Company registration in Moldova is a simple procedure that involves a number of key steps. The final phase is the actual registration with the local authorities, once all the documents have been prepared and the company founders have submitted specimen signatures along with the required personal identification documents.
Below, our agents who specialize in company formation in Moldova answer some of the key questions regarding the actual registration of a business. Foreign investors who are interested in knowing more about the overall procedure for starting a company in this country, as well as the post-registration steps for the business, can reach out to our agents.
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What is the official name of the Companies Registry in Moldova?
The State Chamber of Registration of the Republic of Moldova was the primary agency for the registration of all of the types of legal entities that can be incorporated in the country. The Chamber has merged with the Public Services Agency in Moldova and has undergone a reorganization process. This took place following a Government Decision, no. 314 dated 20.05.2017.
The Public Services Agency now includes a special category called Legal Entities that refers to the registration of legal entities and individual entrepreneurs in the country as well as their licensing and authorization. The Agency also provides information about companies. After registering a business with the Trade Register, companies should also consider obtaining EORI numbers in Moldova.
What are the services offered to business clients by the Public Services Agency?
In terms of legal entities, the Public Services Agency offers services related to company names as well as licensing for certain types of businesses and an online search tool that is further discussed in this article.
The Agency can offer services related to the company name search by examining the names proposed by the client. When the name is approved, it issues a certificate in this sense. The applicant must submit an online (or printed) name approval application and the service is subject to a fee (it can be free of charge in certain situations).
Investors who cannot be present in the country for this submission, as well as those who cannot submit the online name check, can request our services. One of our agents specialized in company formation in Moldova is able to make all of the needed submissions through a power of attorney (general or limited), as required.
Besides the services presented above, the institution is responsible for the following business-related matters:
- the registration of entities set up for non-commercial purposes (non-profit organizations and representative offices);
- the registration of branches and subsidiaries;
- business licenses and permits services;
- the issuance of various forms and documents (online services are available in this sense).
Please know that, given the fact that the institution overseescompany registration in Moldova, it is also responsible for the legal procedures that are initiated when a company enters the liquidation process.
What is the company registration procedure in Moldova?
Company registration in Moldova is a procedure that includes several steps. The company founder must provide several documents, both regarding the company itself and personal identification documents as well as specimen signatures.
The Articles of Association of a company are the constitutive documents that are drawn up in front of a public notary in Moldova and are signed in the presence of the notary by all founders of the company.
They must include the following: the company name, the formation data, type of business, the amount of the total share capital and the amount of contribution of each shareholder, head office’s details and details regarding the way the company should be liquidated or reorganized.
All the required documents are to be submitted to the Agency for registration. Proof of payment of the various registration fees must be included in the registration file. Foreign investors should note that any documents in a foreign language must be translated into Romanian and that the Articles of Association for a new company will be drawn up in Romanian.
Our team of agents can help foreign investorsopen a company in Moldova. We offer complete services that also include preparing the documents in Romanian. When needed, our team can work with an interpreter and a sworn translator.
Our agents can help you select an appropriate business form and then follow the incorporation procedure, as the registration requirements can be simpler for some business forms compared to others (for example, they imply simpler steps for the sole trader compared to the private limited liability company). We can also assist with VAT registration in Moldova.
Concerning sole traders, we mention that they need to comply with standard steps for company registration in Moldova (for them, the procedure can only be completed online). The Public Services Agency will issue an identity number (IDNO) based on which the entire registration procedure will be completed.
After the entity receives the IDNO, it will be registered with the State Registry and its information will be further on registered with the tax authority, the statistics office, the social security authority, etc.
How can one search for information about a registered company in Moldova?
The Public Services Agency offers a special category of e-services that refer to obtaining information about a certain registered company. Users may obtain an online excerpt from the State Registry as well as the public data about a registered legal entity. Moreover, a company’s license can be checked via the online system.
In order to search for information about a company, the user must fill in an online form that will include the name of the company as well as the fiscal registration number. It is important to provide the number, as the company name has the option of auto-fill when the number is introduced.
One of our agents who specializes in company formation in Moldova can provide more details about the online platform and the information that is available to users regarding the registered legal entities.
Is the Public Services Agency responsible for other types of services?
Yes. The institution is not responsible solely for the legal process that must be followed by investors when the want toset up a company in Moldova. It also offers a variety of services designed for natural persons, some of which are:
- the registration of births, marriages, divorces, deaths;
- the registration of marriages completed overseas;
- the change of names;
- the registration of recognition of paternity;
- residency-related services.
The institution is also the main authority individuals must address concerning their driver’s licenses and for the registration of cars and other vehicles.
Companies in Moldova
The latest data on companies operating in Moldova have been gathered by the National Statistics Office, which revealed the following:
- in 2023, there were a total of 41,8 thousand companies registered as active legal entities;
- this accounted for an increase of 0,7% compared to the previous year;
- from the total active companies, the highest share, of 39%, was represented by companies operating in the retail industry;
- in 2023, the process of company registration in Moldova was completed by 2,300 businesses (with retail as the preferred sector – a total of 848 legal entities were registered with the Public Services Agency in this industry).
Please contact our agents who specialize in company incorporation in Moldova for complete assistance.
Partner: Firmengründung in Moldawien, Регистрация компаний Молдова