DeschideCompanie Every company in Moldova declares what it actually does when it registers. These are the fields you choose from, how crowded each one is, and which of them need a licence before you start.
Moldova has around 74,000 small and medium companies, and nearly every company in the country is that size. They are not spread evenly — trade alone weighs as much as the next four sectors combined.
At registration you declare a maximum of five main activities. One is the primary activity and the rest are secondary, and nothing obliges you to use them all from day one. The list can be changed later through an application to the Public Services Agency, so the first choice does not lock you in.
Precision matters more. The CAEM-2 classifier goes down to class level, four digits, and the difference between 47.91 — selling online — and retail in general genuinely changes how your company is read by a bank, by customs, and by sector inspections.
Law no. 160/2011 sets out exhaustively which activities are carried on under licence — 22 in all, from alcohol and tobacco trade through to pharmacies, casinos, energy and telecoms. The rest of the economy registers and starts trading. Of the 37 fields below, 18 touch at least one licensed activity, and the card tells you which one and who issues it.
Almost a third of Moldova’s small and medium companies resell something — to consumers or to other businesses.
Grocery shops, boutiques, market stalls, second-hand goods. The code follows what you actually sell, and division 47 holds 37 of them.
These are the most common codes in the field, not the complete list. You declare up to five at registration.
Selling online or by mail order has its own code, 47.91, separate from a physical shop. Plenty of companies declare both.
No activity in this field appears on the list of licensed ones. Ordinary registration is all it takes.
These are the most common codes in the field, not the complete list. You declare up to five at registration.
Selling mainly to other businesses, from a warehouse or through agents. Distribute alcohol or tobacco and the licence comes before the first delivery.
These are the most common codes in the field, not the complete list. You declare up to five at registration.
Vehicle sales, repair shops and the parts trade sit together under division 45 — motorcycles included.
No activity in this field appears on the list of licensed ones. Ordinary registration is all it takes.
These are the most common codes in the field, not the complete list. You declare up to five at registration.
Petrol, diesel and LPG can only be sold under an ANRE licence, and the annual fee is paid per station.
These are the most common codes in the field, not the complete list. You declare up to five at registration.
Everything grown, made or extracted in Moldova. The group with the most licensed activities in it.
Crops, livestock, vineyards, forestry and fishing. Moldova’s third largest sector by number of small and medium companies.
These are the most common codes in the field, not the complete list. You declare up to five at registration.
From a bakery to a winery. Beer and alcoholic production need a licence from the Public Services Agency, though wine is the exception, under the Vine and Wine Law no. 57/2006.
These are the most common codes in the field, not the complete list. You declare up to five at registration.
Tailoring, garment factories, leather and footwear. Lohn production for clients abroad registers here too.
No activity in this field appears on the list of licensed ones. Ordinary registration is all it takes.
These are the most common codes in the field, not the complete list. You declare up to five at registration.
Joinery, made-to-order furniture, sawn timber. Division 16 covers the material and 31 the finished product — many workshops declare both.
No activity in this field appears on the list of licensed ones. Ordinary registration is all it takes.
These are the most common codes in the field, not the complete list. You declare up to five at registration.
Manufacture of basic pharmaceutical products and preparations. The Medicines Agency licence applies regardless of volume.
These are the most common codes in the field, not the complete list. You declare up to five at registration.
Chemicals, plastics, metal, machinery, electronics, industrial repair. Only weapons, explosives and pyrotechnics need a licence. Metal structures and machining need an environmental permit.
These are the most common codes in the field, not the complete list. You declare up to five at registration.
Stone, limestone, sand, gravel and clay, oil and gas, geological exploration. The subsoil belongs to the state and is granted for use: by tender, or without one to whoever explored the deposit at their own expense.
These are the most common codes in the field, not the complete list. You declare up to five at registration.
Who builds, who manages and who keeps the networks running. Utilities are licensed almost end to end.
Buildings, roads and networks, installation and finishing work, property development. No licence since 2017: the company is entered in the inspectorate’s register and works with a certified site manager.
These are the most common codes in the field, not the complete list. You declare up to five at registration.
Brokerage, valuation, letting and managing apartment blocks. No licence: agents and valuers hold personal certificates, and the agency reports every brokerage agreement.
These are the most common codes in the field, not the complete list. You declare up to five at registration.
A generation licence is needed from 5 MW, a supply licence from the first customer. Gas requires one million lei on hand, and EV charging points need no licence.
These are the most common codes in the field, not the complete list. You declare up to five at registration.
The networks belong to the locality, and a company operates them under a delegated management contract. An ANRE licence is needed only above 10,000 inhabitants; septic emptying needs none but has rules since 2026.
These are the most common codes in the field, not the complete list. You declare up to five at registration.
There is no licence, not even for scrap metal. Facilities run on an environmental permit, and metal accepted from private individuals has its own rules: ID records, video surveillance and a cap on cash payments.
These are the most common codes in the field, not the complete list. You declare up to five at registration.
Companies that work for other companies. The financial half is the most densely licensed part of the economy.
Accounting and audit firms, legal and management consultancies — no licence needed. Lawyers, notaries and bailiffs do not practise through companies: their offices are registered with the Ministry of Justice.
These are the most common codes in the field, not the complete list. You declare up to five at registration.
Architecture and design practices, cadastral surveying, laboratories, research and development. No licence since 2017: the firm notifies the inspectorate, and the specialists who sign are certified.
These are the most common codes in the field, not the complete list. You declare up to five at registration.
Advertising agencies, market research, design, photography and translation. Nothing here needs a licence, but billboards are notified to the town hall and translations for notaries are signed by an authorised translator.
These are the most common codes in the field, not the complete list. You declare up to five at registration.
Six different licences and a single authority: all of them come from the National Bank, and the permissive-acts law does not apply here.
These are the most common codes in the field, not the complete list. You declare up to five at registration.
Insurers and brokers, pension funds, investment firms. Insurance moved to the National Bank; the capital market stayed with the National Commission for Financial Markets.
These are the most common codes in the field, not the complete list. You declare up to five at registration.
Pawnshops and dealing in precious metals and stones are licensed together. Non-bank lending is not licensed at all — it is approved.
These are the most common codes in the field, not the complete list. You declare up to five at registration.
The only group with a tax regime of its own: eligible companies pay 7% of turnover through Moldova IT Park.
Custom software development, IT consultancy, infrastructure management, hosting and data processing. This is where companies join IT Park from.
These are the most common codes in the field, not the complete list. You declare up to five at registration.
Electronic communications operators need an ANRCETI licence for frequencies and numbering. Broadcasters need one from the Audiovisual Council.
These are the most common codes in the field, not the complete list. You declare up to five at registration.
Publishers, film and video production, post-production studios, video games. No licence, unlike broadcasting.
These are the most common codes in the field, not the complete list. You declare up to five at registration.
Freight, people, and everything that passes through a warehouse or customs.
Freight haulage, taxis, urban and intercity passenger transport, removals. Each has its own code inside division 49.
No activity in this field appears on the list of licensed ones. Ordinary registration is all it takes.
These are the most common codes in the field, not the complete list. You declare up to five at registration.
Warehouses, transport support services, post and courier. Customs brokerage is the only activity in the group that needs a licence.
These are the most common codes in the field, not the complete list. You declare up to five at registration.
Where free time gets spent — from a coffee shop to a casino.
Restaurants, bars, event catering and other food service. Division 56 has four classes, not one.
These are the most common codes in the field, not the complete list. You declare up to five at registration.
Hotels, guesthouses, short-stay accommodation, travel agencies and tour operators. Accommodation and brokerage sit in different CAEM sections.
No activity in this field appears on the list of licensed ones. Ordinary registration is all it takes.
These are the most common codes in the field, not the complete list. You declare up to five at registration.
One CAEM class, 92.00, and a strict licence. The fee is recalculated for every gaming table or roulette unit added to the licence annex.
These are the most common codes in the field, not the complete list. You declare up to five at registration.
Gyms, clubs, theatres, museums and libraries. The only licensed activity in the group is fireworks displays.
These are the most common codes in the field, not the complete list. You declare up to five at registration.
Health, education, care, and the services other companies depend on. None of these sectors is published separately by the statistics office.
Medical practices, private clinics, dentistry, residential and non-residential care. Pharmacies fall under the same licence as medicine manufacturing.
These are the most common codes in the field, not the complete list. You declare up to five at registration.
Private nurseries and schools, language courses, driving schools, vocational training centres.
No activity in this field appears on the list of licensed ones. Ordinary registration is all it takes.
These are the most common codes in the field, not the complete list. You declare up to five at registration.
Hairdressing, cosmetics, body treatment, dry cleaning. Division 96 gathers them all, across five classes.
No activity in this field appears on the list of licensed ones. Ordinary registration is all it takes.
These are the most common codes in the field, not the complete list. You declare up to five at registration.
Placement agencies need a licence, whether they place people at home or abroad. The same licence covers student exchange programmes.
These are the most common codes in the field, not the complete list. You declare up to five at registration.
Cleaning, call centres, exhibition organisation and secretarial work need no permit. Security is the exception: de-licensed in 2017, it now requires an authorisation from the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
These are the most common codes in the field, not the complete list. You declare up to five at registration.
You can declare up to five main activities at registration. One of them is the primary activity and the rest are secondary. Codes are chosen from the CAEM-2 classifier, and the list can be changed later through an application to the Public Services Agency.
It depends on the activity, not on the legal form. Law no. 160/2011 sets out exhaustively which activities are carried on under licence — from alcohol and tobacco trade through to banks, pharmacies, casinos and energy. Most businesses in Moldova need no licence, only registration.
Wholesale and retail trade. Around 23,000 small and medium companies work in trade, close to a third of the total. Professional, scientific and technical activities follow at roughly 10%, and agriculture at roughly 9%.
Yes. The CAEM codes you declare are not final. You can add or replace activities by amending the data in the State Register, without re-founding the company.
The one that most precisely describes what the company will do, at class level — four digits. If you sell online, for example, the class is 47.91, not retail in general. Search for the activity in the CAEM-2 classifier, or tell us what you plan to do and we will pick the codes.
Yes. Eligible IT companies can join Moldova IT Park and pay a single tax of 7% of turnover instead of most other taxes. The eligible activity list is wider than divisions 62 and 63 — it also covers software and computer game publishing, data processing, research and development, specialised design and, for export only, contact centres.
Tell us what you plan to do and we will pick the CAEM codes, check whether the activity needs a licence, and prepare the constitutive documents. Code selection is also a standalone service if your company is already registered.