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Temporary protection under Moldovan law (not EU protection) until 1 March 2027. The TP holder's ID is valid until then; extensions are recorded electronically and can be checked via the QR code on the back. A draft decision would extend protection to 1 March 2028 automatically for everyone who has it by 28 Feb 2027 (not adopted as of Nov 2026).

Ukrainian ID: passport, ID card or internal passport (UNHCR asks for a valid one; expired national IDs or an identity certificate from the Ukrainian embassy may also be accepted — ask IGM); birth certificate for children; civil-status papers for family members; proof of a Moldovan address and a Moldovan phone number. No proof of military obligations is required yet.

Register online at protectietemporara.gov.md (you must be in Moldova and have a Moldovan phone number): upload documents and book a slot, then come in person to the chosen IGM office within 30 working days. Chișinău since 2 Nov 2026: bd. Dacia 60/4 (slots booked until 30 Nov 2026, IGM points to its other offices); regional offices in Bălți, Comrat and Cahul.

The TP ID is issued free of charge on the day of the appointment, and the status starts from that date. Online registration alone gives no status and is cancelled if you don't come within 30 working days. Waiting time depends on free slots (Chișinău: booked until 30 Nov 2026).

End of the period (1 Mar 2027 unless extended); renunciation; voluntary return to Ukraine or resettlement elsewhere; another protection or a residence permit in Moldova; exclusion grounds. Holders who did not file the online extension request (1 Feb–30 Apr 2026) lost the status on the date on their card but may apply again. Long stays abroad are risky: the government still cites a 45-day cumulative absence limit, which UNHCR says was dropped in 2025.

Direct border with Ukraine: road crossings Palanca – Maiaky-Udobne (Odesa road), Otaci – Mohyliv-Podilskyi, Criva – Mamalyha and others; buses Odesa – Chișinău; train Kyiv – Chișinău (tickets from Ukrzaliznytsia). No flights from Ukraine; from Chișinău airport you can fly on to the EU.

Under ANSA's guide (Government Decision 839/2009): microchip implanted before the rabies vaccination, rabies vaccination, a vet certificate with a rabies antibody test, and a pet passport; check current practice with ANSA before travelling. Taking the pet on to the EU later requires the full EU procedure.

Romanian (official). Russian is widely understood, especially in Chișinău, Bălți and Gagauzia. There is no state system of free Romanian courses yet (a curriculum for foreigners is planned for 2025–2027); courses are run by NGOs and refugee projects (e.g. listed on dilo.md).

Yes, no work permit needed: you work with your TP ID under an individual employment contract; the employer must notify the employment agency ANOFM within 5 working days. You can register with ANOFM for job-search support.

Auxiliary and unskilled workers, seamstresses, bus and trolleybus drivers, machine operators, farm workers, cooks, shop assistants and cashiers, steel fixers and concrete workers, welders, wiring harness assemblers, doctors, nurses, engineers, IT specialists (ANOFM, 13,572 vacancies on 1 Oct 2026).

Yes, basic care: primary care (family doctor) with compensated medicines and emergency care, including emergency hospital treatment, are paid from the state budget. Register with a family doctor at your local health centre; other care is covered if you are insured through work.

Ukrainian children may attend public kindergartens like local children if places are available; tuition is free, parents usually pay for meals (amount set by the municipality: —).

Yes, free. Enrol with a simple application at the local school: a parent's ID, the child's ID or birth certificate, a medical record and school records if available. Since 1 Mar 2025 TP holders must report each school-age child's enrolment (Moldovan school or online Ukrainian school) to the district education office. The Taras Shevchenko school in Chișinău has classes with the Ukrainian curriculum.

No state rent subsidy. People in need can stay free in Refugee Accommodation Centres (RACs), but the network keeps shrinking: 9 centres with ~520 residents in Aug 2026. Residents of closing centres get help to move and, if eligible, up to 6 months of UNHCR rental assistance.

No state one-off payment. Newly arrived refugees who meet UNHCR vulnerability criteria get 2 months of cash (1,625 lei ≈ €80 per person per month); after that only with legal status and if the household stays a priority case.

No state allowance for TP holders could be confirmed. UNHCR cash: 1,625 lei (≈ €80) per person per month, only for the most vulnerable households; since April 2026 the caseload has been cut by up to 40% (6,112 recipients in Aug 2026). Valid legal status (extended TP) is required.

No separate child allowance for TP holders could be confirmed. UNHCR cash is paid for every family member, children included (1,625 lei a month each), only to prioritised vulnerable households.

Chișinău, Oct 2026: 1-bedroom flat ~€420/month (~8,400 lei) outside the centre, ~€620 (~12,400 lei) in the centre; 3-bedroom in the centre ~€1,140 (Numbeo, user data). Utilities extra; landlords often ask for payment in advance.

~$300/month per person on food in Chișinău (livingcost.org, 2026, partly user data); a single person's costs without rent ~€620/month (Numbeo, Oct 2026).

Private kindergarten in Chișinău ~€330–460/month, on average ~€385 (~7,800 lei) (Numbeo, Oct 2026, user data).

Public school is free. Private or international primary school in Chișinău ~€2,500–14,000 a year, on average ~€7,600 (Numbeo, Oct 2026, user data).

Usually not needed for basic care: the state pays for primary and emergency care for TP holders; employees pay the compulsory health contribution from their salary. Cost of an individual CNAM policy or private insurance: —.

Moldova is not in the EU: its temporary protection is national and gives no right to live or work in the EU. If you did not file the online extension request (1 Feb–30 Apr 2026), your status ended on the date on your card — apply again. A draft (Sept 2026) would extend protection to 1 Mar 2028 automatically and require new applicants to prove they meet Ukrainian military obligations; it is not adopted yet. Since 2 Nov 2026 Chișinău applicants go to bd. Dacia 60/4. UNHCR's refugee line 0 800 800 11 closed on 1 Aug 2026: call IGM on 0 800 015 27, UNHCR cash on 0 800 10 823, CDA legal aid on +373 60 574 848. IGM (migration authority)