Trying to avoid paying crazy ATM fees while traveling in Moldova. Anyone found ATMs that are free for foreign cards? Would love specific banks or locations if possible.
Some Moldovan ATMs are tricky for foreign cards. Victoriabank machines tried to force EUR conversion, which would have given me a worse rate than my bank. But when i did that - it had a complex fee - some 20 MDL fixed fee and then on top of that like 1.5% of my amount. what a scam. My HSBC debit card was also declined at a MAIB. Limits are generally 4,000-8,000 MDL, which isn’t huge if you’re staying longer. My tip: withdraw in Chișinău before heading into villages or the wine regions, because ATMs are scarce outside big towns. Always reject conversion if offered.
I had no major problems withdrawing cash in Moldova. MAIB ATMs near Chișinău city center accepted my Monzo Mastercard and allowed me to take out 4,000 MDL at once with only a 20 MDL fee + 1.5% of the amount. Moldindconbank ATMs were also fine with my Revolut card - charge me like 2% of transaction amount for a 5000 MDL withdrawal. I withdrew twice during my weeklong stay, which covered meals, wine tours, and bus rides. Moldova is fairly cash-based, so it’s worth keeping small bills. I felt the ATMs were more reliable than I expected in such a small country.
In Moldova, the best banks for foreign cards are MAIB (Moldova Agroindbank) and Moldindconbank. My Wise Visa card worked smoothly at MAIB in Chișinău, with a withdrawal limit of 5,000 MDL (about €250) and a small fee of 30 MDL. Moldindconbank had similar limits and fees. Then i tried a few banks and here is what i found:
Victoria bank: 20 MDL and 1.5% of amount fee
Procredit bank: 15MDL + 1.5% of amount fee but only a 50 euro withdrawal limit (ridiculous)
BCR Chisnau: 1.5% of amount fee + 3 euro fixed fee
Comertbank: 1.5% of amount fee + fixed 15 MDL fee
Fincombank: 2.5% of amount or 50 MDL whichever becomes higher depending on your amount of withdrawal
OTP bank: 1.5% of amount fee plus 1 euro fixed fee
Seriously i dont understand wy Moldova banks need to make it this complex. And then some of their machines offered dynamic currency conversion into EUR at bad rates. Stick with MAIB for reliability. ATMs are common in the capital but much rarer in rural areas, so plan ahead.
Moldincon bank charged me 2% of the amount as fee - but i thought this was the best as other banks charge much higher. Next option was MAIB ATM in Moldova worked perfectly with my Visa debit card. No issues at all.