Moldova: SIP providers and connecting a number to your PBX

We do not issue numbers: the venue buys a Moldovan number from a local operator and connects it to its own PBX as a trunk. The common steps — trunk modes, form fields, network requirements and the connectivity check — are described in the overview «Connecting a provider's number to your PBX»; this page covers only what is specific to Moldova: where to get a number, how the ordering works and what exactly to enter in the admin panel.

In brief#

• You can buy a number with a trunk, but you cannot connect «by the instructions on the website». No Moldovan operator publishes a SIP host, port, codecs or a ready-made Asterisk configuration — neither in Romanian nor in Russian. Everything is handed over by an account manager after the contract is signed, so the order of work is always the same: request to the operator → contract → configuration.
• Moldtelecom is the only operator in the country with an openly named «SIP Trunk» product for legal entities: «organise your own internal telephony network over the Internet, a call centre for example». Per the operator's published terms — 60 lei/month, one subscription = 2 simultaneous sessions, up to 10 numbers, numbers in the 02XXXXXXX format.
• IPHOST is the fastest route without corporate sales. It has its own number range in Chișinău (22011XXX) plus toll-free 800801XX, the number is ordered with a button on the website, and in return you get ordinary SIP credentials — server, login and password. The mode is registration.
• Moldcell is the only operator with a known working trunk to a third-party PBX: mss.moldcell.md, UDP, the G.711 A-law codec, IP authentication with no password. It is ordered through the corporate department, not from the website.
• ⚠️ International providers have no Moldovan landline numbers. DIDWW and Zadarma only offer toll-free +373 800 for this country; Zadarma states outright that connecting a number in the Chișinău area is unavailable. A 022 XXXXXX number exists only at a local operator.
• ⚠️ A Moldovan number has 8 digits, while the PBX matches a line by the last seven. The first digit of the area code is dropped, so numbers from the 2X and 3X ranges may collide — see «Numbers in Moldova».
• Paperwork. A contract with a legal entity (incorporation documents, IDNO) or with an individual holding an ID, plus proof of address. A foreign company without a Moldovan registration will in practice not get a landline number from a local operator.

Numbers in Moldova#

Source — the National Numbering Plan approved by order No. 5 of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Regional Development of 12 January 2023.

What this means for routing. The PBX matches a line by the last seven digits of the number, so the input format does not matter: +373 22 011102, 022011102 and 22011102 all produce the same tail 2011102.

⚠️ But an eight-digit number loses the first digit of the area code. Because of that 022 011102 (a geographic Chișinău number) and 032 011102 (the same subscriber number in the location-independent range) become one and the same line for the PBX; area codes differing only in the first digit behave the same way — 0241… and 0341…. With a single number this is safe; if you have several lines from different ranges, compare their last seven digits before adding them.

Who provides a number with a SIP trunk#

The first four rows are the ones with a «What to enter in the admin panel» table below. Nobody publishes the parameters, so those tables show not ready-made values but where to put what the operator gives you. The list of questions for the account manager is in «What to ask your provider».

Moldtelecom#

The state-owned fixed-line operator (S.A. Moldtelecom) and the holder of the main geographic 02XX resource. The only one in the country that calls the service by its name: SIP Trunk — «professional solutions for corporate customers who can organise their own internal telephony network over the Internet, a call centre for example». This is a trunk to your PBX, not their cloud PBX.

Per the terms published by the operator (an archived copy of the «Opțiuni rețea fixă» page, September 2023 — re-check the prices when ordering): activation 120 lei for existing Moldtelecom Internet or IPTV subscribers and 1,000 lei for new ones, a monthly fee of 60 lei including VAT, calls charged at the out-of-bundle rates of the «Standard» business package. One SIP Trunk subscription means 2 simultaneous sessions and up to 10 numbers per subscriber; the numbers are geographic, in the 02XXXXXXX format.

Ordering goes through the corporate sales department: a service contract for a legal entity and an application for SIP Trunk stating the number of sessions and numbers.

What to enter in the admin panel (Telephony → «Trunks and connections» → «Add provider» → the «SIP trunk (custom provider)» card). The operator hands over the values at activation:

What to set up on the provider's side. Count the channels: one subscription allows only 2 simultaneous conversations, so a restaurant that needs 4–6 parallel calls requires 2–3 subscriptions. Declare the numbers (up to 10 per subscriber) and ask to route them to the trunk. Hand over the static IP of your PBX (the «Server» tab) — it is useful both for registration and for IP authentication. Clarify the format in which the number arrives on an incoming call: 02XXXXXXX, 373… or the login.

Pitfalls ⚠️ The «2 sessions per subscription» limit is the strictest among operators in the region: a venue will hit it instantly at peak time, so count the channels before signing. Also check whether SIP Trunk is tied to their own Internet access — the different activation fee for existing and new subscribers hints that it is.

Source: Moldtelecom, «Opțiuni rețea fixă» — the SIP TRUNK section — 09.09.2026.

Moldcell#

One of the two large mobile operators in the country. Its showcase features the cloud Virtual PBX (210/420/820/1,500 lei for 3/7/15/30 users) and there is no dedicated «SIP trunk for a third-party PBX» page — but the trunk exists, and this is the only Moldovan operator with a known working connection of an external PBX: host MSS.MOLDCELL.MD, UDP transport, the alaw codec (G.711 A-law), no password, meaning authentication happens by IP. The name is still alive: mss.moldcell.md resolves to 79.170.228.94.

It is ordered through the corporate department — state it plainly: «a SIP trunk to our Asterisk, we do not need Virtual PBX».

What to enter in the admin panel:

What to set up on the provider's side. Hand over your public static IP for the allowlist — with IP authentication nothing works without it. Clarify which From domain is assigned to your account: in the known configuration it is a personal name like <login>.sip.moldcell.md, while our PBX puts the trunk's SIP host into From — if the operator checks it, this has to be agreed. On your side, allow traffic from the 79.170.228.0/27 subnet and RTP over UDP 10000–20000.

Pitfalls ⚠️ The operator has three similar names, and picking the wrong one means a «green» check against the wrong server: mss.moldcell.md is the trunk, sip.moldcell.md (79.170.224.134) is a different node, and <company>.pbx.moldcell.md is the registrar for extensions of their cloud PBX. Codecs are not a concern: the platform offers PCMA → PCMU → G.729, our PBX speaks G.711 A-law, G.711 µ-law and G.722, so a common codec is always found and G.729 simply never gets selected.

Sources: Moldcell, cloud PBX wiki, Moldcell, Virtual PBX — 09.09.2026.

IPHOST#

A Moldovan data-centre host (Chișinău and Bucharest) that grew into a voice operator. It has its own number resource: geographic Chișinău numbers 22011XXX — with a list of vacant ones right on the website marked «Liber/Rezervat» — and toll-free 800801XX.

Why it matters for us: in the service description the operator explicitly promises to hand over all SIP connection data — server, username and password, rather than a proprietary app, and separately explains that it can accept a number bought from another local or foreign operator — for that you have to request «the IP, login and SIP password» from the previous operator. In other words, this is classic registration, compatible with ordinary softphones and therefore with our trunk.

Ordering is done with the button next to a vacant number on the website; support is round the clock, sales are Mon–Fri 9:00–18:00 (GMT+2), phone 022 011 011, WhatsApp +373 60 700 011. Paperwork is the usual: an ID or incorporation documents plus proof of address.

What to enter in the admin panel:

What to set up on the provider's side. Pick a number from the 22011XXX list (or 800801XX if you need a toll-free one) and order it. Ask for SIP credentials for your own PBX, not for their Virtual PBX. Clarify the number of simultaneous channels per number and the format of the number on incoming calls.

Pitfalls ⚠️ A mobile number cannot be ported into their service — the operator says itself that it is not a mobile carrier; for a mobile number you are left with a GSM gateway or call forwarding. Keep their operational advice in mind too: Internet from 10 Mbit/s, computers and phones on cable, and they do not recommend Wi-Fi for calls.

Sources: IPHOST, «Numere de telefon fix din Moldova», IPHOST, Virtual PBX and FAQ — 09.09.2026.

StarNet#

The largest alternative Internet provider in the country, telephony included. Two products are sold publicly: StarVoice — a fixed number that «can be used from a desk phone, a computer, a tablet or a smartphone by installing the Soft Phone app» (meaning the operator issues a SIP account), and Star VPBX — a cloud PBX at 180/360/540 lei for 5/10/15 extensions, with Grandstream, AudioCodes, Fanvil and 3CX as official hardware partners. For business there are also the Abonamente Largo plans and «numere speciale».

The operator does not publish a separate «trunk to a third-party PBX» product, so the connection starts with a question to the manager: you need SIP credentials for your own PBX, not the app and not their cloud PBX.

What to enter in the admin panel:

What to set up on the provider's side. Order business telephony (Largo) with the number of channels you need rather than a retail plan. Ask for SIP data «for our own PBX». Clarify how many simultaneous registrations and calls are allowed per number.

Pitfalls ⚠️ StarVoice is a retail product, and its simultaneous call limit may turn out to be one or two, which is not enough for a venue. Count the channels before signing.

Sources: StarNet, «Telefonie», StarNet, Star VPBX — 09.09.2026.

Other operators: parameters only under contract#

International providers with Moldovan numbers#

An international provider covers exactly one scenario in Moldova — a toll-free 0800 number for calls from anywhere in the country. A landline 022 XXXXXX cannot be bought from them.

• Zadarma — a single line in the price list for Moldova: 0800, toll-free, $45 activation and $54/month (annual payment is cheaper), with 30 lines included. Documents — a copy of a passport or ID (both sides) and a current address. A separate page for Chișinău states outright that connecting a number in the +373 22 area is unavailable. The Zadarma card is already in the catalogue when adding a provider — the server address and the mode are filled in automatically.
• DIDWW — Moldova is covered, but with Toll Free +373 800 only: the country card lists inbound calling and international outbound, while local SIP trunking, SMS, fax, emergency calling and porting are marked as unavailable. There is no Chișinău landline number at this provider.
• Telnyx — there is a «Moldova virtual phone numbers» country page promising local presence and porting, but it does not describe the number types or the document requirements. Check the availability of free +373 numbers by searching in the provider's portal before paying.
• Small virtual-number resellers advertise «Moldovan numbers» but work on a «number plus forwarding» model: the real channel count and the origin of the number are opaque. For a venue with a real business in the country this is a worse option than a local operator.

Number porting#

• Porting works in the country — for both mobile and fixed numbers; the procedure is run by the regulator ANRCETI (also branded ARCOM), which has dedicated pages «Portabilitatea numerelor» and «Procedura de portare a numerelor de telefon».
• The application is filed with the recipient operator («furnizor acceptor»): it is the one that initiates the port, is responsible for the process and must keep you informed. The indicative deadline is up to 5 working days, longer at the subscriber's request but no more than 30 calendar days from the date of the application; check the exact terms with the operator — they are published in its porting conditions.
• A mobile number cannot be ported to an operator that is not a mobile carrier. IPHOST says so directly. If guests are used to calling a mobile number, you are left with a GSM gateway or forwarding to the new number.
• Register the number to the company. Retail products (StarVoice, ARAX) are sold to individuals and are contractually meant for personal use; a number registered to an employee leaves with them, and a business scenario on a retail plan easily hits the limits.
• The left bank is a separate environment. Porting between the banks is not described publicly, so do not plan to move a Tiraspol number to a right-bank operator.

Rules and paperwork#

If it does not work#

1. There is nothing to type into the form. For Moldova this is normal: no operator's website lists the parameters. Until the contract is signed and the operator sends the connection details, there is nothing to fill the trunk with — first the application, then the configuration. What to ask in a single email is in «What to ask your provider».
2. The Moldcell trunk does not come up even though the address looks right. Check which name exactly is in the «SIP host» field: the trunk is mss.moldcell.md, while sip.moldcell.md and <company>.pbx.moldcell.md are other nodes of the operator, and the latter is meant for extensions of their cloud PBX. Also make sure the operator has added the static IP of your PBX to the allowlist: with IP authentication no call goes through without it.
3. sip.starnet.md is in the «SIP host» field and there is no registration. The name does exist, but no confirmation was obtained that this node accepts a trunk from a third-party PBX. Take the address from the contract and check it with the «Check connection» button.
4. Calls arrive but the wrong line's rule fires. Either the operator sends the trunk login instead of the dialled number on incoming calls, or two numbers share their last seven digits: eight-digit numbering loses the first digit of the area code, so 022 011102 and 032 011102 look identical to the PBX. Compare the endings of your lines — see «Numbers in Moldova».
5. Fewer simultaneous conversations than expected. At Moldtelecom one SIP Trunk subscription equals 2 sessions; to take more calls you need several subscriptions. The retail StarVoice and ARAX plans may be even tighter. Count channels by the contract, not by the number of phone numbers.
6. The operator offers its cloud PBX instead of a trunk. Virtual PBX at Orange and Moldcell, Star VPBX at StarNet and the Sipuni platform replace your PBX rather than complement it: you end up with two PBXs in the chain. The wording is always the same — «we need a SIP trunk to our PBX, we do not need yours».

Country-independent causes are in «If calls do not go through»; the SIP trace in the trunk menu is described there too. Network and codec requirements are in «Network and compatibility».

Frequently asked questions#

Why does no Moldovan operator publish trunk settings?#

That is how the local market works: the service is sold through an account manager and the parameters are considered part of the contract. Moldtelecom publishes the price and the limits but not the settings; Orange and StarNet do not show a trunk separately from their cloud PBX at all. It does not make the connection difficult: from the table the operator sends at activation, the six fields of our form are filled in within five minutes.

Can I buy a Moldovan landline number from Zadarma or DIDWW and skip the local operator?#

No. For Moldova both providers offer only toll-free +373 800, and Zadarma states outright that connecting a number in the Chișinău area is unavailable. A landline 022 XXXXXX exists only at a local operator and in practice only for a local legal entity. A 0800 number is still a perfectly good second number though: calls to it are free from anywhere in the country.

I already have a number with another operator. Can I keep it?#

Yes, if that operator agrees to issue SIP credentials for the number — then it is added as a trunk as is. If it refuses, the number can be ported to someone who does issue them: IPHOST accepts third-party numbers and explains itself which data to request from the previous operator. A mobile number cannot be moved this way — see «Number porting».

How many channels should a venue order?#

Count by peak simultaneous conversations, not by the number of phone numbers: at Moldtelecom one subscription means 2 sessions, so a restaurant usually needs 2–3 subscriptions. At IPHOST and StarNet the channel count per number is agreed when ordering — ask for a figure rather than the word «multichannel».

Will a left-bank number (Tiraspol, Bender) do?#

Only for a venue located there. The codes 0533, 0552, 0555, 0557 are part of the Moldovan numbering plan, but they are served by the regional operator with its own contractual environment, and a trunk to an external PBX is not described publicly — start with a question to the key accounts department. Porting between the banks is not described publicly either.

Sources#

All links checked on 09.09.2026.

Operators

• Moldtelecom — «Opțiuni rețea fixă», the SIP TRUNK section (archived copy, 24.09.2023): https://web.archive.org/web/20230924143225/https://moldtelecom.md/ro/business/Optiuni-retea-fixa
• Moldtelecom — «Opțiuni telefonie fixă pentru afaceri»: https://www.moldtelecom.md/ro/business/optiuni-suplimentare/
• Moldcell — cloud PBX wiki (codecs, subnet, ports): https://wiki.pbx.moldcell.md/sip_phones
• Moldcell — Virtual PBX: https://moldcell.md/rom/pbx
• IPHOST — «Numere de telefon fix din Moldova, conectare prin SIP»: https://iphost.md/numere-de-telefon-fix-din-moldova
• IPHOST — Virtual PBX and FAQ: https://iphost.md/virtual-pbx-statistica-apeluri-modova
• StarNet — «Telefonie» (StarVoice): https://www.starnet.md/ro/services/telefonie
• StarNet — Star VPBX: https://www.starnet.md/ro/business/voip/vpbx
• Orange Moldova — Virtual PBX: https://www.orange.md/ro/business/virtualpbx
• Orange Moldova — «Telefonie fixă» (the Voce Business plan, terms of use): https://www.orange.md/ro/business/telefonie-fixa
• ARAX — «Telefonie»: https://arax.md/telefonie/
• Sipuni Moldova: https://sipuni.md/
• Interdnestrcom (IDC) — business solutions: https://b2b.idc.md/solutions/it-telekommunikatsii-i-svyaz

Regulator and numbering

• ANRCETI/ARCOM — National Numbering Plan (order No. 5 of 12.01.2023): https://www.anrceti.md/node/81
• ANRCETI — «Portabilitatea numerelor»: https://www.anrceti.md/42e_portabilitatea_numerelor
• ANRCETI — «Procedura de portare a numerelor de telefon»: https://www.anrceti.md/portabilitatea_mob
• Moldcell — number porting terms and conditions (PDF): https://moldcell.md/files/Policies/Termeni%20pentru%20portabilitatea%20numerelor%20ro.pdf
• Ministry of Justice — on Law No. 195/2024 on the protection of personal data: https://justice.gov.md/ro/content/noua-lege-privind-protectia-datelor-cu-caracter-personal-reprezinta-un-pas-esential
• National Centre for Personal Data Protection — analysis of Law No. 195/2024: https://datepersonale.md/legea-nr-195-2024-privind-protectia-datelor-cu-caracter-personal-principalele-prevederi-si-noutati-legislative/

International providers

• Zadarma — virtual phone number in Moldova (0800 only): https://zadarma.com/en/tariffs/numbers/moldova/
• Zadarma — phone numbers in Chișinău +373 22 (connection unavailable): https://zadarma.com/en/tariffs/numbers/moldova/chisinau/direction-2485/
• DIDWW — Moldova, Toll Free +373 800: https://www.didww.com/phone-numbers/all-phone-numbers/Moldova/Toll_Free
• Telnyx — Moldova virtual phone numbers: https://telnyx.com/global-coverage/moldova

Related pages#

• Connecting a provider's number to your PBX — the common steps, trunk modes, network, connectivity check.
• Setting up SIP phones — how to connect desk phones and DECT handsets to extensions.