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Undoubtedly, payroll is a critical process for any organization. The pay cycle in Moldova refers to the period for which an organization pays its employees, and this can vary depending on the pay frequency that the organization chooses to adopt.

Moldova employees expect to be paid monthly on the 25th of each month.

In Moldova, 13th month pay is not mandatory.

The minimum wage in Moldova is calculated monthly, and the current minimum wage in Moldova is MDL 4,000 per month.

Effective January 1, 2024. The changes are:

• Monthly minimum wage: Increased to 5,000 Moldovan lei from 4,000 lei, applicable for a full work schedule of an average of 169 hours per month.
• Hourly minimum wage: Set at 29.58 lei.

The overtime working hours are limited to 120 hours in a year, which can be increased to 240 hours by mutual agreement between employer and employee.

A few categories of people are exempted from working overtime, specified under Article 105 of the Code. The payment for overtime work gets calculated at an hourly base wage rate. Overtime payment calculation is as follows:

• Two hours of overtime - Extra 150% of the hourly rate
• Above two hours of overtime - Extra 200% of the hourly rate

The controller and processor must ensure that the data is kept in a form that permits the identification of data subjects for no longer than is necessary for the purposes for which the data was collected or for which it is further processed. When the processing has finished, and there is no consent of the data subject for further data processing, the data must be (Article 11 of the Law on Personal Data):

• destroyed;
• transferred to another controller, only if the same purpose of processing applies; and/or
• transformed into anonymized data for statistical purposes or for the purposes of historical or scientific research

You must hire employees using a fixed- or indefinite-term contract to meet Moldova’s employment compliance laws. Fixed-term contracts are allowed but cannot exceed five years. All employment contracts should be in the employee’s local language and must include employment terms, including contract duration, job obligations, place of work, work schedule, and compensation. Offer letters and employment contracts should both include compensation amounts in Moldovan leu instead of another currency.

In Moldova, the following documents are generally required to complete an employee’s onboarding processes

• Candidate Full Name
• National Identification Number/CNP
• Date of Birth
• Id Number
• Nationality
• Address, City and Municipality
• Email
• Contact Number
• Bank Name
• Bank Account Number
• Copy of Valid Identification Card
• Residence Permit

Probationary periods of up to 3 months, and six months for officials, are allowed and may not be renewed.

Fixed-term contracts may also have probation periods, but they may not exceed 15 calendar days for a contract of between three and six months or 30 calendar days for a term of greater than six months.

The following holidays are recognized in Moldova:

• January 1: New Year's Day

• January 7: Orthodox Christmas Day

• January 8: Orthodox Christmas Holiday

• March 8:  International Women's Day

• April 24: Orthodox Easter Sunday

• April 25: Orthodox Easter Monday

• May 1: Labour Day

• May 2: Easter of Blajini

• May 9: Victory Day

• June 1: Children's Day

• August 27: Independence Day

• August 31: National Language Day

• December 25: Christmas Day 

Employees are eligible for paid sick leave if they present a medical certificate. State social insurance pays for sick leave.

Women employees in Moldova can avail themselves of maternity leave. Employees are also entitled to partially paid leave for caretakers of children below three years of age. The number of days gets prescribed as follows:

• Maternity and pre-natal leave - 70 calendar days
• Postnatal holidays- 56 calendar days (can be extended to 70 days with the approval of the employer)

A male employee gets paternity leave of 14 days; such leave should be claimed within 56 days of birth.

Employees are generally entitled to one month’s notice of dismissal or two months if the business is liquidated or a redundancy.

Employees are also entitled to one day per week to seek new employment.

Employees are generally eligible for severance pay equal to one week’s wages for every year worked, with a minimum of one month’s wages if they are terminated due to economic reasons.

Employees dismissed for just cause are generally entitled to two weeks of pay.

The Republic of Moldova offers the following types of visas to foreign nationals:

• Moldova Airport Transit Visa (Type A): allows the holder to enter and stay in the international area of a Moldova airport as they wait to catch another flight to a third destination.
• Moldova Transit Visa (Type B): which is issued to visa-required foreign nationals who will transit through the territory of Moldova on their way to a third destination. It allows the holder to transit through Moldova for a maximum of 5 days.
• Moldova Tourist Visa (Type C or Short-Stay Visa): which is issued to visa-required foreign nationals, allowing them to enter Moldova for up to 90 days in a 180-day period for tourism, business, visit, cultural and sports events, official missions, and other short-term travel purposes.
• Moldova Long-Stay Visa (Type D): allows the holder to enter Moldova with the purpose of requesting a residence permit, which allows them to stay for longer than 90 days.

1. Foreigners should approach the embassy or diplomatic representative of Moldova at their residence country for an application form.
2. All the required documents must be submitted with a prescribed fee.
3. Background checks, such as medical and legal checks, are made by authorities to process the application.
4. Once approved, the department issues a Visa.

When entering the country for employment, a Work Permit is mandatory with a Visa to enter Moldova.

 background check refers to validating information of the said personnel or entity for any business purpose. The purpose could be for making a partnership deal or during the hiring process. An effective background check is required to investigate whether an individual is the same as claimed during the hiring process. 

Moldova background verification will basically advise if the individual is who they claim to be; the process covers confirmation of the candidates' criminal record, education, employment history, and any other activities from their past.