Visa requirements for Transnistrian citizens are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on citizens of the Transnistria.
Visa requirements for Transnistrian citizens are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on citizens of the Transnistria.
Transnistria is not recognised by the majority of nations of the world (with the exceptions of the partially recognized Abkhazia and South Ossetia). Transnistrian passport is not valid for travel to most countries in the world. Dual nationality is permitted. Most citizens are entitled to either a Moldovan, Russian or Ukrainian passport for travel abroad. [1]
Transnistrian passport can only be used to travel to Abkhazia and South Ossetia. These countries are visa-free for Transnistrian citizens.
Transnistria is the exonym for Pridnestrovie, officially known as the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic (PMR), which is an unrecognised state internationally considered to be part of Moldova. Transnistria controls most of the narrow strip of land between the Dniester river and the Moldovan–Ukrainian border, as well as some land on the other side of the river's bank. Its capital and largest city is Tiraspol. Transnistria has been recognised only by three other unrecognised or partially recognised breakaway states: Abkhazia, Artsakh, and South Ossetia. Transnistria is officially designated by the Republic of Moldova as the Administrative-Territorial Units of the Left Bank of the Dniester or as Stînga Nistrului. In March 2022, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe adopted a resolution that defines the territory as under military occupation by Russia.
The Transnistria conflict is an ongoing frozen conflict between Moldova and the unrecognized state of Transnistria. Its most active phase was the Transnistria War. There have been several attempts to resolve the conflict, although none have been successful. The conflict may be considered as having started on 2 September 1990, when Transnistria made a formal sovereignty declaration from Moldova.
The Community for Democracy and Rights of Nations, also commonly and colloquially known as the Commonwealth of Unrecognized States, rarely as CIS-2, is an international organization in Eastern Europe and Western Asia of four breakaway states in the territory of the former Soviet Union, all of which have limited to no recognition from the international community.
The Republic of Artsakh was a republic with limited recognition in the South Caucasus region. The Republic of Artsakh controlled most of the territory of the former Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast. It is recognized only by three other non-UN member states, Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Transnistria. The rest of the international community recognizes Artsakh as part of Azerbaijan. In November 2012, a member of Uruguay's foreign relations committee stated that his country could recognize Nagorno-Karabakh's independence. In 2012, Armenia and Tuvalu established diplomatic relations and it was expected that Tuvalu may recognize Artsakh's independence. In October 2012, the Australian state of New South Wales recognized Nagorno-Karabakh. In September 2014, the Basque Parliament in Spain adopted a motion supporting Artsakh's right to self-determination and in November 2014, the Parliament of Navarre, also in Spain, issued a statement supporting Artsakh's inclusion in taking part in settlement negotiations.
The Republic of Abkhazia is a partially recognized state in the South Caucasus which declared independence from Georgia during the War in Abkhazia (1992–1993). At the time, the Soviet Union had recently collapsed (1991).
The Transnistrian passport is issued to citizens of the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic for the purpose of international travel and for the purpose of legal identification within Transnistria.
Armenia allows citizens of specific countries and territories to visit Armenia for tourism or business purposes without having to obtain a visa or allows them to obtain a visa on arrival or online. For some countries the visa requirement waiver is practiced on ad hoc basis and is not formalized by a bilateral agreement. Citizens of the Commonwealth of Independent States and citizens of all Eurasian Economic Union and European Union member states may enter Armenia without a visa.
Visa requirements for Estonian citizens are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on citizens of Estonia. As of May 2023, Estonian citizens had visa-free or visa on arrival access to 183 countries and territories, ranking the Estonian passport 11th in the world according to the Henley Passport Index. Holders of Estonian alien's passport face different visa requirements.
Visa requirements for Latvian citizens are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on citizens of Latvia. As of May 2023, Latvian citizens had visa-free or visa on arrival access to 184 countries and territories, ranking the Latvian passport 10th in terms of travel freedom according to the Henley-on-Thames Passport Index.
International recognition of Transnistria – a disputed region in Eastern Europe located between Moldova and Ukraine – is controversial. Although Transnistria declared independence in 1990, no United Nations member recognises its sovereignty and the region is considered by the UN to be part of Moldova. Currently, only Abkhazia, the Republic of Artsakh and South Ossetia recognise its independence, all themselves states with limited recognition. Despite not officially recognizing Transnistria's independence, Russia has close relations with Transnistria and even established a consulate in the territory. The Council of Europe considers the region a Russian-occupied territory.
In accordance with the law, citizens of all countries require a visa to visit Turkmenistan, unless they have special passports. From 2003–2013, people from certain parts of Kazakhstan or Uzbekistan also enjoyed visa exemptions. To obtain a tourist visa for Turkmenistan, all foreign nationals must supply an invitation letter issued by a travel agency licensed in Turkmenistan.
Artsakhi passports were issued to Artsakhi citizens to travel outside the partially recognized Republic of Artsakh. They were also used as proof of identity within the country. Passports of the Republic of Artsakh were issued based on amendments to the Constitution of Artsakh of 2006.
Visitors to the Republic of Abkhazia must obtain an entry permit unless they are a citizen of one of the visa-exempt countries.
Visitors to Artsakh had to obtain a visa, unless they came from one of the visa exempt countries.
Transnistria does not require foreign citizens to obtain a visa; however, foreign citizens need to obtain and fill out a migration card. The validity period is 45 days with the possibility of extension for a period not exceeding 3 years. In addition, citizens belonging to the members of the Community for Democracy and Rights of Nations may also visit Transnistria without a visa. Foreign citizens can enter using an internal passport or an ID card in lieu of a passport.
South Ossetia does not issue visas. However, visitors are required to receive approval from the South Ossetian government in advance of their visit unless they are citizens of exempt country. South Ossetia may only be entered through Russia. Visitors are required to hold a valid Russian visa that permits them to return to Russia unless they are Russian citizens or citizens of countries that are exempt from Russian visa requirements.
Since Abkhazia is only recognised as a sovereign state by a handful of nations, most countries do not accept Abkhaz passports and impose administrative entry restrictions on citizens of Abkhazia.
Visa requirements for South Ossetian citizens are administrative entry restrictions imposed on citizens of South Ossetia by the authorities of other states.
The government of Transnistria, a breakaway state internationally recognized as part of Moldova, has requested annexation by Russia numerous times. Transnistria is a territory that separated itself from Moldova due to fear of a possible unification of the latter with Romania. This sparked the Transnistria War, in which Russian-backed Transnistria managed to stay separate from Moldova. Despite this, today Transnistria is legally and internationally considered part of Moldova.