What to Do When Someone Dies in Albania: 5-Step Official Checklist

1. 1

   Obtain Medical Certification of Death

   • Death in a hospital or clinical facility: When a person dies in a public or licensed private hospital in Albania, the attending physician confirms the death and issues the official Medical Death Certificate (Skeda e Vdekjes / Raporti Mjekësor i Vdekjes) under the protocols of the Ministry of Health and Social Protection [1]. The hospital also transmits the electronic death notification to the civil registry system and provides the signed medical form required for burial and civil registration [1] [2].
   • Death at home: If your family member passes away at a private residence, you must contact the National Medical Emergency Center (Qendra Kombëtare e Urgjencës Mjekësore, telephone 127) or the family physician at the local municipal health center (Qendra Shëndetësore) [1]. The examining doctor verifies the death on site, rules out non-natural causes, and completes the official medical certificate of death (Skeda e Vdekjes) [1].
   • Unexpected, accidental, or unexplained death: Where the death is sudden, unnatural, or occurs under unknown circumstances outside medical supervision, you must notify the State Police (Policia e Shtetit, telephone 129) [1]. The prosecutor orders an examination by the Institute of Forensic Medicine (Instituti i Mjekësisë Ligjore), which issues the forensic death report and burial clearance once the examination concludes [1].
2. 2

   Register the Death with the Civil Registry

   • Statutory deadline and authority: Under Law No. 10129 on Civil Status (Për Gjendjen Civile), a death occurring inside Albania must be declared at the local Civil Status Office (Zyra e Gjendjes Civile) of the municipality or administrative unit where the death occurred or where the deceased was registered within 10 days of the death (or within 60 days if the death occurred abroad and is registered via an Albanian consular mission) [2].
   • Required documentation: A family member, household member, or authorized funeral representative submits the original Medical Death Certificate (Skeda e Vdekjes) signed by the physician or forensic examiner, the deceased's biometric identity card (Letërnjoftim) or passport, and the informant's identification document to the Civil Status Office [2].
   • Obtaining official death certificates via e-Albania: Once the civil registrar records the Act of Death (Akti i Vdekjes) in the National Registry of Civil Status, the deceased is deregistered from the active population register, and family members can immediately download the official Death Certificate (Certifikatë nga akti i vdekjes) with a legally binding electronic seal through the e-Albania Government Portal [2]. Multilingual certificates and Apostille legalization (via the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs) can also be requested for international use [2].
3. 3

   Arrange Burial, Cremation, or International Repatriation

   • Engaging a licensed funeral agency and burial permit: Families engage a licensed private funeral service agency (agjenci funerale) or the municipal funeral and cemetery administration (such as Agjencia e Shërbimeve Funerale in the Municipality of Tirana) [1] [2]. Burial in a public or municipal cemetery requires the burial permit (Leje Varrimi) issued upon presentation of the Medical Death Certificate and civil declaration [1] [2]. Because Albania does not currently operate a domestic crematorium, cremation requests require international transport of remains to a licensed crematorium in a neighboring country [1].
   • International repatriation of remains: If your family member was a foreign citizen or is to be buried or cremated outside Albania, the funeral agency coordinates the international mortuary passport (Leje kalimi kufitar për trupin e të ndjerit), sanitary-epidemiological sealing certification in a hermetically soldered zinc-lined coffin under the State Health Inspectorate and the Ministry of Health and Social Protection, and consular clearance from the destination embassy [1] [2].
   • Legalization of documents for cross-border transport: For repatriation abroad, the Albanian Death Certificate, medical certificate proving the absence of contagious disease, and embalming certificate must carry an Apostille stamp from the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs along with certified translations [2].
4. 4

   Notify Social Security, Pension, Health, Tax, and Banking Authorities

   • Funeral expense grant (Shpërblimi për rast vdekjeje): Under Albania's social insurance legislation administered by the Social Insurance Institute (Instituti i Sigurimeve Shoqërore - ISSH), when an insured employee, pensioner, or dependent family member dies, the person who bore the funeral costs is entitled to a statutory lump-sum funeral grant equal to one month's minimum old-age pension [3] [4]. Applications are submitted online via the e-Albania Government Portal or at the regional ISSH directory with the death certificate and funeral payment invoices [2] [3] [4].
   • Family survivor pension (Pensioni familjar): Surviving spouses, orphan children (up to age 18, or up to age 25 if enrolled in full-time daytime study), and dependent parents or grandchildren meeting statutory criteria may apply for a monthly family survivor pension (pensioni familjar) from the Social Insurance Institute through its online e-Albania integration [3] [4].
   • Health insurance, tax, and bank notifications: Deregistration in the National Registry of Civil Status updates the Compulsory Health Care Insurance Fund (FSDKSH), while families must present the Death Certificate to commercial banks to freeze individual bank accounts, stop automatic debits, and obtain account balance statements as of the date of death for succession proceedings [2]. Any active sole proprietorship (person fizik) registered with the National Business Center (QKB) and the General Directorate of Taxes must also be closed or transferred [2].
5. 5

   Administer the Estate and Notarial Succession Proceedings

   • Issuance of the Certificate of Inheritance by a public notary: Under the Civil Code of the Republic of Albania and Law No. 110/2018 on Notariat, non-contentious succession proceedings are conducted directly by a public notary registered with the National Chamber of Notaries of Albania (Dhoma Kombëtare e Noterisë) [5].
   • Verification of wills and statutory heirs: Heirs submit a formal request to an Albanian notary along with the Death Certificate, family composition certificate (Certifikatë familjare) from the e-Albania Government Portal showing all legal heirs, and property documents [2] [5]. The notary searches the National Register of Wills (Regjistri Kombëtar i Testamenteve) to check for any notarial or special will, verifies statutory forced-heirship protections (rezerva ligjore) for minor or disabled heirs, and issues the Notarial Certificate of Inheritance (Dëshmia e Trashëgimisë) [5].
   • Renunciation, property registration, and cross-border coordination: Under the Albanian Civil Code, an heir who wishes to renounce the inheritance (heqja dorë nga trashëgimia) must make a formal declaration before a notary within 3 months of learning of the opening of the succession (or 6 months if residing abroad) [5]. Once the Certificate of Inheritance is issued, the notary files it with the State Cadastre Agency (ASHK) to transfer real estate ownership and allows heirs to claim bank balances; heirs living abroad may act through a notarized and Apostilled power of attorney (prokurë e posaçme) [2] [5].

Official Authorities & Verified Contacts

Official Sources Checked by Clarvia

1. [1]
   Public Health Protocols, Hospital Services, and Medical Certification — Ministry of Health and Social Protection of Albania
2. [2]
   Certificate from the Act of Death (Certifikatë nga akti i vdekjes) - Electronic Civil Status Service — e-Albania Government Portal / National Agency for Information Society (AKSHI)
3. [3]
   Family Survivor Pension (Pensioni Familjar) Eligibility and Claim Procedures — Social Insurance Institute of Albania (ISSH)
4. [4]
   Online Social Insurance Applications via e-Albania (Funeral Grant and Survivor Benefits) — Social Insurance Institute of Albania (ISSH)
5. [5]
   Notarial Directory, Register of Wills, and Certificates of Inheritance — National Chamber of Notaries of Albania (Dhoma Kombëtare e Noterisë)