A Practical Guide to the Way of Life in Moldova

Life in Moldova

Education in Moldova

Moldova has a public education system that provides free, compulsory schooling for children up until the age of 16. The education system is fairly complex, and students choose from three different kinds of secondary school depending on how far they want to continue their education. The school system requires students to learn in Romanian, with English commonly taught as a second language.

Expats with children living in Moldova therefore tend to send their children to school outside of the country, as it currently only has one international school, QSI International School of Chişinău, which is largely overfilled. Many expatriate children are sent to international schools in nearby Romania and Ukraine, or attend boarding school in their home country.

Moldova has 31 institutions of higher education spread across the country, although the main bulk of them are concentrated in Chişinău, the capital city, and Bălţi. The most prestigious include the State University of Moldova, the Academy of Economic Studies of Moldova, the Nicolae Testemiţanu State University of Medicine and Pharmacy, and the Alecu Russo State University.

Healthcare in Moldova

Moldova does have a public healthcare system in place which is funded through the collection of social security payments. However, expatriates living in Moldova should be aware that the public healthcare system will likely not be of the standard they are used to in their home country.

For this reason many expatriates take out private healthcare insurance and travel to nearby countries with better healthcare systems for serious or delicate treatments. Some doctors speak English, especially in the capital city, but in rural areas it should not be expected.

Medication can also be scarce, with more obscure medicines hard to get hold of; as such any expatriates living in Moldova are advised to stock up on prescriptions before traveling to the country as a precaution.

Transportation in Moldova

As a developing country, Moldova’s transportation system is not of the same standard as more developed European countries. However, in the last decade the country has invested significant amounts of money in the transportation infrastructure, and it is slowly improving across the country.

The road system covers 12,730 km overall, with 10,937 km of paved roads. However, outside urban areas the road infrastructure is poor and can be dangerous, so expatriates are advised to use public transportation when traveling long distances across the country.

Expatriates living in Moldova are able to drive legally with their international driving license; however, you can obtain a Moldovan license from Registru, the state information center.

The public transportation system consists of 1232 km of railways, which are operated and managed by Calea Ferată din Moldova. The railway network also has links to nearby Romania and Russia. There are also bus networks operating in some of the larger urban areas.