Beginning January 1, 2026, the minimum wage per month will be MDL 6,300.
Get the full Country Snapshot with 25 sections of information about labor law in Bahrain.
Your request has been received. We'll be emailing you the country snapshot shortly.
Get the full Country Snapshot with 25 sections of information about labor law in Moldova.
Your request has been received. We'll be emailing you the country snapshot shortly.
