​VISA-FREE REGIME: FIRST YEAR – 460 THOUSAND TRAVELERS

Last 12 months, more than 460 thousand holders of Moldovan biometrical passports used the right to travel to European Union countries without entry visas, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration has reported.

According to it, since April 28, 2014 to date, a total of 460,154 Moldovans went to EU countries. For various reasons, 1,355 persons were halted on the border, and 2,379 Moldovans exceeded the timeframe of staying in the EU area.

The ministry also wrote that 1,160,017 citizens of Moldova have biometrical passports, including 76,756 residents of Transnistria. After April 28, 2014 such passports were issued to 432,519 citizens of the Republic of Moldova, including to 27,357 Transnistrians. At the same time, usual, non-biometrical foreign-travel passports are held by 1,499,659 citizens of Moldova, including by 127,464 Transnistrians.

On the occasion of the 1st anniversary of the visa-free regime, the Moldovan Deputy Premier, Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration Natalia Gherman stated that Moldova became the first and so far the only country of the Eastern Partnership Program to have achieved liberalization of visa regime with EU countries.

“Being a responsible partner, which can not only use important initiatives but can also become a conductor of the positive practice, Moldova is now sharing its experience with other Eastern Partnership countries, particularly with Gagauzia and Ukraine”, said Natalia Gherman.