Certifying the death at home
A death that occurs at home must be certified by a doctor. During surgery hours, the family doctor certifies it. Outside those hours, or if the doctor cannot come, call 112 — a medical crew will be sent to certify the death.
If the death is unexpected, occurred without a known illness, or if there are any doubts about the cause, the case is taken over by the police and a forensic doctor (medic legist). In these situations an autopsy is carried out and burial or cremation may only proceed after the public prosecutor's authorisation. We will guide you through this as well.
Law 102/2014 on funeral servicesThe procedure, step by step
There are a few clear steps to follow. You do not need to know them all — we will guide you over the phone.
- Call the family doctor. Outside surgery hours, call 112.
- Wait for the doctor to certify the death.
- Receive the certificatul constatator al decesului (medical death certificate).
- Call us. We come with an authorised hearse and collect the deceased.
- We agree on the next steps together — paperwork, preparation, and the ceremony.
Useful things to have to hand
When you call us, it helps if you have a few things ready. If you cannot find them all, call anyway — we will work through it together.
- The deceased person's identity card (or national identification number).
- Your own identity card.
- The name of the doctor who certified the death.
- The exact address from which we are collecting.
- Any preferences: religious ceremony, cemetery, existing burial plot.
What not to do in the first hours
- Do not move the deceased on your own. Wait for the medical team and for us.
- Do not sign anything in haste. A trustworthy funeral home will not rush you.
- Do not discard the person's documents — identity card, pension card, medical records. They are needed for the formalities.
Death at night or at the weekend
Call 112 — the service runs around the clock. The medical crew will come and certify the death; the certificatul constatator is issued by the certifying doctor or, in some cases, by the family doctor the following day. You do not have to wait until morning before calling.
We answer round the clock. If you call us before the medical crew arrives, we will guide you step by step. Our team arrives within 60–90 minutes in Bucharest and Ilfov, once you have the certificate.
Sudden or suspicious death — the police and the IML
If the death occurs suddenly, without a known illness, or if there is any doubt about the cause, call 112 and do not move the person. The police will take over the case and may request an autopsy at the Institutul de Medicină Legală (IML — Institute of Forensic Medicine).
Burial or cremation may only proceed after the public prosecutor's authorisation. The process typically takes several days. We wait for the authorisation and collect immediately once it is available — keeping you informed at every step.
If the family doctor is not available
Call 112. The emergency service sends a medical crew to certify the death, at any hour, on any day; the certificatul constatator is issued by the certifying doctor or, as the case may be, by the family doctor. There is no need to wait for the surgery to open.
Costs and the state funeral grant
packages hub start from 3,990 lei. The state funeral grant — 9,192 RON — is higher than the Essential package price, for insured persons and pensioners. Optional items are paid separately.
Full details on how to obtain the funeral grant and what documents are needed are on the dedicated page.
| When | First call | Then |
|---|---|---|
| WhenWorking day, during surgery hours | First callFamily doctor | ThenCall us, after the death certificate |
| WhenNight or weekend | First call112 | ThenCall us, as soon as you have the death certificate |
| WhenSuspicious death or no witness | First call112 (do not move the person) | ThenWait for police/IML authorisation; call us at any time |
Our number is available around the clock. You can call at any time, even before you have the death certificate — we will guide you.
The paperwork and the costs
After the death is certified, the next step is the certificatul de deces (death certificate) from Starea Civilă (the civil registry office) and, where required, the burial or cremation permit. We obtain these on behalf of the family, on the basis of a simple letter of authority. The complete list is in the guide documents guide.
For insured persons and pensioners, the Essential funeral package price fits within the state funeral grant. Optional items are paid separately. We will tell you from the first call what the costs are and how to use the grant, with no surprises.