The Public Services Agency (PSA) today presented the new model of the passport of a citizen of the Republic of Moldova, a document that will be put into circulation from 15 October 2026.
The presentation of the document was accompanied by a review of the five-year term of PSA Director Mircea Eșanu at the head of the institution.
Information about the new passport model
The new passport model brings the Republic of Moldova into line with the requirements of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO Doc 9303) and European Union standards on the security of travel documents.
The document features around 100 advanced security elements against forgery and counterfeiting, a highly secure biometric data carrier and compatibility with the “e-Gate” automated border control system.
Unlike previous models, the new passport has a unified graphic concept dedicated to the flora and fauna of the Republic of Moldova: the European bison, wolf, deer, fox, owl, swan and pheasant appear on the inside pages, integrated into advanced security elements.
“We chose this ‘flora and fauna of Moldova’ theme because we want citizens to carry with them, in their pocket, a part of the nature that we risk losing. Climate change is already affecting species in our country, and caring for the environment is no longer a distant issue; it is a responsibility for all of us. A travel document can also serve as a reminder (memento) that we have something to protect in our country,” said Mircea Eșanu, Director of the PSA.
The fee for issuing a passport within 20 working days will increase from MDL 650 to MDL 790. The increase is determined exclusively by the higher cost of purchasing the passport blanks, resulting from the new security elements, and does not generate profit for the institution — the money strictly covers the cost of producing the document.
Citizens who already hold a valid passport are not required to replace it: documents currently in circulation remain valid until their expiry date, and the transition to the new model will take place only upon renewal.
Transformation of the PSA over 5 years: from debts of MDL 124 million to investments of MDL 405 million; digitalised services and all documents renewed (activity report).
In 2021, the Director of the Public Services Agency, Mircea Eșanu, took over an institution with MDL 124.5 million in bank loans, a vehicle fleet that was 80% old, and only 5% of services available online.
Five years later, the results are as follows:
Bank debt: zero. Fully repaid, without increasing prices for citizens and without funding from the state budget.
MDL 405 million invested in the institution’s infrastructure — technology, IT systems, security, buildings and 165 new vehicles.
84% of services are available online (81 out of 96), and their use has increased fivefold.
All documents for citizens of the Republic of Moldova have been renewed and adapted to EU standards (identity card, driving licence, vehicle registration certificate; residence card, passport).
One million identity cards with electronic signatures — free of charge.
35% of PSA services are provided free of charge or on preferential terms.
“The world is changing rapidly — technology, security standards, people’s expectations — and if the state does not keep pace, citizens are the ones who lose out. Over these five years, I have taken responsibility not only for fixing what we inherited at the PSA, but also for building an institution that continuously develops at the pace of the modern world. Because a European Moldova is built not only through new roads and buildings, but also through institutions that work just as well as those in any European Union country. That is what I want: for our country to be among the developed states — and it all starts with the institutions whose doors citizens walk through every day,” emphasised Mircea Eșanu, Director of the PSA.
