Death in hospital: the steps and documents you need

What happens when a death occurs in hospital

In hospital, the death is certified by the on-call doctor or the treating doctor. The hospital itself issues the certificatul medical constatator al decesului (medical death certificate), so you do not need to call a doctor yourself.

The deceased is taken to the hospital mortuary (prosectură), where they can be kept for several days. In certain cases — where death occurs shortly after admission or the cause is unclear — an autopsy is carried out. We will explain what each situation involves.

The steps to follow

The steps are straightforward, and the hospital handles part of the paperwork. We take care of the rest.

1. 1

   Receive the certificatul medical constatator al decesului from the hospital.

2. 2

   Call us and arrange the collection from the hospital mortuary.

3. 3

   We collect the deceased with an authorised hearse, at the agreed time.

4. 4

   We obtain the certificatul de deces (death certificate) from Starea Civilă, on behalf of the family.

5. 5

   We organise the preparation, the ceremony, and everything that follows.

What documents you receive from the hospital

You leave the hospital with the documents needed for the next steps. We use them to obtain the remaining paperwork.

• The certificatul medical constatator al decesului (medical death certificate).
• The deceased person's identity card (if it was kept at admission).
• Any relevant medical documents (discharge letter, medical record), where applicable.

What happens to the deceased in hospital

After the death is certified, the person is transferred to the hospital mortuary (prosectură). Hospitals have different rules on how long they keep the deceased — generally several days, enough time to arrange collection. Some hospitals charge a daily storage fee; we will let you know in advance if this applies.

Release is arranged on the basis of the family's or the authorised funeral home's documents. We collect with an authorised hearse at the agreed time, directly from the mortuary.

Natural illness or accident — when an autopsy is required

If the death followed a known, documented illness, the treating doctor issues the certificatul constatator directly — an autopsy is not required. The family can collect the deceased without further delay.

If the death occurred through an accident, violence, or with an unclear cause (death shortly after admission, without an established diagnosis), the case may be referred to the Institutul de Medicină Legală (IML — Institute of Forensic Medicine). The autopsy is mandatory, and release for burial or cremation only takes place after authorisation from the IML and the public prosecutor. This can take several days.

Costs and the state funeral grant in 2026

The state funeral grant is 9,192 RON for insured persons and pensioners. Complete funeral packages start from 3,990 lei.

How this differs from a death at home

The main difference is who certifies the death. In hospital, the on-call doctor certifies it automatically and issues the certificate — you do not need to call a doctor yourself. At home, you must call the family doctor or 112 — the detailed steps are on the death at home page. Everything else — collection, the paperwork from Starea Civilă, preparation and the ceremony — is broadly the same.

Costs and the funeral grant

Collection from the hospital mortuary forms part of the funeral transport service and of any complete package. Some hospitals charge a small daily storage fee at the mortuary — we will tell you in advance if this is the case.

For insured persons and pensioners, the state funeral grant the Essential package price fits within it. We explain how to use it from the very first call.