Family in Moldova

The main legal framework is Codul familiei nr. 1316/2000, subject to applicable international agreements. Family administration is established nationally but implemented unevenly across rayons and municipalities through the Public Services Agency (ASP), Primărie or CUPS offices, territorial guardianship and social-assistance authorities, CNAS and CTAS. The left bank of the Dniester and Bender use a separate ASP procedure for some recognition and registration matters. Only a marriage registered by the state creates marriage rights and duties. Marriage normally requires both partners to be at least 18 and to appear personally before ASP, MDOC or CUPS. A competent authority may reduce the age by up to two years for serious reasons. Standard registration takes one month and costs 260 lei at a service counter or 230 lei online. Faster service is available in 15, 10, 5 or 1 working day for 1,820, 3,640, 5,460 or 7,280 lei; same-day registration costs 9,100 lei. The partners may choose a birth surname, one partner’s surname or a connected surname. A foreign partner may need a residence permit, proof of unmarried status or capacity to marry, an apostille or legalisation, and a Romanian notarial translation. Birth registration is free and normally takes place within three working days through ASP, Primărie, CUPS, online services or MDOC. The parents, grandparents, an authorised representative or the guardianship authority may apply. Parents can jointly acknowledge paternity for a child born outside marriage; without that acknowledgement, paternity generally requires a court procedure. Parents choose the child’s surname. Registration more than one year after birth follows a separate procedure, and births that occurred abroad must be transferred into the Moldovan register. Adoption is handled first by the territorial guardianship authority at the child’s place of residence. It assesses the applicants, issues an adopter attestation and arranges matching. After matching, the authority gives its opinion within ten days. A court decides solely according to the child’s best interests, and a negative opinion can be challenged. Post-adoption monitoring lasts two years, with four reports during the first year and two during the second. National adoption follows a formal domestic process; international adoption involves the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection as the central authority. Parents are responsible for upbringing, physical and mental development, maintenance and school attendance through the end of the school year in which the child turns 16. The child’s opinion should be considered. Separation of households or the parents’ unmarried status does not remove parental rights and duties. A one-time birth payment is 21,886 lei for births from 1 January 2026 and is paid automatically from the state register. The universal childcare payment for a child under two is 1,000 lei per month and is also automatic from birth, normally paid to the mother with a father fallback. A guardian applies through CTAS. Unclaimed amounts are suspended after 12 months, with back payment limited to three years. Insured parents may choose childcare support lasting up to three years or an option lasting 24 or 12 months, calculated at 30%, 60% or 90% of the relevant basis with a minimum of 740 lei. The selected option is binding, although one change is allowed until the child turns one. A payment of 500 lei per month applies for twins or other multiples until age three. Serviciul social de sprijin pentru familiile cu copii provides primary and secondary support through social-pedagogical assistance, case management and time-limited financial help after a needs assessment. The local social structure decides access and the amount of support; Moldova has no single nationwide flat payment for this service. Resources, waiting times and available case capacity differ locally. When a parent is abroad or has been away elsewhere for more than two months, the territorial guardianship authority can arrange custody or guardianship, placement and monitoring. Relatives and family-based care are preferred. Other options include professional foster care, family-type children’s homes, community homes and temporary centres, while institutional placement is treated as a last resort and reintegration is prioritised. Families caring for an older person or a person with a disability may use personal assistance for severe disability, social home care for household tasks, food, hygiene, medication and shopping, or family placement for adults. Respite care can reach 30 days per year, but evidence in 2026 covers Criuleni, Rezina and Cahul rather than the whole country. Access depends on assessed need, disability level and local capacity, and costs can depend on the provider or a contribution requirement. In immediate danger, call 112. Telefonul Copilului is available at 116111, and the women’s and girls’ hotline 080088008 operates free of charge and confidentially around the clock. Police can issue a protection order for up to ten days. A court can issue an Ordonanța de protecție within 24 hours for up to three months, with possible extension. Measures can include contact and residence restrictions, a weapons ban, electronic monitoring and child-maintenance orders. Free state legal aid, shelters and family-crisis services exist, but access varies by locality. Divorce may be registered administratively by ASP on a joint application or in a statutory special case. A court or notarial agreement may also be used. ASP processing takes 25 working days and costs 900 lei at a counter or 810 lei online, subject to possible reductions. Registration based on a court judgment or notarial agreement takes up to three working days and is free. Without an agreement on the children, a court decides their residence and maintenance. A former spouse may keep the married surname or return to the previous one. Death registration is free and normally completed within three working days, often automatically through eCMND; otherwise relatives or a court may initiate it. A survivor’s pension can cover children until 18, or until 23 for full-time students. A surviving spouse may qualify under conditions concerning age, disability, marriage duration or care for a child under three. Applying within 90 days preserves payment from the date of death. Typical documents include death, birth and marriage records, with study or insurance records where required. Online services may require a qualified electronic signature, while foreign records may require an apostille or legalisation and a Romanian notarial translation.