Romania and Moldova Travel Guide

Visa? What visa? This is Transdniestr, baby! You need a visa like you need a grenade launcher! (Seriously, do you need a grenade launcher? Cuz, I know a guy.)

That said, there are a few pertinent details:

While some people magically skate through the checkpoints without so much as a sideways glance by guards, I’ve read heaps of feedback reporting disturbing hijinks at Transdniestran border crossings. Organized intimidation is used to separate travelers from their money with accusations of incomplete paperwork or invented transgressions like carrying a camera. Ludicrous ‘fines’ start as high as 200 euros. Depending on your Russian and negotiation skills, budget around 20-70 euros for this excitement (possibly less if you’re generous with your cigarettes), coming and going, depending on how dodgy you look or how big your camera bag is.

A popular opening line the guards use is asking travelers to present visas (nonexistent) or letters of invitation, acquired at the ‘Transdniestran Embassy’ (also nonexistent). When you can’t produce these bogus documents, the head shaking begins. Anyone appearing to have more than two euro coins to rub together will be invited into a hut with several looming, armed guards to discuss your infraction(s). Sometimes a farcically massive, ancient tome, written in indecipherable Cyrillic script will be slammed down and opened so that you can stare incomprehensibly at the law you broke.

Then the haggling about your fine begins. Sometimes you will be directed ‘by law’ to show them all of your money – a brazen way for them to gauge the size of the fine they can impose. If you resist, a theatrical performance designed to heighten anxiety and break your will commences: ominous forms are filled out, your bags will be pulled off your bus, presumably leaving you stranded. Anyone without passable fluency in Russian is in for a hard time. For video evidence of these tactics check out this blog entry.

If you enter Transdniestr on public transport and are detained, often your best defense is calm and patience. Let the maxitaxi leave you behind. Another will be along shortly. Even the most persistent guards will eventually get tired of dealing with you, particularly if their tactics don’t appear to be working. Worst case scenario, you’ll be stonewalled at a mirthfully small bribe offer (say 5 euros or 80 Moldovan lei) or you’re sent back to where you came from.

In order to avoid this drama, it’s strongly recommended that you travel in private transport with Moldovan plates and bring a fluent Russian speaker, preferably someone with experience traveling in the region. Also, you’re strongly advised to avoid the hectic, bribe-factory border crossing near Bendery (alternatively, I’ve heard of travelers gliding through this crossing on public transport during busy periods simply because the border was too busy for guards to set the stage for Bribery Theatre). Going through the virtually deserted crossing at Grigoropol is a comparative breeze and only adds about an hour to your driving time, however you cannot transit Transdniestr to Ukraine using this crossing. You can also take a maxitaxi to Grigoropol from Chisinau’s North Bus Station, though you’ll have to wait for a connecting maxitaxi onward to Tiraspol at the Grigoropol bus station – and you’ll likely need Transdniestran rubles in hand to pay for that maxitaxi.

Transiting the republic during a Moldova-Ukraine journey verily invites a bribe stare-down. Unless you intend to stop and visit Transdniestr, you should circumnavigate the region by passing through the southeast village of Palanca.

Entry permit prices/requirements change frequently. At the time of writing, permits were ‘officially’ 12 lei (about US$1), available at the border no matter what the guys on duty playfully tell you. For stays of less than 10 hours, you don’t need to pay this fee.

If you’re staying for over 24 hours, you’ll need to register with the OVIR (Tel. 533-55 047; Address ul Kotovskogo No 2A; Hours 9am-noon Monday, 9am-noon & 1-4pm Tuesday & Thursday, 1-3pm Friday). Registration costs about 18 Moldovan lei or 16 Transdniestran roubles. Go down the alley and inquire at the rear white building with the red roof. Outside OVIR business hours go to the Tiraspol Militia Office (Tel. 533-34 169; Address Roza Luxemburg 66; open 24 hours a day) where registration is possible, but you’ll probably be asked to check in at the OVIR office the following working day anyway. Some top-end hotels will register you automatically.

If you enter Transdniestr from Ukraine before entering Moldova, keep two things in mind; you might have to purchase a ‘visitor’s pass’ for TransD at the border, like always, but more importantly, when leaving Transdniestr to enter Moldova proper make sure your passport gets a properly dated Moldovan entry stamp or there’ll be trouble when you try to leave Moldova – unless you go back out via TransD, then who cares? No really, get that stamp. Don’t make me say ‘I told ya so’. Oh yeah, you’ll also probably have to pay a small fine to the Moldovan guards for this unorthodox entry (if the Transdniestran and Russian guards haven’t already cleaned you out).