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

1. 1

   Obtain the medical certificate of cause of death (at the hospital or at home)

   • Death in a healthcare facility (hospital): If the deceased was admitted to a hospital in Romania, the attending physician or on-call doctor completes and issues the medical certificate of cause of death (Certificatul medical constatator al decesului, an official form on which the cause of death is entered in block capitals without abbreviations or erasures), typically after the statutory observation period following confirmation of signs of death [1][2].
   • Death at home from natural causes: Contact the deceased's family doctor (medic de familie) or, outside their working hours (overnight or on non-working days), the ambulance service via the single emergency number 112. The physician who examines the body at home and rules out any suspicion of violent death issues the Certificatul medical constatator al decesului [1][2].
   • Death from violent, accidental, or suspicious causes: Call 112 immediately. The police and public prosecutor order a medico-legal autopsy at the Institute or County Medico-Legal Service (Institutul de Medicină Legală - IML), and in addition to the medical certificate issued by the forensic pathologist, you must obtain the official clearance issued by the police or prosecutor's office (dovada eliberată de poliție sau de parchet) confirming that the authorities have been notified and authorise burial or cremation [1].
   • Mortuary transport and care: Collection, embalming (tanatopraxie), and transport of the body may be carried out solely by funeral service providers holding a public health permit issued by the county public health directorates or the Bucharest Public Health Directorate (for example, in the capital, Direcția de Sănătate Publică a Municipiului București, phone +40 21 252 79 78, email [email protected]), in accordance with Government Decision (HG) No 741/2016 [2].
2. 2

   Register the death with the Civil Registry within 3 days (or 48 hours)

   • Competent authority: The death declaration is made in person at the local community public service for personal records (Serviciul Public Comunitar Local de Evidență a Persoanelor - SPCLEP) or before the civil registrar (ofițerul de stare civilă) at the town hall (primăria) of the administrative-territorial unit where the death occurred, which are methodologically coordinated nationwide by Direcția Generală pentru Evidența Persoanelor (Directorate-General for Personal Records, phone +40 21 413 54 42, email [email protected]), under Law No 119/1996 on Civil Status Documents [1].
   • Mandatory statutory deadlines:
     • Within 3 days of the date of death for deaths resulting from natural causes [1].
     • Within 48 hours from the time the medical certificate of death or the police/prosecutor clearance was issued when the death resulted from suicide, an accident, or other violent causes, or when the body was found; missing these deadlines requires prior approval from the prosecutor's office (parchet) for late registration [1].
   • Documents required at the civil registry desk:
     • The original medical certificate of cause of death (Certificatul medical constatator al decesului) and, where applicable, the clearance issued by the police or prosecutor's office [1].
     • The original identity document (carte de identitate or buletin de identitate), birth certificate, and, where applicable, marriage certificate of the deceased [1].
     • The military record book (livret militar) or recruitment certificate of the deceased (if under age 60 with military obligations) [1].
     • The identity document of the informant (family member or other entitled person) [1].
   • Documents issued on the spot and free of charge: The civil registrar draws up the death entry and issues the original death certificate (Certificatul de deces) and a single original burial or cremation permit (Adeverința de înhumare sau de incinerare) [1].
3. 3

   Arrange burial or cremation and apply for the statutory funeral grant

   • Presenting the burial or cremation permit: Burial or cremation of your family member can take place only on the basis of the original burial or cremation permit (Adeverința de înhumare sau de incinerare), which is handed over to the cemetery administration, parish, or human crematorium [1][2]. If burial or cremation takes place in a different municipality from where the death occurred, the coffin must be transported in licensed funeral vehicles compliant with HG No 741/2016 [2].
   • Eligibility for the statutory funeral grant (ajutor de deces): Upon the death of an insured person in the public pension system, a pensioner, or a dependent family member who had no independent social insurance entitlement, the funeral grant (ajutor de deces) is paid to a single person (surviving spouse, child, parent, or any natural or legal person) who provides documentary proof of having borne the funeral expenses [4].
   • Where and when the funeral grant is paid: The standard application is submitted to the territorial pension house (casa teritorială de pensii) for the deceased's place of residence, operating under Casa Națională de Pensii Publice (National House of Public Pensions, central phone +40 21 316 28 30, email [email protected]), together with the death certificate (original and copy), the applicant's ID, civil status documents proving family relationship, and proof of funeral expenses (invoice and receipt). The funeral grant is paid within 3 working days of submitting a complete file and may be claimed within the general limitation period of 3 years from the date the death certificate was issued [3][4].
4. 4

   Settle pensions, health insurance, bank accounts, and utilities

   • Stopping ongoing pension payments and claiming unpaid amounts: The territorial pension house stops pension payments starting the month following the death; any unpaid pension amounts for the month of death (or accrued arrears) may be claimed by the surviving spouse, children, parents, or, in their absence, other legal or testamentary heirs [4].
   • Survivor's pension (pensia de urmaș): The surviving spouse and the deceased's children (up to age 16, up to age 26 if enrolled in legally accredited education, or for the entire duration of disability arising during those periods) can apply for a survivor's pension (pensia de urmaș) at the territorial pension house within the network coordinated by Casa Națională de Pensii Publice, provided the deceased was a pensioner or met the eligibility conditions for a pension [3][4].
   • Banks, private insurance, and utility providers: Notify the banks where the deceased held accounts, deposits, or loans (presenting the death certificate to block unauthorised transactions and check for any credit life insurance policies) as well as electricity, gas, water, telecommunications providers, and the local municipal tax office (direcția de taxe și impozite locale) [1][4].
5. 5

   Open the notarial succession procedure and observe the 2-year tax exemption window

   • Opening the succession procedure before a public notary: To settle the estate and obtain the Certificate of Heir (Certificatul de moștenitor), heirs apply to a notary office within the jurisdiction of the district court (judecătorie) where the deceased had their last domicile, through a public notary registered with Uniunea Națională a Notarilor Publici din România (National Union of Public Notaries of Romania, phone +40 21 313 99 20, email [email protected]) [5].
   • Documents required for the notarial succession:
     • The original death certificate of the deceased and the civil status documents of the heirs proving their right to inherit (birth certificates, marriage certificate, ID documents), plus the will if one exists [5].
     • Ownership deeds for movable and immovable assets (sale-purchase contracts, property titles, land register extracts extrase de carte funciară, vehicle registration certificates, bank statements, or securities) [5].
     • A municipal tax clearance certificate (Certificatul de atestare fiscală showing no outstanding local tax arrears on estate assets) and the presence of at least two witnesses who knew the deceased and the composition of the family [5].
   • Right of succession option (1 year) and tax regime (2 years):
     • Under the Romanian Civil Code, the deadline for exercising the right of succession option (accepting the inheritance or expressly renouncing it by notarised declaration) is 1 year from the date the succession opens (the date of death) [5].
     • For tax purposes, rules are administered by Agenția Națională de Administrare Fiscală (National Agency for Fiscal Administration - ANAF, Call Center +40 31 403 91 60): under Article 111 of the Fiscal Code, if the succession procedure is completed within at most 2 years from the date of death, heirs are exempt from the real estate transfer tax on inherited personal property; if the succession is not finalised within the 2-year window, heirs owe a 1% tax on the value of the inherited real estate [6].

Official Authorities & Verified Contacts

Official Sources Checked by Clarvia

1. [1]
   Death registration, statutory deadlines, and required documents — Direcția Generală pentru Evidența Persoanelor (MAI)
2. [2]
   Sanitary authorisation for funeral services and mortuary transport (HG No 741/2016) — Direcția de Sănătate Publică a Municipiului București
3. [3]
   Survivor's pension (Pensia de urmaș) - Eligibility conditions, beneficiary categories, and required documents — Casa de Pensii a Municipiului București (CNPP)
4. [4]
   Statutory funeral grant (Ajutorul de deces) and eligibility rules in the public pension system — Casa Națională de Pensii Publice (CNPP)
5. [5]
   Notarial succession procedure and contact directory — Uniunea Națională a Notarilor Publici din România (UNNPR)
6. [6]
   Tax on income from real estate transfers and successions (Article 111 of the Fiscal Code) — Agenția Națională de Administrare Fiscală (ANAF)