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Import and export of vehicles


Resident and non-resident individuals are entitled to take into the territory of the Republic of Moldova motor vehicles, classified under tariff headings 8702, 8703, 8704 (with a maximum load weight of 5 t), 8711 and trailers attached thereto (tariff heading 8716), regardless of the period of their operation, only if they are declared by action and placed in the customs procedure of temporary admission for a period not exceeding 180 days within 12 consecutive months, with payment of the vignette and in compliance with the following conditions:

a) motor vehicles are permanently registered in other states;

b) the resident individual owns or has the right to use the vehicles, as confirmed by the corresponding documents; non-resident individual owns or has the right to use the vehicles and lives temporarily in the Republic of Moldova, as confirmed by the corresponding documents;

c) motor vehicles are removed from the territory of the Republic of Moldova before the term granted according to the customs procedure of temporary admission expires;

d) motor vehicles are not used for the transportation of goods and passengers; the vehicles may not be sold, donated, inherited, leased, subleased, loaned, pledged, transferred or made available to another person on the territory of the Republic of Moldova unless the customs authority has authorized it, and only after payment of import duty.

e) if the non-resident individual is assigned a different procedure of stay on the territory of the Republic of Moldova, relevant confirmation documents shall be presented to the customs authority in order to extend the term of stay of the motor vehicle declared by action, entering the information in the State Register of Transports.

(34) If the vehicle has not been taken out of Republic of Moldova within the term provided for by law, and it no longer exists (it was destroyed or sold in pieces, as confirmed by supporting documents), the customs authority will charge the import duties for the vehicle that falls within the permissible period of operation; if the operation is prohibited, the counter value of the vehicle will be charged according to the legislation in force.

(8) Individuals are not allowed to take onto the territory of the Republic of Moldova engines and bodies with a lifespan exceeding 10 years (except collection vehicles of historical or ethnographic value included in the tariff heading 8703), and engines and bodies intended for vehicles designed for the carriage of a maximum of 20 persons, classified under tariff heading 8702 with a lifespan exceeding 7 years, except engines and bodies taken into the country by non-resident individuals under the customs transit procedure, subject to their compulsory escorting by the surveillance and escort service.

(10)  Customs authorities are not allowed to perform customs clearance of motor vehicles, engines and bodies with a lifespan exceeding 10 years (except for collection vehicles of historical or ethnographic interest included in the tariff heading 8703), and those designed for the transportation of a maximum of 20 persons, classified under tariff heading 8702, as well as engines and bodies thereof - with a lifespan exceeding 7 years, belonging to resident individuals.

The year of manufacture is used as the basis for calculating the lifespan of the motor vehicle, engine and body. The year of manufacture is established based on the data written in the registration certificate (technical passport) and the VIN code, indicated in the identification number of the vehicle of the respective model. If any inconsistency is found between data contained in the registration documents and the data contained in the VIN code, the data of the vehicle manufacturer are taken as a basis. If a person presents copies of the registration documents previously issued by the exporting country of the vehicle, and if there are any suspicions regarding the year of manufacture  indicated in the copies of these documents, the year of manufacture is determined based on the manufacturer’s data. If, by these methods, the year of manufacture of the vehicles subject to registration in the State Register of Transports is not established, the corresponding comment is entered in the information system “Asycuda World”.