The Moldovan citizens who are abroad can lodge applications for passports with Moldova's embassies and consular office abroad from today, June 2, Info-Prim Neo reports. Minister of Information and Communication Technology Alexandru Oleinic and Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration Iurie Leanca signed a joint order concerning the procedure for examining these applications. “We aim to simplify this procedure for the citizens who are abroad, including those who gained or regained the Moldovan nationality,” Alexandru Oleinic said. The Moldovans who are abroad on a temporary basis can apply for a new passport in case of expiry, loss or theft or can apply for identification papers for the children who were born abroad. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration manages the processing of applications and issuing of passports, while the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology administers the legalization of documents The passports will be issued within 30 days. The service costs 250 lei. “Cases were reported when Moldovans working abroad applied for passports under power of attorney, but the intermediaries cheated them and asked more money from them,” Alexandru Oleinic said. A number of 35,000 passports of the over 450,000 issued to Moldovans last year were legalized under power of attorney.