External debt is an integral part of most financial systems of the world's states and plays a significant role at the macroeconomic level of any country. It can be viewed on the positive side, as it contributes to the growth of countries' financial resources, and on the negative side, it contributes to an increase in financial risks in the context of the economic crisis. One of the most acute problems of the stability of the economy of any country is the possibility of paying off external debt. The total amount of external debt, as well as the existence of overdue debt, significantly affects the country's rating and its position in the international credit market. If the credit rating of a country or its residents is low, then the conditions for granting new loans will be tougher. Countries with a high level of arrears, access to global credit markets is almost closed. For these countries, the only source of external loans will be the resources of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. The purpose of this article is to analyze the external debt of the Republic of Moldova, its structure, and consider the possibilities of its settlement. In the course of writing the article, various research methods were used, such as methods of monographic abstract-logical analysis, methods of comparative analysis, deductive and computational-analytical methods.