Selling property in Moldova: documents and steps
Prepare for your notary, understand the differences between homes, commercial premises and land, and separate signing from title registration.
Published by Cheia. Reviewed: .
From agreement to registered ownership
Start by identifying the exact property and right being sold. Check the acquisition document, current registry information and the participants’ authority. Agree the real price, payment and handover; the notary then checks the circumstances and authenticates the instrument where the law requires it.
The registration application and confirmation from the registry follow. Record keys, meter readings and inventory separately at handover. A signature, payment or completed checklist alone does not establish that ownership has been registered.
Apartment or house: what to prepare
Record the full cadastral reference, address, area and acquisition document. Ask your notary about the current registry extract and valuation information needed; some information can be obtained directly from registers. For a house, establish the land rights and building rights separately.
Flag co-owners, acquisition during marriage, mortgages, tenants, unregistered alterations or unresolved inheritance early. A new or future property also requires review of the developer, permits, land rights and registration stage. A listing does not prove title.
Commercial premises and land
For commercial property, clarify authorised use, leases, included assets and access. When a company participates, the notary checks its legal status, representation and necessary approvals. Selling a building and selling a business are different transactions; VAT and tax treatment require separate assessment.
For land, check its official category and use, boundaries, access, easements, leases and buildings. Agricultural and forest land has special restrictions concerning buyer eligibility and foreign involvement. A listing described as “building land” does not establish its legal status.
Cases requiring additional checks
A share of ownership, a minor owner, a representative, a foreign power of attorney, inherited title or an encumbrance can change the documents and permissions required. Do not assume spousal consent, co-owner waivers, capacity or mortgage discharge. Keep unknown facts as questions for the notary.
A narrow exception to notarial form exists for certain small private agricultural plots allocated under specific legal provisions and supported by a local-authority certificate. Size alone does not establish eligibility, and registration remains separate. Gifts, exchanges, succession, enforcement and insolvency require their own procedures.
What electronic signing can do
A qualified electronic signature has the legal effect of a handwritten signature under the applicable law. It does not replace required notarization or register ownership automatically. A drawn signature or email confirmation does not turn a document into a notarial act.
The legal framework provides for certain electronic notarial acts and remote procedures. Ask your notary whether they are available and suitable for your case; Cheia has no automated e-Notariat connection. For suitable documents, download the final file, use official MSign or MoldSign, and retain the original signed electronic file. Do not modify it after signing.
Price, payment and costs
Obtain separate current calculations from the notary, registry, bank and tax adviser. Costs and cash-payment rules depend on the transaction date, parties and operation. Do not assume one tax rate applies to the entire price in every sale.
Agree the sequence of payment, mortgage discharge, notarization, registration and handover with your bank and notary. Do not state that payment was received, encumbrances cleared or keys delivered before those facts are established.
Prepare a private case on Cheia
A transaction case organises the information you enter, questions and documents to prepare. Download preparation materials for discussion with your notary. Check any information suggested from a listing; marking a document in the checklist does not mean Cheia verified it.
Your case is private, can be deleted at any time and expires 90 days after its last save. Do not enter IDNP, identity-document copies or banking details. You choose whom to send your files to; Cheia does not automatically send them to a notary or MSign. This guide and the drafts are not individual legal advice, authenticated contracts or clearance to complete a transaction.