How do you get and translate a Moldovan police certificate for a US visa?
NVC asks immigrant visa applicants aged 16 and older for a police certificate from every country they have lived in. For a Moldovan police certificate, the Department of State names one document: the detailed certificate, the certificat de cazier detaliat, issued only in Romanian. The older certificat de cazier judiciar is no longer accepted for immigration. We translate the detailed certificate in full, with the stamp, the signature and the text by the QR code. A certificate is usually one page: $25, ready within 24 hours after payment.
The certificate to get
The Department of State lists one Moldovan police document for visa applicants: the detailed police certificate (certificat de cazier detaliat). The Ministry of Internal Affairs issues it, a department chief signs it, it carries a QR code, and it is issued only in Romanian (U.S. Department of State (opens in a new tab)).
The same page says the certificat de cazier judiciar is no longer accepted for immigration purposes. If that is the certificate you have, request the detailed one before you send your documents to NVC.
How to apply
- Where: online, or in person at 3A Iacob Hâncu Street in Chișinău.
- Fee: 60 lei to have it in one day, 30 lei to have it in ten calendar days.
- Copies: certified copies aren’t issued, so each case gets a newly issued certificate.
Who needs one
NVC asks every immigrant visa applicant aged 16 and older for a police certificate from each country they have lived in long enough to meet its criteria (NVC civil documents (opens in a new tab)). The general rules are in our police certificate guide. A Romanian police certificate is a different document with its own rules: Romanian police certificate.
What the translation includes
The certificate number and date, your name and date of birth, the result of the record check, the signature, the stamp and any text by the QR code. Names keep ș, ț, ă, â and î unless your passport spells them another way.
Where the translation goes
- NVC and US consulates: the Department of State doesn’t ask for a translation of a document in Romanian if you apply for your visa in a country where Romanian is an official language, such as Moldova. Anywhere else, the certificate goes with a certified English translation. What NVC accepts
- USCIS: a full translation and the translator’s signed certification. What USCIS accepts
- Immigration court: a typed certification with the translator’s address and phone. What the court accepts
Our Romanian documents are translated and certified by a native Romanian speaker. What to file in your case is for you or your attorney to decide.
Sample translation
The sample has the original, the translation and the signed certificate. Personal details are blurred.
Questions
I already have a certificat de cazier judiciar. Will NVC take it?
The Department of State says the certificat de cazier judiciar is no longer accepted for immigration purposes. The certificate to request is the detailed one, the certificat de cazier detaliat.
Can I get a certified copy of my old certificate?
No: the Department of State’s page says certified copies aren’t available. For a new case you request a new certificate.
How long does a police certificate stay valid for NVC?
Two years under NVC’s rule, unless it comes from a country you used to live in and haven’t been back to since it was issued.
How much does the translation cost?
A certificate is usually one page: $25. Each additional page in the same order is $20, so certificates for two family members are $45.
How long does it take?
1–4 documents: within 24 hours after payment; faster, within 12 hours (+$15 a page) or 3 hours (+$30 a page, paid between 8 am and 6 pm Pacific time). For 5 or more, we give you the date with the quote.
How we do it
- Full translation
every stamp, signature and handwritten line
- Signed certificate
with the translator’s name, address and phone
- A PDF, ready to file
original, translation and certificate, translation pages numbered
- Price
$25 for the first page up to 250 words, $20 for each additional page, in the same document or another one.
- Turnaround
1–4 documents: within 24 hours after payment; faster, within 12 hours (+$15 a page) or 3 hours (+$30 a page, paid between 8 am and 6 pm Pacific time). For 5 or more, we give you the date with the quote.
This is a summary of what the agency publishes, not legal advice.