Moldova Plans New Rules for Transnistrian Driving Licence Exchanges

Driving licences in Transnistria will be issued under new rules

The procedure for recognising driving licences issued in localities on the left bank of the Dniester and in the municipality of Bender is to be amended. A draft decision to this effect has been drawn up by the Government of the Republic of Moldova.

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For categories obtained up to 1 April 2027, drivers will only be able to exchange their Transnistrian licences for Moldovan ones after passing the compulsory theory and practical tests.

For categories obtained after 1 April 2027, the Republic of Moldova driving licence will be issued in accordance with the general rules laid down in the Regulation on the examination procedure for obtaining the right to drive vehicles.

If the driving licence contains categories obtained both before and after 1 April 2027, equivalence examinations will only be required for the categories obtained up to that date.

To apply for the equivalence of a driving licence, the applicant must submit the full set of documents specified in the regulations, including the original licence issued in localities on the left bank of the Dniester or in the municipality of Bender. All applications for equivalence submitted before the new provisions officially come into force will be assessed in accordance with the rules applicable at the time of submission.

Why are these changes necessary?

Previously (until 15 January 2025), the rules in force allowed for the recognition of driving licences without the need to sit exams; however, this led to difficulties in the international recognition of Moldovan documents. In particular, the UK authorities are already refusing to exchange Moldovan driving licences obtained through the simplified equivalence procedure, without the full examination process having been completed.

Furthermore, the Moldovan authorities cite the lack of ongoing and effective oversight of driving schools and databases in the Transnistrian region, which makes it impossible to fully verify the authenticity of documents and the level of training of drivers.

The draft document has now been finalised and is due to be approved by the Government of the Republic of Moldova.

This story was translated with the assistance of artificial intelligence.The translation was also reviewed by the Logos Press editorial team.

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