Moldovan citizens to be able to apply for new European-standard ID cards as of April

26 March 2025, Chișinău - Identity cards will have a new format and enhanced security. The first one million documents will be issued for free, with a deadline of 20 working days. The government approved the models and mechanism for the circulation of the ID cards, which will replace the current identity cards. 

The ID card will be the size of a bank card and will include both printed and electronic data. It will not include information on the holder's permanent or temporary address, removing the need to change it each time the holder relocates. 

The new ID will contain an electronic signature. Thus, holders will be able to authenticate in information systems and sign documents, applications, or official statements without appearing at public institution offices.

Prime Minister Dorin Recean urged citizens to apply for ID cards as they will offer numerous benefits. “It is a project that will greatly facilitate the lives of our citizens in the Republic of Moldova and diaspora. The ID card will be an instrument with a digital signature and will allow us to sign documents from home without traveling to public institutions and waiting,” he said. 

ID cards will be issued to citizens of the Republic of Moldova from the age of 14, but upon request by a legal representative, the document can also be issued before this age. 

Citizens holding a valid identity document are not required to obtain the new ID card. Identity documents remain valid until they expire. 

“The ID card is the document we will travel with in EU countries when we become part of the large European family,” Recean said.