"This article details a research project undertaken in the border region between Romania and the Republic of Moldova, involving interviews with residents in towns on either side of the border. The study sought to deal with the question as to how the lives and circumstances of border residents had been affected by Romania's accession to the EU from 1 January 2007 and, in so doing, to analyse the current status of the nation-building project amongst Moldovans and their perceptions of national identity. The author analyses data on border crossings, and the views of project interviewees, against the tricky backdrop of changing passport and visa requirements, and discusses what Romanian passport and citizenship applications means for the national identity of Moldovans. The article goes on to explore language and other issues explored in the research concerning national identity, concluding that the results are somewhat ambiguous and reflective of a more pragmatic than emotional approach amongst the interviewees to the issue of national identity. "

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