Frequently asked questions on UNHCR’s cash assistance programme and the linkage to legal status

UNHCR is committed to assisting refugees in need and obtaining a secure legal status is an important way to ensure that your stay is secured in the country and that you can access available government services. Most government services in Moldova require a person to have legal status to access them.

The main change to UNHCR’s cash assistance programme is the requirement to demonstrate your legal status in Moldova. Those who face obstacles in obtaining legal status, can approach us or our colleagues from the Law Center of Advocates (CDA – Centrul de Drept al Avocaților) for support. For the time being, all other vulnerability requirements remain the same, but they will be adjusted accordingly in the first half of 2024 to ensure our assistance to the most vulnerable refugees.

These documents are:
– Temporary Protection identity card
– Asylum-seeker certificate
– Refugee Status Beneficiary ID
– Stateless Applicant ID
– Stateless Status certificate
– Humanitarian Protection ID
– Resident permit

As noted above, the Law Center of Advocates (CDA), a partner of UNHCR, provides free legal counselling and can help you address any legal problem you might encounter. You can reach CDA at 0605 74 848 or visit their website at CDA – Centrul de Drept al Avocaților.

The government has extended Temporary Protection for another year, until 1 March 2025.

In case some family members do not have legal status where others have, the family members who are with legal status will be eligible with cash assistance. For the others, case-by-case assessment will be conducted to understand the reasons of not having the legal status and necessary referrals and counselling to be provided by UNHCR’s legal partners. Approach a Cash Enrolment Centre for further counselling.

UNHCR provides cash assistance to refugees and stateless persons from Ukraine and their families who reside in Moldova. This includes Ukrainian nationals displaced by the war and their family members as well as third country nationals who had a recognized asylum or stateless status in Ukraine.

To receive cash assistance, you need to qualify under the eligibility criteria of the programme, which include arrival from Ukraine.

You can call the Cash Assistance Helpline 0 800 10823 and request a mobile team. Mobile teams are available to help facilitate access to the UNHCR cash programme for people with disabilities, limited mobility, older people, or others with severe medical conditions who are unable to approach a centre. If you already have Temporary Protection, TP, you can update your legal status directly at Update your information with UNHCR – UNHCR Moldova

You might have not updated your legal status with UNHCR. As of 01 March 2024, if you want to continue to receive cash assistance, you need to demonstrate that you have obtained a legal status in Moldova. If you are still in Moldova and have secured a legal status, please update this information with UNHCR:
ONLINE – by accessing Update your information with UNHCR – UNHCR Moldova
IN PERSON – by approaching a Cash Enrolment Centre with the government-issued document.

If you did not appear for a verification appointment at a Cash Enrolment Centre, you are likely to receive this kind of message. In case you are still in Moldova and wish to continue to receive cash support you first need to verify your presence. If you have been in the country for more than two months, you will also need to demonstrate that you have obtained a legal status in Moldova. Please keep in mind that, in order to continue to receive cash assistance you need to be present on the territory of Moldova.

Our systems showed that we don’t have your legal status on the record. Remember, if you have been in Moldova for more than two months, you will need to demonstrate that you have obtained legal status in the country. Please approach the closest Cash Enrolment Centre to update your status with UNHCR or access Update your information with UNHCR – UNHCR Moldova

If they are registered before 01 January 2024, yes, they will continue receiving assistance until further notice.

UNHCR has information indicating that you or a member of your family is a Moldovan citizen, and you registered with us before January 2024. Moldovan citizens are eligible to benefit from the government’s social protection system. Thus, we will help you transition from UNHCR’s cash assistance programme to other national programmes available in the country.

If your case was inactivated because you did not show up for verification you will not receive the March payment. If you approach the closest Cash Enrolment Centre to verify your presence in the country and you have legal status your case will be reactivated, and you will be able to receive payments in the following months.
If your case was put on hold because you failed to update your legal status, to continue to receive cash assistance you will first need to confirm that your stay in Moldova is legal. Once this is completed, you will receive the current month’s payment within 10 working days.
Please approach the closest Cash Enrolment Centre to update your status with UNHCR or access Update your information with UNHCR – UNHCR Moldova

Persons who enrol in UNHCR’s cash assistance programme after 1 January 2024 and who plan to remain in Moldova will be eligible for an initial two months of cash assistance as per the current eligibility criteria which are listed below:
• They are a national of Ukraine, a family member of a national of Ukraine, or had refugee or stateless status in Ukraine, and arrived in Moldova shortly before or after 24 February 2022;
• Family with one or more dependents;
• Family headed by a single parent;
• Family headed by a child (below 18);
• Family with an unaccompanied or separated child;
• Family headed by an older person (above 60);
• Family with one or more persons with specific needs (a person with a disability, pregnant woman, person with a serious medical condition, woman at risk, person with legal and physical protection needs, LGBTI person).
Individuals who are not eligible for an initial two months of cash assistance are:
• Moldovan nationals;
• Moldovan nationals acting as guardians for Ukrainian Unaccompanied/Separated Children (UASC);
• Third-country nationals who are not a family member of a Ukrainian refugee and/or who did not have refugee status or stateless status in Ukraine;
• All nationals who fled Ukraine and who do not intend to remain in Moldova but rather immediately transit to another country. After or during the initial two-month period, refugees will be expected to demonstrate that they have obtained a more secure legal status in Moldova, which will allow them to access government services. Continued eligibility for cash will be considered on a case-by-case basis for those who face obstacles in obtaining legal status or are unable to do so for reasons beyond their control.

If you arrived in Moldova after 1 January 2024, you are eligible to two months of cash assistance. Continued cash assistance is dependent on your legal status. Please keep in mind that in order to continue to receive cash assistance you need to be present on the territory of the Republic of Moldova.

No, they won’t.

Based on the current policy, if the children have a proven Ukrainian citizenship, then they will receive cash assistance for an initial two-month period. After this period, they will be expected to confirm their legal status in Moldova.

Moldovan nationals can apply for other social protection programmes. Information about social programs can be accessed on the MoLSP website – Ministerul Muncii și Protecţiei Sociale (gov.md). Additional information about accessing social assistance measures (allowances, benefits) is published on the Public Services Portal (Portalul Serviciilor Publice-Evenimente de viaţă (gov.md)) and the National Social Insurance House (Casa Națională de Asigurări Sociale (gov.md)).

Your case will be examined individually. Please fill up the Cash Feedback form.

We apologize for the confusion. Due to a technical error, you should disregard the 1st message. The 2nd message applies to you.

That message applies to you.

If you have updated your legal status with us, you should continue to receive cash assistance as normal.