Car customs clearance in Moldova: costs and excise calculator
Work out the cost of clearing a car through Moldovan customs by year, engine size, fuel type and the price in the contract. Below is what the total is made of and what changes it.
In short: for a passenger car you pay excise plus the customs procedure fee of 0.4% of the contract price. Excise starts at around 10,000 MDL for an almost new 1.0-litre engine and passes 100,000 MDL for a ten-year-old 2.0-litre diesel. The total comes down to three things: engine size, the age of the car and the fuel.
What customs clearance costs in Moldova: worked examples
The figures below are the excise, worked out from the same tables the calculator above uses. Age is counted from the year of manufacture and displacement is in cubic centimetres, as it appears in the car's papers.
| Car | Excise |
|---|---|
| Petrol 1.0 l, 2 years | 9,560 MDL |
| Petrol 1.6 l, 6 years | 31,312 MDL |
| Petrol 1.6 l, 10 years | 50,016 MDL |
| Petrol 2.0 l, 10 years | 62,520 MDL |
| Diesel 1.5 l, 8 years | 23,415 MDL |
| Diesel 2.0 l, 10 years | 101,620 MDL |
| Petrol hybrid 2.0 l, 6 years | 29,355 MDL |
| Electric car, any age | 0 MDL |
On top of the figure in the table comes the customs procedure fee — 0.4% of the contract price, capped at 36,000 MDL — and, only from 600,000 MDL, luxury tax. On a car worth 10,000 EUR the procedure fee works out at about 800 MDL.
What makes up the customs bill
The total for importing a car into Moldova is made up of three payments. The calculator shows each one separately so you can see what you are actually paying for.
- excise — the bulk of the total, based on engine size, the age of the car and the fuel type;
- customs procedure fee — 0.4% of the value of the car, capped at 36,000 MDL;
- luxury tax — only for expensive cars, from 600,000 MDL on the contract.
Car excise rates in Moldova for 2026: petrol
Excise on a passenger car is paid for every cubic centimetre of engine displacement. The rate per cubic centimetre is set in Annex 2 to Title IV of the Moldovan Tax Code and depends on three things: the fuel, the engine size and the age of the car. Below is the full table for petrol engines — the calculator above uses the same one.
How to read it: the row is the age of the car in years, the column is the displacement from the registration papers, and the cell shows how many lei are paid per cubic centimetre. Age is counted from the year of manufacture (from the papers and the VIN), not from the year of first registration: in 2026 a car built in 2016 is 10 years old.
| Age, years | up to 1,000 cc | 1,001–1,500 cc | 1,501–2,000 cc | 2,001–3,000 cc | over 3,000 cc |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–2 | 9.56 | 12.23 | 18.90 | 31.14 | 55.60 |
| 3–4 | 10.00 | 12.67 | 19.34 | 31.58 | 56.04 |
| 5–6 | 10.23 | 12.90 | 19.57 | 31.81 | 56.27 |
| 7 | 11.25 | 14.19 | 21.53 | 34.99 | 61.90 |
| 8 | 12.38 | 15.61 | 23.68 | 38.49 | 68.09 |
| 9 | 13.62 | 17.17 | 26.05 | 42.34 | 74.90 |
| 10 | 16.34 | 20.60 | 31.26 | 50.81 | 89.87 |
| 11 | 21.24 | 26.79 | 40.63 | 66.05 | 116.84 |
| 12 | 26.24 | 31.79 | 45.63 | 71.05 | 121.84 |
| 13 | 31.24 | 36.79 | 50.63 | 76.05 | 126.84 |
| 14 | 36.24 | 41.79 | 55.63 | 81.05 | 131.84 |
| 15 | 41.24 | 46.79 | 60.63 | 86.05 | 136.84 |
| 16 | 46.24 | 51.79 | 65.63 | 91.05 | 141.84 |
| 17 | 51.24 | 56.79 | 70.63 | 96.05 | 146.84 |
| 18 | 56.24 | 61.79 | 75.63 | 101.05 | 151.84 |
| 19 | 61.24 | 66.79 | 80.63 | 106.05 | 156.84 |
| 20 and over | 66.24 | 71.79 | 85.63 | 111.05 | 161.84 |
Rates in MDL per 1 cc — Annex 2 to Title IV of the Tax Code, headings 870321–870324, in force in 2026. LPG and CNG cars, including bi-fuel with petrol, use the same table: they are spark-ignition engines too.
Car excise rates in Moldova for 2026: diesel
Diesel has its own displacement bands, and their rates match petrol one size class up: a diesel up to 1,500 cc pays like a 1,001–1,500 cc petrol, a 1,501–2,500 cc diesel like a 2,001–3,000 cc petrol, and over 2,500 cc like a petrol over 3,000 cc. That is why a two-litre diesel costs noticeably more to clear than a two-litre petrol car.
| Age, years | up to 1,500 cc | 1,501–2,500 cc | over 2,500 cc |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0–2 | 12.23 | 31.14 | 55.60 |
| 3–4 | 12.67 | 31.58 | 56.04 |
| 5–6 | 12.90 | 31.81 | 56.27 |
| 7 | 14.19 | 34.99 | 61.90 |
| 8 | 15.61 | 38.49 | 68.09 |
| 9 | 17.17 | 42.34 | 74.90 |
| 10 | 20.60 | 50.81 | 89.87 |
| 11 | 26.79 | 66.05 | 116.84 |
| 12 | 31.79 | 71.05 | 121.84 |
| 13 | 36.79 | 76.05 | 126.84 |
| 14 | 41.79 | 81.05 | 131.84 |
| 15 | 46.79 | 86.05 | 136.84 |
| 16 | 51.79 | 91.05 | 141.84 |
| 17 | 56.79 | 96.05 | 146.84 |
| 18 | 61.79 | 101.05 | 151.84 |
| 19 | 66.79 | 106.05 | 156.84 |
| 20 and over | 71.79 | 111.05 | 161.84 |
Rates in MDL per 1 cc — Annex 2 to Title IV of the Tax Code, headings 870331–870333, in force in 2026.
How to work out the excise from the table: an example
Take a petrol car built in 2016 with a 1,598 cc engine — that is how the displacement appears in its papers. Step by step:
- age: 2026 − 2016 = 10 years, which is row “10” in the petrol table;
- 1,598 cc falls into the “1,501–2,000 cc” column, and the cell shows 31.26 MDL per 1 cc;
- excise: 31.26 × 1,598 = 49,953 MDL;
- for a regular hybrid the excise is multiplied by 0.75, giving 37,465 MDL; for a plug-in hybrid by 0.5, giving 24,977 MDL;
- the customs procedure fee comes on top — 0.4% of the car's value, capped at 36,000 MDL: on a price of 200,000 MDL that is 800 MDL;
- in the calculator, enter the displacement in litres with three decimals: 1.598 l means 1,598 cc. Do not round to 1.6 l: at a band boundary the rate jumps — for a 10-year-old car, 2,000 cc is 31.26 MDL per cc, while 2,001 cc is already 50.81.
Hybrids, EVs, gas and cars aged 30 and over
For some cars, special rules replace the table rate. Hybrid discounts come from Article 124(18) of the Tax Code; the amounts for old cars come from the same Annex 2.
| Car | Excise |
|---|---|
| Regular hybrid (HEV), not charged from a socket | rate × 0.75 (−25%) |
| Plug-in hybrid (PHEV) | rate × 0.5 (−50%) |
| Mild hybrid (MHEV) | full rate |
| Electric car | 0 MDL |
| LPG, CNG, bi-fuel with petrol | as petrol |
| Collectible, 30–39 years | 40,000 MDL |
| Collectible, 40–49 years | 30,000 MDL |
| Collectible, 50 years and over | 20,000 MDL |
A mild hybrid gets no discount — choose plain petrol or diesel for it in the calculator. The flat amount for cars aged 30 and over applies to a car cleared as a collector's vehicle of historical interest (heading 9705). The calculator treats any car aged 30 or more this way; if customs does not accept it as a collectible, the excise follows the “20 and over” row of the regular table. A draft of the 2027 tax changes proposes an excise on electric cars and a single 25% discount for all hybrids — for now it is only a draft; if the law changes, we will update both the tables and the calculator.
Luxury tax
If the customs value of the car is 600,000 MDL or more, luxury tax (an additional excise) is added. It is a percentage of the whole customs value, set by the bracket the value falls into. Customs value is usually the contract price plus delivery to the border; the calculator works it out from the price you enter. Most imported cars do not pay it at all.
| Customs value, MDL | Rate |
|---|---|
| 600,000 – 700,000 | 2% |
| 700,001 – 800,000 | 3% |
| 800,001 – 900,000 | 4% |
| 900,001 – 1,000,000 | 5% |
| 1,000,001 – 1,200,000 | 6% |
| 1,200,001 – 1,400,000 | 7% |
| 1,400,001 – 1,600,000 | 8% |
| 1,600,001 – 1,800,000 | 9% |
| over 1,800,000 | 10% |
Example: a car worth 750,000 MDL falls into the 700,001 – 800,000 bracket, so the tax is 3% of the whole amount — 22,500 MDL.
What the calculator does not cover
The calculation covers payments at customs, not the whole journey to Moldovan plates. Shipping and logistics, the road tax (vignette), compulsory insurance, the roadworthiness test and registration are paid separately. Rates are set by law and change from time to time — the calculator uses the current ones, but it is worth confirming the figure with us by phone before the deal.
Frequently asked questions about customs clearance
How much does it cost to clear a car through customs in Moldova?
The total is excise, the customs procedure fee (0.4% of the value, capped at 36,000 MDL) and, for expensive cars, luxury tax. Excise almost always makes up most of it, and it depends on engine size, age and fuel type — which is why the same purchase price can produce very different totals. Use the calculator above for your specific car.
Is it cheaper to import an electric car?
Considerably. Electric cars are exempt from excise, leaving only the customs procedure fee of 0.4% of the value. Hybrids benefit too: a regular one gets a 25% discount on excise, a plug-in 50%.
How is excise calculated for older cars?
Cars aged 30 or more that are cleared as collector's vehicles of historical interest pay a flat amount instead of the displacement-based calculation: 40,000 MDL at 30–39 years, 30,000 MDL at 40–49 years and 20,000 MDL for anything older. That is why a classic with a big engine often costs less to clear than a recent car. If the car is not accepted as a collectible, the excise follows the regular table, row “20 and over”.
Petrol or diesel — which is cheaper to clear?
For the same displacement diesel costs more or the same: its rates equal petrol one size class up. Up to 1,000 cc and in the 1,501–2,000 and 2,501–3,000 cc ranges diesel is dearer; at 1,001–1,500, 2,001–2,500 and over 3,000 cc it is the same. For a 10-year-old 2.0-litre car, for example, the excise is 62,520 MDL for petrol and 101,620 MDL for diesel.
Does the calculation include shipping?
No. The calculator covers payments at customs only. Shipping, road tax, insurance, the roadworthiness test and registration are paid separately. If you order a car through us, we quote the full turnkey figure including logistics.
How current are the rates in the calculator?
The rates in the calculator and the tables above come from Annex 2 to Title IV of the Tax Code; we checked them against the text of the law in October 2026. Rates are set by law and do change — increases are being discussed for 2027. Treat the result as a planning figure and confirm the amount with our manager before the deal.
Does the calculator work for trucks or motorcycles?
No, the tables in it are the ones for passenger cars. Trucks, vans and motorcycles fall under different tariff headings, and for goods vehicles the weight counts too, not just the engine. If you are bringing one in, call us and we will work it out by hand.
How does customs work out the car’s age?
Age is counted from the year of manufacture — taken from the papers and the VIN — not from the year of first registration. If the papers and the VIN disagree, customs relies on the manufacturer's data. The calculator takes the difference between the current year and the year of manufacture: in 2026 a car built in 2016 is 10 years old.