Re-Registering a Car in Moldova: How Much It Costs and What Documents You Need (2026)

Where you re-register a car in Moldova

If you buy a car that is already registered in Moldova, you have to transfer it into your name. The official term is transcrierea transmiterii dreptului de proprietate, which means transfer of ownership. The Public Services Agency, ASP (Agenția Servicii Publice), handles it. You have two options:

• In person at an ASP vehicle registration office, with a paper set of documents.
• Online at servicii.gov.md, if both the buyer and the seller have a qualified electronic signature and the car meets the conditions of the service (more on that below).

The fees for standard and faster processing are the same either way. Only same-day service is limited to ASP offices.

How much does it cost to re-register a car in Moldova (November 2026)

These are the official ASP fees for individuals and private companies for a change of owner with a new registration certificate:

Certificate issued in	Fee, lei	Where
20 working days	1,140	online or at ASP
10 working days	1,470	online or at ASP
5 working days	1,800	online or at ASP
3 working days	2,130	online or at ASP
1 working day	2,460	online or at ASP
Same day	2,790	ASP office only

Certain categories of applicants pay a reduced fee of 570 lei (20 working days). Who qualifies is set out in point 101 of Annex 3 to Government Decision No. 966/2020. Public-law entities pay from 810 lei. License plates are not included in any of these prices.

The fee does not depend on the value of the car. You pay the same for a 2007 Golf as for a Porsche.

Other fees you may need to pay

ASP service	Fee, lei	When you need it
Set of two plates for a passenger car	550	if the plates don't meet the current standard or you want a different number
One plate for a trailer or motorcycle	350	same reasons, for trailers and motorcycles
Vehicle identification	480, takes 1 hour	if ASP requires an identification report; the result is valid for 30 working days
Temporary registration certificate	130, issued on the spot	if you need a temporary document

For most buyers, the biggest extra cost is RCA insurance. It has its own section below.

What documents you need

For a transfer at an ASP office, bring:

1. An application from the new owner or their representative.
2. Proof of ownership, such as a notarized sale, gift or exchange contract, an invoice from an authorized dealer, or a court decision. Original and a copy.
3. Your ID document, original.
4. The previous owner's registration certificate.
5. The plates, if they don't meet the current standard or you want a different number.
6. Proof of payment of the fees.
7. A power of attorney, if someone is acting on your behalf.
8. A vehicle identification report, if one is required.
9. An application from the previous owner, if the contract was a simple written agreement and not notarized.

People often miss the last point. With a simple written contract, ASP won't process the transfer without the seller's application. Agree in advance that the seller will come with you.

Transferring ownership online, without visiting ASP

Since November 2024, you can buy and sell a car online through servicii.gov.md. The service is called Transcrierea transmiterii dreptului de proprietate asupra vehiculului. It works if:

• both parties are 18 or older and both have a qualified electronic signature;
• the deal is worth no more than 685,000 lei — 50 average monthly salaries for 2024, the cap ASP announced at launch; check today's cap on servicii.gov.md;
• the car has a valid registration certificate;
• the plates are the new type, issued after 2015, and the number doesn't change;
• the car has no restrictions and is not under leasing or rental.

How it works:

1. The seller starts the deal on servicii.gov.md and signs the contract.
2. The buyer has 5 calendar days to accept the contract.
3. ASP checks the deal within 1 working day, including Saturdays and Sundays if the request is filed before 13:00.
4. A temporary electronic certificate in your name appears in MCabinet. You can get the plastic certificate delivered through MDelivery.

By default, the plates go to the buyer along with the car. The seller can keep them, but then has to hand them in to ASP within 30 days after the deal is verified. The buyer can order a new set with a randomly assigned number. The seller can also be a company, and since May 2025 companies with an e-signature can buy cars through the online service too.

Example: what a used-car buyer pays

Let's take a 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan from our catalog. ASP doesn't charge anything based on the car's price, so the total depends only on the processing time and any extra services.

Scenario	Breakdown, lei	Total at ASP, lei
Online, standard time, plates stay	1,140	1,140
ASP office, certificate in 5 days, identification needed	1,800 + 480	2,280
ASP office, same day, new plates, identification	2,790 + 550 + 480	3,820

Add RCA insurance to any scenario; its price is calculated individually. In practice, most buyers are fine with the first or second option. With an online deal, the temporary certificate shows up in MCabinet after a day, so paying extra for speed just to get the plastic card sooner usually isn't worth it.

RCA insurance after you buy

RCA is compulsory motor insurance under Law No. 106/2022, and you need it to drive legally in Moldova. For cars registered in Moldova, the policy is valid for 12 months. The price depends on the base premium, a set of coefficients and your bonus-malus history. According to the National Bank of Moldova, driving without RCA can cost you a fine of 1,500 to 3,000 lei. Check with the insurer whether the seller's policy still covers you after the sale. The safe option is to get your own policy before you drive off.

Re-registration vs. importing a car to Moldova

• Re-registration is a change of owner for a car that is already registered in Moldova. You pay the ASP fees from the tables above.
• Customs clearance applies when you import a car to Moldova from abroad. You pay customs, and the amount is much higher. It depends on the engine, age and value of the car.

An imported car goes through customs first and is then registered at ASP. You can estimate customs payments in advance with our customs calculator, and our article on customs clearance has worked examples with real numbers.

Timelines

• A plastic registration certificate takes 20 working days on the standard fee, or you can get it the same day for 2,790 lei.
• An online deal is checked by ASP within 1 working day; the buyer has 5 calendar days to accept the contract.
• If the seller keeps the plates, they must hand them in to ASP within 30 days.

Don't put off the transfer. Until the car is in your name, the state still sees the seller as the owner. On October 29, 2026, a draft government decision on modernizing the vehicle register was published. It proposes ownership transfers through the EVO app and automatic suspension of registration when the technical inspection has expired. It's only a draft for now, but checking the inspection status of a car before you buy it is a good habit already.

Common mistakes

• Paying before checking for restrictions. A car that is restricted, leased or rented can't be transferred online or at the office. A VIN report shows the car's history, mileage and restrictions, and our article on rolled-back odometers explains the warning signs.
• Going to ASP without the seller when you have a simple written contract. Without the seller's application, your documents won't be accepted.
• Counting on an online deal with old plates. Plates issued before 2015 don't qualify for the online service, so you'll need to go to an office and probably buy a new set for 550 lei.
• Overpaying for speed. The difference between 20 working days and same-day service is 1,650 lei.
• Driving without your own RCA policy.

Buying a car from AUTOHUB

When you buy a car from us, we take care of the re-registration and deregistration. All you need is your ID, plus the documents for your current car if you're trading it in. Before a car goes on sale, we check it by VIN and run diagnostics on a lift, and you're welcome to inspect it with your own mechanic before the deal. If you'd rather not pay the full amount upfront, some cars are available on installments without a bank. To see what's currently on our lot at 88 Zavodskaya Street, browse the used car catalog: every listing shows the price, mileage and photos.