What to Do When a Citizen of Germany Dies in Romania: 5-Step Official Checklist

1. 1

   Medical Certification of Death and Forensic Clearance in Romania

   The first mandatory step in Romania is the official pronouncement of death and obtaining the medical certificate of cause of death (Certificatul medical constatator al decesului).

   • Death in a healthcare facility (hospital): The attending or on-duty physician pronounces the death, and the Certificatul medical constatator al decesului is generally issued 24 hours after death in accordance with Romanian sanitary regulations [1].
   • Death at home (natural causes): The family contacts the deceased's family doctor (medicul de familie) or the ambulance service via the single emergency number 112 to pronounce the death and issue the Certificatul medical constatator al decesului [1].
   • Death in a public place or violent/suspicious death: If the death occurred in a public space, in an accident, or under suspicious or unnatural circumstances, call 112 immediately. The Police (Poliția) and the Prosecutor's Office (Parchetul) order a forensic autopsy through the Institute of Legal Medicine (Institutul de Medicină Legală - IML, for example the „Mina Minovici” National Institute of Legal Medicine in Bucharest or the institutes in Cluj-Napoca, Iași, or Timișoara), which issues both the Certificatul medical constatator al decesului and the official prosecutor/police clearance certificate required for civil registration [1][5].
2. 2

   Checking Insurance, Appointing Funeral Directors in Romania and Germany, and Contacting the Embassy

   Before incurring out-of-pocket expenses, check whether the deceased held travel insurance, international health insurance with a repatriation clause (Auslandskrankenversicherung), or breakdown/assistance cover through a German automobile club, as the insurer usually appoints its partner funeral operator directly [3][4].

   • Authorized funeral services firm in Romania: For collection, embalming (tanatopraxie), and transport preparation, appoint a funeral services company (firmă de servicii funerare) holding a sanitary authorization issued by the county or Bucharest Public Health Directorate (Direcția de Sănătate Publică) under Government Decision HG nr. 741/2016 issued under the authority of the Ministry of Health (Ministerul Sănătății) [1].
   • Receiving funeral director in Germany: If you opt for repatriation to Germany, the Romanian funeral firm coordinates with a German funeral director (Bestattungsunternehmen), which you can identify through the official directory of the German professional association, the Federal Association of German Funeral Directors (Bundesverband Deutscher Bestatter e.V.), ensuring compliance with the burial laws of the destination German federal state (Landesbestattungsgesetz) and Germany's compulsory cemetery burial rule (Friedhofszwang) [2]. Clarvia provides these directories solely for informational purposes and does not recommend, endorse, or rank individual providers.
   • German consular assistance in Romania: Contact the German diplomatic mission in Romania, the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Bucharest (Ambasada Republicii Federale Germania la București, phone +40 21 202 98 30) or the consulates in Sibiu and Timișoara, as well as the central consular service of the German Federal Foreign Office (Auswärtiges Amt) [3][4]. The diplomatic mission provides reference lists of funeral homes and consular guidance, without assuming repatriation costs or the operational duties of a funeral director [3][4].
3. 3

   Registering the Death with the Civil Registry in Romania and Document Recognition in Germany

   Official civil registration of the death takes place at the civil status office in Romania having territorial jurisdiction over the place of death.

   • Deadlines and documents at SPCLEP / Town Hall (Primărie): The death declaration is submitted to the Local Public Community Service for Persons Record (Serviciul Public Comunitar Local de Evidență a Persoanelor - SPCLEP) or the Town Hall (Primăria) of the place of death, which are coordinated nationally by the central civil registration authority, the Directorate for Persons Record and Databases Management (Direcția pentru Evidența Persoanelor și Administrarea Bazelor de Date) [5]. The statutory deadline is 3 days from the date of death (for natural causes) or 48 hours from the time of death (or from the issuance of the clearance certificate by the Police or Prosecutor's Office in cases of violent or suspicious death) [5]. Based on the Certificatul medical constatator al decesului and the deceased's German identity card or passport, the civil status officer issues the Romanian death certificate (Certificatul de deces) and the burial or cremation permit (Adeverința de înhumare sau de incinerare) [5].
   • Multilingual CIEC Form C extract (1976 Vienna Convention): Request several copies of the multilingual extract of the death record on Form C (Extrasul multilingv Formular C, or the bilingual EU standard form) from the Romanian civil registry office; this document is recognized directly in Germany without an Apostille and without a certified translation [5][6].
   • Subsequent registration in Germany (Nachbeurkundung): When a death occurs within Germany, it must be reported to the local civil registry office (Standesamt) no later than the third working day under § 28 of the German Civil Status Act (Personenstandsgesetz - PStG) [6]. For a German citizen who died in Romania, the family can use the Romanian multilingual Form C extract directly in Germany or apply for optional subsequent registration in the German death register (Sterberegister) at the Standesamt of the deceased's last German residence or at Standesamt I in Berlin [4][6].
4. 4

   Choosing Between International Repatriation to Germany and Local Burial or Cremation in Romania

   Together with the funeral services firm, decide whether the deceased will be repatriated to Germany or buried or cremated locally in Romania.

   • Repatriation of the body in a coffin: Both Romania and Germany are contracting parties to the 1937 International Berlin Agreement on the Transfer of Corpses. To transport the body out of Romania, the funeral director obtains the mortuary passport (pașaport mortuar) issued by the territorial public health authority (Direcția de Sănătate Publică) on the basis of the Certificatul de deces, the Certificatul medical constatator al decesului, and the certificate of embalming [1]. The body must be placed in a hermetically sealed zinc coffin enclosed inside a wooden coffin in compliance with HG nr. 741/2016 and the Berlin Agreement [1][3]. For related consular requirements, you may also consult guidance published by the Romanian diplomatic authority, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Ministerul Afacerilor Externe, email [email protected]) [7].
   • Repatriation of a funeral urn to Germany: If cremation takes place at an authorized crematorium in Romania on the basis of the Adeverința de incinerare, transporting the sealed urn is simpler from a sanitary standpoint [1]. However, due to Germany's compulsory cemetery burial requirement (Friedhofszwang), German authorities and cemeteries generally require a certificate of acceptance for the urn (Übernahmebescheinigung) issued by the receiving German cemetery, arranged through the German funeral director [2][3].
   • Local burial or cremation in Romania: If the family decides that burial or cremation will take place in Romania, the ceremony is arranged at the chosen cemetery or crematorium on the basis of the burial/cremation permit (Adeverința de înhumare/incinerare) issued by the SPCLEP or Town Hall (Primărie) [1][5].
5. 5

   Post-Death Notifications, Survivor Pensions, Funeral Grants, and Probate in Germany and Romania

   Once the death certificates have been obtained, survivors can initiate pension, insurance, and inheritance procedures in both countries.

   • Stopping pension payments, Sterbevierteljahr, and survivor's pension in Germany: If the deceased received a German pension, immediately notify the German postal pension payment service (Renten Service der Deutschen Post) to stop overpayments and, for a surviving spouse or registered civil partner, to apply within 30 days for the advance payment covering the three-month death quarter (Sterbevierteljahr) [8][9]. Applications for a widow's/widower's pension (Witwen-/Witwerrente) or orphan's pension (Waisenrente) are filed with the German statutory pension insurance institution (Deutsche Rentenversicherung, toll-free number within Germany +49 800 1000 4800) [8]; the German statutory health insurance fund (Gesetzliche Krankenversicherung) must also be notified.
   • German probate court (Nachlassgericht) and register of wills: For assets or bank accounts in Germany, or if the deceased had their habitual residence in Germany, wills held in official custody are checked via the German Central Register of Wills (Zentrales Testamentsregister), and the probate court (Nachlassgericht at the local district court - Amtsgericht) issues a German Certificate of Inheritance (Erbschein) or a European Certificate of Succession [10].
   • Funeral grant and survivor's pension in Romania: If the deceased was insured or a pensioner in the Romanian public social security system, the person who provides documentary proof of having paid the funeral expenses can claim the Romanian funeral grant (ajutorul de deces) from the National House of Public Pensions (Casa Națională de Pensii Publice) through the competent territorial pension house; payment is made within 3 working days of submitting the claim, and eligible family members may also apply for a survivor's pension (pensia de urmaș) [11][12].
   • Notarial succession and tax regime in Romania: For assets located in Romania or where Romanian law governs the succession, probate proceedings are conducted through the office of a public notary belonging to the National Union of Public Notaries of Romania (Uniunea Națională a Notarilor Publici din România) [13]. Under the rules administered by the Romanian tax authority, the National Agency for Fiscal Administration (Agenția Națională de Administrare Fiscală), an estate settled and finalized within 2 years of the date of death is exempt from the 1% inheritance tax on the value of the estate [14].

Official Authorities & Verified Contacts

Official Sources Checked by Clarvia

1. [1]
   Government Decision No. 741/2016 approving the technical and sanitary norms on funeral services, burial, cremation, and transport of human corpses — Ministerul Sănătății / Direcția de Sănătate Publică
2. [2]
   Official directory of funeral service providers in Germany (Bestattersuche) — Bundesverband Deutscher Bestatter e.V.
3. [3]
   Consular assistance in emergencies and deaths in Romania — Ambasada Republicii Federale Germania la București
4. [4]
   Consular information in emergencies and deaths abroad — Auswärtiges Amt
5. [5]
   Information on registering civil status acts and issuing death certificates — Direcția pentru Evidența Persoanelor și Administrarea Bazelor de Date (DEPABD)
6. [6]
   German Civil Status Act (Personenstandsgesetz - PStG) § 28 Reporting a death — Bundesministerium der Justiz - Gesetze im Internet
7. [7]
   Consular procedures in the event of death and transcription of civil status records — Ministerul Afacerilor Externe (MAE)
8. [8]
   Survivor's pension and death abroad - Information for survivors — Deutsche Rentenversicherung
9. [9]
   Reporting a death and applying for the advance payment on the death quarter (Sterbevierteljahr) — Renten Service der Deutschen Post
10. [10]
    Information on bereavement and notification of the probate court (Nachlassgericht) — Zentrales Testamentsregister der Bundesnotarkammer
11. [11]
    Funeral grant (ajutorul de deces) and survivor's pension (pensia de urmaș) - Frequently asked questions — Casa Națională de Pensii Publice (CNPP)
12. [12]
    Services and benefits - Granting the funeral benefit (ajutor de deces) — Ministerul Muncii și Solidarității Sociale
13. [13]
    Notarial succession procedure and national notarial registers — Uniunea Națională a Notarilor Publici din România (UNNPR)
14. [14]
    Taxpayer assistance and tax regime for successions — Agenția Națională de Administrare Fiscală (ANAF)