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

1. 1

   Medical Certification of Death and Forensic Clearance in Romania

   The first step is obtaining the official Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (Certificatul medical constatator al decesului), without which civil registration or transport of the body cannot take place [1][5]:

   • Death in a hospital: If the death occurred in a healthcare facility in Romania, the attending or on-duty physician draws up the Certificatul medical constatator al decesului, normally 24 hours after the death is pronounced [1]. In Romanian hospitals, an anatomopathological autopsy is routinely performed to confirm the medical cause of death, although the family may submit a written request to hospital management for an autopsy exemption if there are no forensic concerns [1].
   • Death at home, in a hotel, or in a public place: If the deceased person died outside a hospital facility, call the single emergency number 112 or the family doctor (medicul de familie) to confirm the death [1][5].
   • Forensic cases (sudden, violent, or suspicious death): If the death occurred under unclear circumstances, following an accident, or without known medical attendance, the Romanian Police (Poliția Română) intervene and the Prosecutor's Office (Parchetul) orders a medico-legal autopsy through the county forensic medicine service or an institution such as the Mina Minovici National Institute of Legal Medicine (Institutul Național de Medicină Legală Mina Minovici in Bucharest) [1][5]. In such cases, both the Certificatul medical constatator al decesului issued by the forensic pathologist and the clearance certificate (dovada) issued by the police or prosecutor are mandatory to register the death and release the body [5].
2. 2

   Repatriation Insurance, Appointing a Funeral Director, and Consular Assistance

   Before incurring expenses independently, check whether an insurance policy exists and appoint an authorized funeral coordinator [1]:

   • Checking travel or repatriation insurance: If the deceased person held travel, medical, or repatriation insurance, contact the insurer's emergency assistance centre immediately [1]. The insurer usually appoints partner funeral companies directly and covers transport costs and formalities [1].
   • Appointing a funeral director in Romania and the United Kingdom: If there is no insurance, the family can authorize a funeral services company in Romania holding a sanitary license from the county public health directorate (for example, the Bucharest Public Health Directorate, Direcția de Sănătate Publică a Municipiului București, tel. +40 21 252 7978) in accordance with Government Decision (Hotărârea Guvernului) no. 741/2016 [2][4]. The Romanian provider coordinates with a receiving funeral director in the United Kingdom registered in an official professional directory, such as the National Association of Funeral Directors (tel. +44 121 711 1343; the professional trade association SAIF also operates in the United Kingdom) [3]. These professional bodies are listed solely for informational guidance from public sources; Clarvia does not endorse, recommend, or rank them.
   • British consular assistance: Contact the diplomatic mission British Embassy Bucharest (tel. +40 21 201 7200) and the consular service of the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) [1]. The Embassy provides consular guidance to the family and informational lists of international funeral providers and translators, but does not pay for repatriation or funeral costs [1].
3. 3

   Civil Registration of the Death in Romania and Document Recognition in the United Kingdom

   The death must be registered with the local authorities in Romania before burial, cremation, or repatriation can proceed [1][5]:

   • Registration at the SPCLEP / Town Hall in Romania: The death declaration is submitted to the Local Public Community Service for the Registration of Persons (Serviciul Public Comunitar Local de Evidență a Persoanelor - SPCLEP) or to the civil status officer (ofițerul de stare civilă) at the town hall (Primăria) of the administrative-territorial unit where the death occurred, under the coordination of the General Directorate for the Registration of Persons (Direcția Generală pentru Evidența Persoanelor, tel. +40 21 410 7557) [5]. The statutory deadline is 3 days from the date of death for natural causes, or 3 days from the issuance of the medical certificate of cause of death (accompanied by the clearance certificate issued by the police or prosecutor) in cases of violent or suspicious death [5]. A funeral company authorized by the family can submit the documents (medical certificate of cause of death, British passport, and declarant's identity document) to obtain the Romanian Death Certificate (Certificatul de deces) and the Burial or Cremation Permit (Adeverința de înhumare sau incinerare) [1][5].
   • Multilingual extract and Apostille: Request a Multilingual Extract of the Death Record on Form C (Extras multilingv al actului de deces - Formularul C) from the civil registry, or obtain a Hague Apostille (through the Prefect's Office, Instituția Prefectului) and a certified English translation for the Romanian death certificate so that the document can be used before institutions and banks in the United Kingdom [1][5].
   • Registration status in the United Kingdom: Once the death has been officially registered in Romania, it does not need to be re-registered at a local UK Register Office (where domestic deadlines are 5 days in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland or 8 days in Scotland) [1][7]; the Romanian death certificate (accompanied by a certified English translation) is recognized in the United Kingdom [1].
4. 4

   International Repatriation to the United Kingdom vs. Local Burial or Cremation in Romania

   The family may choose either to repatriate the body or funerary urn to the United Kingdom, or to arrange local burial or cremation in Romania [1][2]:

   • Repatriation of the body from Romania: International transport of the body is handled by the licensed funeral company and requires official embalming, placement in a hermetically sealed zinc-lined coffin, and obtaining the Mortuary Passport (Pașaport mortuar) issued by the county public health directorate (or by the Direcția de Sănătate Publică a Municipiului București for deaths in the capital) based on the Certificatul de deces and the Adeverința de înhumare [2][4]. If the deceased person also held Romanian citizenship, additional information on consular documents is also managed through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Ministerul Afacerilor Externe - MAE) [4].
   • Receiving formalities in the United Kingdom: Upon arrival in England or Wales, the UK funeral director presents the death and transport documents to the local Coroner to obtain authorization for burial or cremation (for example, a Coroner Out-of-England Order / Form 104 for cremation) [7]. If the destination is in Scotland, verification and authorization of the foreign documents (Form Y and the foreign death certificate) by the Healthcare Improvement Scotland Death Certification Review Service (tel. +44 300 123 1898, email [email protected]) is mandatory before burial or cremation [6].
   • Repatriation of ashes or local ceremony in Romania: If cremation takes place in Romania on the basis of the Adeverința de incinerare, international transport of the sealed urn containing ashes does not require a mortuary passport, only the Certificatul de deces, the cremation certificate, and compliance with airline regulations [1][4].
5. 5

   Funeral Grant, Survivor Pensions, Tax Obligations, and Probate in the UK and Romania

   Once the Certificatul de deces has been obtained, the family or executor can initiate social security, tax, and succession procedures in both jurisdictions [7][8][10]:

   • Notifications and pensions in the United Kingdom: If the deceased person lived or received benefits in the United Kingdom, check whether you can use the government's Tell Us Once service or directly notify the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) through the International Pension Centre (tel. +44 191 218 7777) to stop State Pension payments and claim survivor entitlements (such as Bereavement Support Payment), as well as the tax authority HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) [7][8]. To administer bank accounts and assets in the United Kingdom, the executor or entitled next of kin applies to the court or probate registry for a Grant of Probate (or Letters of Administration) in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, or Confirmation in Scotland [9].
   • Funeral grant and survivor pension in Romania: If the deceased person was insured or a pensioner in the Romanian public pension system (or a qualifying family member of an insured person or pensioner), the person who proves by invoice that they bore the funeral expenses may claim the Romanian funeral grant (ajutorul de deces) and, where applicable, a survivor pension (pensia de urmaș) from the territorial pension house under the National House of Public Pensions (Casa Națională de Pensii Publice - CNPP, for example the Bucharest Pension House, Casa de Pensii a Municipiului București, tel. +40 21 326 0556) [10]. The funeral grant is paid within 3 working days of submitting the application and may be claimed within the 3-year limitation period [10].
   • Notarial succession procedure and tax rules in Romania: If the deceased person held real estate or bank accounts in Romania, estate settlement is carried out through the notarial succession procedure (procedura succesorală notarială) before a public notary who is a member of the National Union of Public Notaries of Romania (Uniunea Națională a Notarilor Publici din România - UNNPR, tel. +40 21 313 9920), who verifies the tax status and obtains the tax clearance certificate (certificatul de atestare fiscală) from the National Agency for Fiscal Administration (Agenția Națională de Administrare Fiscală - ANAF, tel. +40 31 403 9160) [11][12]. Under the Romanian Fiscal Code, if the succession procedure is completed within 2 years from the date of death, the heirs are exempt from the 1% tax on the transfer of real estate from the succession estate [11][12].

Official Authorities & Verified Contacts

Official Sources Checked by Clarvia

1. [1]
   Official guidance: What to do after a British person dies in Romania (When someone dies in Romania) — Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (GOV.UK)
2. [2]
   Issuance of the mortuary passport and sanitary regulations governing funeral services (Government Decision HG no. 741/2016) — Direcția de Sănătate Publică a Municipiului București / Ministerul Sănătății
3. [3]
   National directory of accredited funeral directors in the United Kingdom — National Association of Funeral Directors (NAFD)
4. [4]
   Official procedure for issuing the mortuary passport (pașaport mortuar) for international transport — Portalul Serviciilor Publice din România (Guvernul României)
5. [5]
   Death registration and civil status documents in Romania — Direcția Generală pentru Evidența Persoanelor (MAI)
6. [6]
   Death certificate review for deaths occurring abroad (Deaths Abroad - DCRS) — Healthcare Improvement Scotland
7. [7]
   Steps to take after a death: registration, Tell Us Once service, and repatriation — GOV.UK
8. [8]
   Contacting the International Pension Centre for State Pensions and benefits abroad — Department for Work and Pensions (GOV.UK)
9. [9]
   Applying for probate and estate administration in the United Kingdom — HM Courts & Tribunals Service / HM Revenue & Customs (GOV.UK)
10. [10]
    Granting the funeral grant (ajutor de deces) and social insurance entitlements in Romania — Casa de Pensii a Municipiului București (CNPP)
11. [11]
    Notarial succession procedure and national notarial registers in Romania — Uniunea Națională a Notarilor Publici din România (UNNPR)
12. [12]
    Tax information on taxpayer obligations and ANAF assistance — Agenția Națională de Administrare Fiscală (ANAF)