Moldova Criminal Record Certificate Types: Which Cazier Do You Need?
Moldova criminal record certificate types are not interchangeable. A request for a “police clearance,” “full criminal history,” or “record of offences” may point to a standard cazier judiciar, a detailed criminal record, a general contravention record, or the detailed contravention record introduced in 2026. Translating the wrong certificate perfectly will not make it satisfy the receiving authority’s request.
Key Takeaways
- A standard cazier judiciar provides a current criminal-record status. It is not necessarily a complete list of every historical criminal matter.
- A certificat de cazier detaliat can disclose criminal proceedings and outcomes, spent and unspent convictions, and criminal wanted status recorded in Moldova’s system.
- A cazier contravențional concerns contraventions—administrative offences that may include traffic penalties and penalty points—not a lighter category of criminal conviction.
- Since March 2026, Moldova has offered a fourth core option: the detailed contravention record. Check the document type and official language before paying for translation because the standard criminal certificate can be issued in English and EU official languages.
Important: This guide explains document scope and preparation, not the legal effect of a conviction or contravention. The receiving immigration authority, employer, court, licensing body, university, or consulate decides which record and translation format it will accept. Obtain written clarification when its instructions are ambiguous.
Who This Guide Is For
This guide is for Moldovan citizens, former residents, foreign nationals who lived in Moldova, and compliance staff who must provide a Moldova police clearance or background record. It is particularly useful when the request uses broad wording such as “criminal record certificate,” “good conduct certificate,” “full history,” “administrative-offence record,” or “traffic record.”
A typical file includes the receiving authority’s checklist or request letter, a passport or Moldovan identity document, an IDNP where available, former-name evidence, the selected certificate, and—only when required—an apostille and translation. Likely working language directions include Romanian or Russian into English, German, French, Italian, or Spanish, although no official statistics establish which pair is most common.
The choice becomes especially important if the applicant has a spent conviction, a discontinued or unresolved criminal matter, a contravention, penalty points, a driving restriction, inconsistent name spellings, or a short overseas filing deadline.
Moldova Criminal Record Certificate Types at a Glance
| Receiving authority’s wording | Likely starting point | What to confirm before ordering | Official language implications |
|---|---|---|---|
| “Police clearance,” “criminal record certificate,” or proof of no current convictions | Standard cazier judiciar | Does it want only current status, or every historical proceeding and conviction? | Available in Romanian, Russian, English, and EU official languages; a separate translation may be avoidable. |
| “Full criminal history,” “detailed record,” spent convictions, prosecutions, or case outcomes | Certificat de cazier detaliat | Must discontinued cases, spent convictions, or wanted status be disclosed? | Officially listed in Romanian and Russian; another destination language may require certified translation. |
| “Administrative offences,” “contraventions,” current penalty points, or traffic-related compliance | General cazier contravențional | Does the request concern current or recent entries, and must penalty points be shown? | Issued in Romanian according to the current service directory. |
| “Complete contravention history” or historical administrative-offence outcomes | Detailed cazier contravențional | Does the recipient expressly need entries beyond the ordinary limitation-period filter? | Issued in Romanian according to the current service directory. |
This table is a decision aid, not a substitute for the recipient’s written instructions. If the wording is simply “police certificate,” ask whether it means a current criminal-status certificate or a complete criminal history. Do not order a contravention record merely because the request mentions “offences”; the requester may be using that English word for criminal offences.
1. Standard Cazier Judiciar: A Current Status Certificate
The ordinary cazier judiciar is the usual starting point when an authority asks for a Moldova criminal record certificate or police clearance without requesting complete historical detail.
Under the national issuance instruction, the standard certificate is based on Moldova’s integrated criminological information register. It accounts for the legal extinction or removal of convictions. When no relevant record exists—or when a conviction is treated as extinguished under the applicable criminal-law rules—the certificate can provide a status-level conclusion rather than list the historical case. When an active conviction or criminal investigation is recorded, the standard output indicates that the person is listed, without becoming a full case chronology. The governing distinctions appear in MAI Order No. 306/2023 on Moldova’s official legislation portal.
This creates a counterintuitive result: a person with a legally spent conviction may receive a standard certificate that reads like a clean current-status result, while the detailed certificate can still contain historical information. “No current record” therefore does not necessarily mean “never investigated or convicted.”
Choose the standard version when the recipient confirms it wants ordinary police-clearance evidence and does not demand a full history. Its major practical advantage is language choice. Moldova’s Ministry of Internal Affairs confirms that citizens can request the standard certificate in any of the 24 EU official languages, potentially avoiding a separate official translation. The receiving authority must still confirm that it accepts the selected version.
2. Certificat de Cazier Detaliat: The Criminal-History Document
The detailed criminal record is not merely the standard certificate printed on a larger page. It answers a different background-check question.
The detailed certificate can state whether the person has been held criminally liable, how recorded criminal cases were resolved, whether convictions are spent or unspent, and whether the person is wanted in connection with a criminal case. When information is present, the instruction provides for a detailed A4 output; a no-record result uses a shorter A5 format.
This is the stronger candidate when a request explicitly says:
- full or complete criminal history;
- detailed criminal record;
- spent and unspent convictions;
- criminal proceedings or case outcomes;
- pending criminal proceedings or wanted status.
Do not choose it merely because it sounds “more official.” Additional disclosure may be irrelevant to an ordinary police-clearance request, and the recipient—not the applicant or translator—must determine what level of history is required.
The current government service information lists the detailed criminal certificate in Romanian and Russian. If the receiving authority accepts neither language, this is the branch in which certified translation most often becomes necessary.
3. General Cazier Contravențional: Administrative-Offence Status
A Moldovan contravenție should not automatically be translated as a “minor crime.” Contraventions belong to an administrative-offence system distinct from the criminal record system.
The general contravention record draws from the State Register of Contraventions. The ordinary version covers registered contravention information and penalty points that remain within the applicable limitation period. Depending on the underlying matter, entries can relate to traffic enforcement or other administrative rules.
This document is relevant when the recipient specifically asks about administrative violations, current contraventions, penalty points, or driving-related compliance. It should not replace a cazier judiciar when the stated purpose is a criminal background check.
In English translation, the heading may need to be rendered as “contravention record” or “administrative-offence record,” with the original Romanian term retained for identification. Relabelling it simply as a “criminal record” changes its legal category and can mislead the reader.
4. Detailed Cazier Contravențional: The Fourth Core Option
Moldova launched the detailed contravention record through EVO on March 25, 2026. Articles that compare only three certificate types now omit an important option.
According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs launch announcement, this certificate reflects the complete entries held in the State Register of Contraventions, including information about contravention liability and case outcomes, without applying the ordinary limitation-period filter. The service integrates data from 43 state bodies authorized to establish contraventions.
That does not justify promising that every historical paper offence from every period has been digitized. The defensible conclusion is narrower: the detailed product is designed to report the complete information held in the integrated register without the ordinary time filter.
Choose it only when the receiving authority asks for a complete or historical administrative-offence record. If it asks for current penalty-point status, the general record may be the closer match.
A Four-Question Method for Choosing Correctly
- Is the request criminal or administrative? Words such as convictions, prosecution, police clearance, or criminal history point toward a criminal record. Contraventions, administrative penalties, or penalty points point toward a contravention record.
- Does the recipient want current status or historical detail? “No current convictions” differs from “all convictions, including spent convictions.” Likewise, current penalty points differ from complete contravention history.
- What territorial period must be covered? These certificates report information held in Moldova’s relevant registers. They are not worldwide background checks and do not replace records required from other countries of residence.
- Which language and submission format are accepted? Confirm whether an official English or EU-language standard certificate is acceptable, and whether an electronic PDF, paper original, apostille, certified translation, or sworn translation is required.
If the request remains unclear, send the recipient the four official Romanian document names and ask it to select one. Preserve the written reply with the application file.
Translation Comes After Record Selection
“Certified translation” is a useful international bridge term, but it is not the primary Moldovan name for these records. The official terms—cazier judiciar, certificat de cazier detaliat, and the two cazier contravențional versions—should remain visible in the translation.
For a standard criminal certificate, first determine whether Moldova can issue the document directly in a language accepted by the recipient. Direct official issuance may remove the cost and risk of a second-language rendering, although the destination authority can still impose its own submission rules.
For detailed criminal or contravention records, a complete translation should reproduce all visible text relevant to verification: headings, findings, dates, reference numbers, seals, signatures, QR-related labels, annotations, and any apostille attached to the final document. Do not translate only the sentence that appears to say “no record.”
Notarization is not automatically required, and an apostille is not the same as a translation. If the recipient requires an apostille, it is generally safer to complete that step before translating so the final translation covers the certificate and apostille together. For the distinctions, see Police Clearance Translation vs Apostille.
Electronic-file acceptance is another separate decision. Moldova’s QR and MSign features establish digital authenticity within the issuing system, but a foreign recipient may still request paper. See Moldova Electronic Police Clearance: QR, MSign and Overseas Acceptance for the Moldova-specific verification issues.
How to Obtain the Selected Record
Once the record type is confirmed, applicants with an IDNP can use the official EVO portal, pay through MPay, receive a digitally signed result in their personal cabinet, select MDelivery, or choose an available paper collection point. The published service routes provide standard and expedited processing options.
| Service speed | Listed fee range | Practical point |
|---|---|---|
| 10 calendar days | 30–60 MDL | The higher listed amount applies to detailed services. Verify the current checkout total for the selected product. |
| 1 working day | 60–120 MDL | Allow additional time for delivery, apostille, translation, and the recipient’s own intake process. |
Applicants without an IDNP are directed to the STI service point at Strada Iacob Hîncu 3A in Chișinău or to a Moldovan diplomatic or consular mission. The official STI contact directory lists 022 255 155 for criminal and detailed records and 022 255 980 for contravention records. Confirm current hours and the required identity documents before travelling.
A representative must have appropriate authority, such as a power of attorney or an authorization available through MPower where applicable. Overseas applicants should confirm that their consular post can obtain the exact detailed or contravention product before scheduling travel or paying a private intermediary.
The national rules are uniform; territorial police units function primarily as collection nodes rather than issuers of locally different criminal-record standards. This is why city-by-city comparisons do not change which certificate type is correct.
Validity and Filing Timing
The national instruction provides a three-month validity period for standard and detailed criminal records and a shorter 30-day period for contravention records. Because the detailed contravention service was introduced later, check the validity printed on the issued document and the current government service confirmation rather than assuming its filing window.
The recipient may also apply its own “recently issued” rule. Order backward from the submission date, allowing time for delivery, apostille if requested, translation, and correction. An expedited certificate can still expire if it is ordered before a delayed interview or licensing appointment.
Common Moldova-Specific Failure Points
- Ordering by English label alone: “Police certificate” may not reveal whether the recipient expects current status or complete history.
- Assuming detailed means universally better: It is a different disclosure product, not a premium version guaranteed to satisfy every authority.
- Confusing contraventions with crimes: This can result in ordering the wrong registry search and mistranslating the document’s legal category.
- Paying for avoidable translation: An accepted-language standard certificate may be available directly through EVO.
- Ignoring former names: Passport, certificate, apostille, and translation spellings must form a traceable identity chain. See Moldova Police Clearance Name Mismatch and Transliteration.
- Submitting only selected pages: A translation should cover the complete issued record and any authentication attached to it.
What Public Discussions Reveal—and What They Cannot Prove
Public discussions reveal recurring confusion about document selection, but they are not sources of legal rules. A 2026 Moldova Reddit discussion asked whether a Romanian citizenship file required the ordinary or detailed certificate and whether a printed electronic apostille would be accepted. A Moldova legal Q&A discussion involved older contraventions and a historical criminal case appearing across different record products. An older TopicMD forum report described a U.S. visa instruction that expressly requested a detailed record.
Together, these accounts support one practical conclusion: receiving authorities use inconsistent English labels, and applicants should preserve the current written checklist. They do not prove that a particular visa, citizenship, or employment process always requires the detailed version.
Why the 2026 Change Matters
The detailed contravention service connects 43 state authorities that can establish contraventions. That figure explains why “contravention history” is broader than traffic tickets alone and why the criminal-record certificate cannot substitute for it. It also creates two separate current-versus-detailed decisions—one for criminal information and one for administrative-offence information.
Commercial Translation and Document Assistance
These are commercial options, not government-endorsed providers. Compare them only after identifying the correct certificate and the recipient’s language rules.
| Provider | Publicly verifiable service signal | When it may fit | Boundary |
|---|---|---|---|
| CertOf | Online document upload, certified translation, digital delivery, formatting and revision support | Overseas applicants who already hold the correct Romanian or Russian certificate and need a destination-language translation | Does not issue, amend, apostille, or clear Moldova government records and does not choose the legally required certificate. |
| CTA, Strada Sfatul Țării 2, Chișinău; 060 046 095; Monday–Friday, 09:00–17:00 | Its website lists authorized translation, notarized translation, apostille-related assistance, online ordering, and more than 15 languages | Applicants needing local handling of paper documents or notarial coordination | Verify the exact certification format and destination acceptance before ordering. |
| Traduc, offices at București 23 and Constantin Tănase 9, Chișinău; Monday–Friday, 09:00–17:00 | Its website lists legal and personal-document translation, notarization and apostille assistance, more than 24 languages, online ordering, and courier options | Applicants comparing local-office and remote document workflows | Published service descriptions are provider claims, not government approval or an acceptance guarantee. |
For an online order, upload the entire certificate rather than a cropped finding. CertOf’s upload and ordering guide explains file preparation, while its revision and delivery policy guide explains the service workflow.
Official Support, Corrections, and Complaints
| Resource | Use it for | When to use it before a translator |
|---|---|---|
| STI al MAI | Certificate services, source-record questions, and contact details for criminal, detailed, and contravention records | When the document was not issued or the official name, identifier, or case information appears incorrect |
| EVO; support: 022 820 026 and [email protected] | Portal access, electronic signature routes, personal-cabinet access, and links to MPay, MDelivery, and MPower | When the difficulty concerns the digital application or delivery workflow rather than the record itself |
| MAI petition route | A formal administrative petition concerning the service or authority response | When ordinary support has not resolved a documented administrative problem |
| National Centre for Personal Data Protection | Rights relating to inaccurate personal data, including rectification, updating, blocking, or deletion where legally applicable | After first requesting correction from the authority controlling the disputed record. The Centre’s official guidance explains the right of intervention. |
A translator can flag an apparent mismatch but cannot delete a conviction, change a case outcome, or correct the government database. Resolve source-record errors before producing the final translation.
Fraud Warning
Use the official EVO service and MPay routes. Do not pay anyone who promises a guaranteed “clean certificate,” removal of official entries, or a genuine certificate without an official application. Never provide verification codes, electronic-signature credentials, passwords, or banking details in response to an unsolicited call or message. Moldova’s official EVO safety guidance warns against suspicious links and requests for codes, passwords, or bank details.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a Moldova cazier judiciar and a detailed criminal record?
The standard certificate provides a current status based on the criminal-information register and the legal treatment of spent convictions. The detailed certificate can report criminal liability, case outcomes, spent and unspent convictions, and criminal wanted status recorded in the system.
Does a standard cazier judiciar show spent convictions?
Not as a complete historical list. The standard process accounts for convictions that have been extinguished or removed under Moldovan law. If a receiving authority asks for spent convictions or full history, confirm whether it requires the detailed certificate.
Is a cazier contravențional a criminal record?
No. It reports contraventions from a separate administrative-offence register. These can include penalty points and traffic-related matters, but a contravention should not automatically be translated or treated as a criminal conviction.
What is the difference between general and detailed contravention records?
The general record applies the ordinary limitation-period framework to registered contraventions and penalty points. The detailed record, introduced in March 2026, reports the complete information held in the register without that ordinary time filter.
Can Moldova issue a criminal record certificate directly in English?
Yes. Moldova permits the standard cazier judiciar to be requested in English and other EU official languages. Confirm that the receiving authority accepts that official version before purchasing a separate translation. Detailed criminal records are listed in Romanian and Russian, while contravention records are listed in Romanian.
Does “police clearance” always mean the standard cazier judiciar?
No. It often does, but the phrase is not sufficiently precise when the same instructions mention full history, spent convictions, criminal proceedings, or case outcomes. Ask the recipient to confirm the exact scope.
Does a Moldova certificate cover records from other countries?
No. It reports information from the relevant Moldova register. A receiving authority may separately request certificates from other countries where the applicant lived.
What should I do if the certificate contains an incorrect name or case entry?
Contact STI or the responsible authority and request correction of the source record. If inaccurate personal data is not corrected, consider the formal petition and data-protection routes described above. Do not ask a translator to silently alter the source document.
Should I apostille the certificate before translation?
If the receiving authority requires an apostille, completing it first usually allows the translator to cover the final certificate and apostille as one complete packet. Apostille requirements vary, so obtain the recipient’s instruction before paying for authentication.
Get the Correct Document Translated
First confirm the exact Moldova record type and source language required by the receiving authority. If the final certificate is not already issued in an accepted language, upload the complete certificate to CertOf, together with the apostille if applicable and the recipient’s written translation instructions.
CertOf can translate and format the document, include an appropriate certification statement, deliver the completed files, and address translation revisions. It cannot issue the underlying cazier, change an official entry, provide legal advice, or guarantee acceptance by a government or private recipient.
Disclaimer: This article provides general document-preparation information and is not legal advice. Official services and receiving-authority requirements can change. Confirm the certificate type, validity, language, authentication, and submission format directly with the relevant authority before ordering or translating documents.