Dealing with a Death Abroad in Romania

Dealing with a death abroad in Romania (also the death of a relative in Romania, registering a death, a death certificate abroad or the repatriation of remains, in Romanian repatriere) covers what a family faces when a foreign national dies in Romania, or when a person with family or property in Romania dies in another country. Some older lists and lawyer pages call this service “Managing the Death Abroad of a Loved one”.

When someone dies in Romania

1. A doctor issues the medical certificate of death (certificat medical constatator al decesului).
2. The death is registered with the civil registry office (serviciul de stare civilă) of the town hall (primărie), which issues the death certificate (certificat de deces); a multilingual extract can be requested for use abroad.
3. If the death was sudden, violent or unexplained, the police and the prosecutor are involved and a forensic examination may be carried out by the Institute of Legal Medicine (IML) before the body is released.
4. The embassy or consulate of the deceased’s country is informed and records the death there.
5. A funeral company arranges a local burial or cremation, or the repatriation of the body with the transport permit and the consular papers it needs.

When a person linked to Romania dies in another country

A death certificate issued abroad is apostilled and translated before a Romanian notary can open the succession, and when the person was a Romanian citizen it is also transcribed into the Romanian civil registers (transcriere). Many families also arrange to bring the relative home for burial in Romania.

Practical points

• Travel or life insurance often covers repatriation; the insurer is contacted before costs are agreed with a funeral company.
• Bank accounts in the deceased’s name are usually frozen until the heirs are confirmed.
• A rental contract, a car or a company in Romania each need their own steps.
• The time allowed for registering a death is short and the papers depend on the case; a lawyer confirms the current rules.

What a lawyer does

An English-speaking lawyer acts for a family that cannot travel, deals with the town hall, the police and the funeral company, obtains death certificates and apostilles, and acts under a power of attorney. The lawyer then opens the inheritance procedure before a notary and can close the bank accounts of the deceased.

Questions and answers

Who registers a death in Romania?

Usually a family member, a funeral company acting with the family’s written authorisation, or the hospital. The town hall’s civil registry issues the death certificate.

Can a body be repatriated from Romania?

Yes. A funeral company prepares the body and the transport documents, and the consulate of the destination country confirms what it requires. Cremation and the return of the ashes is another option.

Is an autopsy always carried out?

No. A forensic examination is ordered when the cause of death is unclear, violent or suspicious; the family is told when the body can be released.

What happens to property in Romania after the death?

It passes through a succession before a Romanian notary, who issues a certificate of inheritance to the heirs.