The article examines and analyzes the main stages of the legal regulation of external migration processes by the Republic of Moldova, since the formation of statehood: from 1992 to the present. Attention is paid to the tendencies of migration processes, their influence on the development of the national legal framework, changes in state approaches to their management: from prohibitive norms to an integrated approach to the regulation of external migration processes. At the same time, since migration has complex and global nature, is not only a national but also a regional problem, the article also notes the aspects of transposing into national legislation a part of the European Union Directives in the field of migration, adopted by the country to ensure the visa-free movement of citizens of the Republic of Moldova in the country’s EU and EU Association Agreements. Given the significant amount of information, the article reflects legislative changes, without analyzing the changes in government bodies that regulate these processes.