What to Do When a Romanian Citizen Dies in Italy: 5-Step Official Checklist

1. 1

   Obtain the Medical Pronouncement of Death and Necroscopic Certificate (in a Hospital or Outside a Hospital)

   The initial medical procedure depends on where the death occurred, in accordance with the Italian National Mortuary Police Regulations (Regolamento nazionale di polizia mortuaria, Presidential Decree D.P.R. No. 285/1990) [1]:

   • Death in a hospital, clinic, or residential care facility: The facility's medical management (direzione sanitaria) certifies the death, completes the death notice and the ISTAT statistical cause-of-death form (scheda ISTAT), and transmits the paperwork directly to the Civil Status Office (Ufficio di Stato Civile) of the competent municipality [1].
   • Death outside a hospital (private home, temporary accommodation, workplace, or public place): Contact the attending physician or the single European emergency number 112 (or 118) immediately for the initial pronouncement of death (constatazione di decesso) and completion of the cause-of-death report within 24 hours [1]. Subsequently, the public health medical examiner (medico necroscopo) appointed by the territorially competent local health authority (ASL or ATS) performs the mandatory necroscopic examination (normally between 15 and 30 hours after death) and issues the necroscopic certificate (certificato necroscopico) required to seal the coffin and authorise burial or transport [1].
   • Sudden, suspicious, or workplace accident death: If the death occurred at work, in a public place, or from violent or unclear causes, law enforcement intervenes and the body is placed at the disposal of the Judicial Authority; in such cases, removal of the body, burial, or repatriation can proceed only after formal judicial clearance (nulla osta della Procura della Repubblica) is issued by the Public Prosecutor's Office [1].
2. 2

   Appoint an Authorised Funeral Director and Provide Family Authorisation

   Before signing a private funeral contract, check whether the deceased person held an insurance policy (travel, accident, or medical repatriation insurance) providing direct assistance through an emergency operations centre. In the absence of insurance coverage, the family may appoint a licensed funeral company in Italy (impresa di onoranze funebri) experienced in international funeral transport between Italy and Romania [2]. To locate qualified operators in Italy, you can consult the national trade federations: FENIOF (Federazione Nazionale Imprese Onoranze Funebri, tel. +39 051 6650285, email [email protected]) [4] and FederCoFIt (Federazione Comparto Funerario Italiano, tel. +39 02 33403992, email [email protected]) [5]. Clarvia provides these directory references solely for orientation and does not recommend, endorse, or rank specific funeral companies.

   • What the funeral director handles: Acting on the family's behalf, the appointed funeral company manages the paperwork with the hospital medical management or the ASL, files the death declaration with the municipality (Comune), prepares the regulation double coffin for international transport, and applies for the Mortuary Passport (Passaporto Mortuario) [1][2].
   • Family members residing in Romania: If the closest next of kin are in Romania and cannot travel to Italy, they can issue a formal written authorisation (delega scritta) to the funeral company (accompanied by a copy of the authorising family member's identity document) or execute a notarised power of attorney (procura notarile) in Romania authorising a representative in Italy or the funeral agency to claim the body and request municipal permits [1][2].
3. 3

   Register the Death with the Municipal Civil Status Office and Obtain the Multilingual Extract (Form C)

   The declaration of death (dichiarazione di morte) must be filed within 24 hours of the death at the Civil Status Office (Ufficio di Stato Civile) of the Italian municipality (Comune) where the death occurred (for example, at the Civil Status offices of Roma Capitale, the Comune di Milano, or the Comune di Torino) [1][2]. In standard practice, the declaration is submitted by the funeral company authorised by the family or by the hospital medical management [1].

   • Certificates to request immediately in multiple copies: In addition to the burial permit and the domestic Italian death certificate, ask the municipal Civil Status Office to issue several copies of the multilingual death certificate extract (Form C / Modello C, estratto per riassunto dell'atto di morte su modello plurilingue) under the Vienna Convention of 8 September 1976 [2].
   • Exemption from Apostille and translation: Because both Italy and Romania are parties to the 1976 Vienna Convention, the multilingual death extract (Form C / Modello C) is directly valid in Romania and at Romanian Consulates without legalisation (Prefecture Apostille) or certified translation [2]. Conversely, if a domestic-only Italian death certificate is used, it will require an Apostille from the competent Italian Prefecture (Prefettura) and a certified translation into Romanian [2].
4. 4

   Obtain the Municipal Mortuary Passport, Coordinate Repatriation to Romania, and Complete Consular Transcription

   For the international transport of the body from Italy to Romania (whether by road in an authorised hearse or by air), the funeral company applies to the Civil Status / Mortuary Police Office (Ufficio di Stato Civile / Polizia Mortuaria) of the Italian municipality of death for the Passaporto Mortuario (Mortuary Passport) under the Berlin International Convention of 10 February 1937 and Article 27 of D.P.R. 285/1990 [1][2]:

   • Requirements for transporting the coffin or ashes: For repatriation of a body, Italian public health regulations require a double coffin (an outer wooden casket and a hermetically soldered inner zinc coffin) accompanied by the official coffin-sealing report (verbale di chiusura del feretro) and the ASL sanitary certificate [1][2]. Under the international agreements applied by Romania, no separate Romanian consular mortuary passport is required for repatriation from Italy: the Passaporto Mortuario issued by the Italian municipality together with the death certificate extract is sufficient [2]. If the deceased is cremated in Italy and the cinerary urn is transported to Romania, the sealed urn travels with the death certificate and the ash transport permit (autorizzazione al trasporto delle ceneri) issued by the Italian municipality [2].
   • Consular assistance and transcription into Romanian civil registers: To report the death or obtain emergency consular assistance, you can contact the territorially competent Romanian consular mission in Italy (for example, the Consolato Generale di Romania a Roma - Consulate General of Romania in Rome, emergency phone for deaths and severe emergencies +39 345 147 3935; or the Consulate General of Romania in Milan on emergency phone +39 366 108 1444, as well as the consulates in Turin, Bologna, Bari, Catania, and Trieste) [2][3]. The Italian death record must be transcribed into the Romanian civil status registers (within the standard 6-month timeframe) to obtain a Romanian death certificate (certificat de deces): the application can be submitted at the competent Romanian Consulate in Italy by appointment via the official consular portal (eConsulat.ro), or directly in Romania at the town hall (Primăria / Serviciul Public Comunitar Local de Evidență a Persoanelor - SPCLEP) of the deceased person's last Romanian domicile, enclosing the multilingual Form C extract, the deceased's Romanian identity documents, and their birth and marriage certificates [2].
5. 5

   Claim the Romanian Funeral Grant (CNPP), Handle Italian Social Security (INPS and INAIL), and Settle the Estate

   Once the death certificate extracts have been obtained, family members can initiate pension, funeral benefit, insurance, and banking procedures in both countries:

   • Funeral grant in Romania (ajutor de deces): If the deceased person was insured or retired under the Romanian public pension system (or held insured status during the 6 months prior to death), or if a dependent family member of a person insured or retired in Romania has died, the person who proves they paid the funeral expenses can claim the funeral grant (ajutor de deces) from the Casa Națională de Pensii Publice (CNPP, National House of Public Pensions, Bucharest headquarters tel. +40 21 318 88 00, email [email protected], through the competent county pension house, Casa Județeană de Pensii) within the 3-year limitation period from the issuance of the death certificate [6]. The application must include the death certificate, the claimant's identity document, civil status records proving family relationship, and original funeral invoices/receipts; payment is normally made within 3 working days of submitting a complete claim [6].
   • INPS and INAIL procedures in Italy: If your family member worked or received a pension/benefit in Italy, the Italian municipality transmits the death notification electronically to INPS (Istituto Nazionale della Previdenza Sociale), but eligible survivors (such as a surviving spouse or dependent children) must submit an online claim (or apply free of charge through a Patronato advice centre) for a survivor's pension (pensione ai superstiti - reversibilità or pensione indiretta) or lump-sum benefit [7]. If the death resulted from a workplace accident or occupational disease (infortunio sul lavoro o malattia professionale) in Italy, the employer must file a report within 24 hours with INAIL (Istituto Nazionale per l'Assicurazione contro gli Infortuni sul Lavoro), and surviving family members are entitled to the INAIL survivor's annuity (rendita ai superstiti) and the INAIL funeral grant (assegno funerario) [8].
   • Banks and succession: Present the multilingual death certificate extract to any banks in Italy or Romania where the deceased held accounts. In Italy, an inheritance declaration (dichiarazione di successione) must be filed with the Italian Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) within 12 months of the opening of the succession if the deceased was resident in Italy or owned real estate or taxable assets in Italy.

Official Authorities & Verified Contacts

Official Sources Checked by Clarvia

1. [1]
   Funeral services, death registration and transport authorisation or Mortuary Passport (Passaporto Mortuario) — Comune di Milano
2. [2]
   Death of a Romanian citizen in Italy - Registration, mortuary passport and transcription of the death certificate — Ministerul Afacerilor Externe al României (Consulatul General al României la Milano / Ambasada României)
3. [3]
   Contact details and emergency phone - Embassy of Romania in Italy / Consulate General in Rome — Ministerul Afacerilor Externe al României
4. [4]
   Contacts and national office - National Federation of Funeral Directors (FENIOF) — FENIOF
5. [5]
   Contacts - Italian Funeral Sector Federation (FederCoFIt) — FederCoFIt
6. [6]
   Funeral grant (Ajutorul de deces) - Eligibility conditions, deadline and required documents (CNPP) — Casa Națională de Pensii Publice (CNPP)
7. [7]
   Survivor's pension - reversionary and indirect pension (INPS) — Istituto Nazionale della Previdenza Sociale (INPS)
8. [8]
   Survivor's annuity (rendita ai superstiti) and benefits for fatal workplace accidents (INAIL) — Istituto Nazionale per l'Assicurazione contro gli Infortuni sul Lavoro (INAIL)