Banking & Finance
Does “foreigner” mean “non-resident”?
The law’s residence classification includes foreign citizens with permanent residence in Moldova, evidenced by the relevant identity document. Non-resident individuals are those outside that definition, including people temporarily staying in Moldova. Citizenship alone is not the distinction used here.
Can non-residents open an account?
The BNM-hosted translation says that non-residents can open current and deposit accounts with licensed banks “without restrictions”. That is the foreign-exchange rule. The same paragraph lets the central bank set conditions and procedures for foreign-exchange operations through these accounts. The translation is marked unofficial and for information purposes; it is not the controlling Romanian text.
What information does a bank check?
The central bank’s banking regulation requires risk-based due diligence when a relationship starts. Standard checks for individuals include name, birth details, nationality and identity-document details, residence address, occupation, source of income, beneficial owner, and the purpose and nature of the relationship. This is an information requirement, rather than one universal document checklist for every bank and applicant.
Does the law promise acceptance?
No individual outcome is established by this guide. The regulation requires a bank not to establish a relationship when it cannot satisfy the specified due-diligence duties. The foreign-exchange permission does not remove those duties.
What does the deposit guarantee cover?
The deposit guarantee fund lists ordinary coverage of 200 000 MDL per depositor and member institution, effective from 1 January 2025. Its page also lists excluded deposits. This is a summary of the ordinary ceiling, not a calculation of compensation for a particular balance. Read the fund’s complete conditions for the deposit in question.
What the official sources used here do not settle
The exact commencement of the quoted consolidated foreign-exchange wording has not been established; the original law’s commencement does not date every later provision.
This review does not establish one document pack, bank fees, opening times, remote onboarding availability or tax-registration steps for every foreign applicant. The bank’s current written requirements and the relevant authority’s rules are the points to confirm. There is no ranking of banks or promise of approval.
Related: Moldova country guide, Get your free results → and banking in Montenegro.
Corrections in this revision
remove unsupported bank rankings, general opening-time and fee claims, and a universal tax-registration-first instruction. Preserve source wording and keep legal effective dates distinct from the review date.
See recorded sources
- National Bank of Moldova, informational English translation of Law 62-XVI/2008 — Republic of Moldova (national). Law originally in force 18 January 2009; commencement of the specific consolidated wording quoted here has not been established. BNM informational English consolidation includes Law 327/2025; unofficial translation, not controlling Romanian text. Article 3 amendment notes include 1 July and 20 July 2023; these do not prove the commencement of every quoted definition. Law originally in force 18 January 2009; commencement of the specific consolidated wording quoted here has not been established. BNM informational English consolidation includes Law 327/2025; unofficial translation, not controlling Romanian text. Article 13 includes an amendment note effective 2 May 2020; no inference that it dates paragraph 3. Read on 30 October 2026.
- National Bank of Moldova, AML/CFT Regulation 200/2018 — Republic of Moldova (national). Regulation in force 24 August 2018; points 25 and 26 amended with effect from 8 February 2024; consolidated PDF read 30 October 2026. Regulation in force 24 August 2018; point 46 amended with effect from 8 February 2024. Read on 30 October 2026.
- FGDSB, national bank deposit guarantee fund — Republic of Moldova (national). Coverage history explicitly labels 200 000 MDL from January 1, 2025 under Law 160/2023. Read on 30 October 2026.
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About the author
António Mira is the founder of whereTOemigrate. For over a decade he has worked at the intersection of Portuguese real estate and overseas business, helping international clients navigate the cross-border decisions that come with relocating. He sits on the board of CCIAP (Portuguese-Arab Chamber of Commerce), the Portuguese-Saudi Business Council, and the Portugal-Hong Kong Business Association — always with one focus: enabling overseas business and human mobility into and out of Portugal.
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