Rules applicable in the event of a death

What should you do in the case of a death abroad?

If one of your family members or relatives has died abroad, you may find the following information useful:

• the death must be registered with the local authorities in the country concerned;
• the death can also be registered with the Romanian embassy or consulate in the country where you are (not mandatory);

if the Romanian embassy or consulate is notified of the death by the local authorities, they will immediately inform the Ministry of Home Affairs in Romania, which will notify the family of the death of the Romanian citizen.

Registration of the death with the Romanian embassy or consulate allows a Romanian death certificate to be issued.

A Romanian death certificate can only be issued on the basis of a death certificate issued initially by the local authorities in the country concerned and other documents provided for in Romanian legislation. If the death has not been registered with the embassy or consulate, the Romanian death certificate will be issued in the country by the Romanian authorities, on the basis of the foreign death certificate and other documents provided for in Romanian legislation.

Transporting the body to Romania

Transportation is possible only under the requirements laid down in the national legislation of the country concerned and in accordance with the applicable international rules.

A death passport is required for the international transportation of corpses. This is issued by the Romanian embassy or consulate (no death passport is required for transporting urns with ashes after cremation).