Who issues the certificatul constatator de deces?

A doctor. At home, the family doctor during surgery hours or the crew sent by 112 outside those hours. In hospital, the on-call doctor. In suspicious or violent cases, the forensic doctor. The hospital issues it directly; for a death at home, a doctor must be called.

What does the certificatul constatator cost?

When issued by the family doctor or by a hospital, there is no charge for the certificatul constatator. Costs may arise only in special situations — certification carried out by a private doctor outside the state system, or a forensic autopsy requested by the authorities.

What do I do if the family doctor is not available?

Call 112. Outside the family doctor's surgery hours, the medical crew sent by 112 certifies the death and issues the certificate. You do not need to wait until the next day.

What is the difference between the certificatul constatator and the certificatul de deces?

The certificatul constatator is a medical document — issued by a doctor, confirming the death. The certificatul de deces is an administrative document — issued by Starea Civilă (the civil registry office), on the basis of the medical certificate. The first comes first; we obtain the second on behalf of the family.

How long does it take to obtain the certificatul constatator?

It is generally issued within a few hours of the death being certified. In hospital, on the day of death. At home, as soon as the doctor or the 112 crew arrives and certifies the death.

Do you have a certifying doctor?

No. Certification of the death is carried out exclusively by an authorised doctor — the family doctor, 112, the on-call doctor, or the forensic doctor. We are the funeral home: we guide you on who to call and we take over the entire process once you have the certificatul constatator.

What 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. We will guide you over the phone in both situations.

CERTIFYING DOCTOR · THE FIRST DOCUMENT

The certifying doctor and the medical death certificate

This page is for families who do not know what to do in the first hours after a death. Every death must be certified by a doctor, who issues the certificatul constatator al decesului (medical death certificate) — the first document, without which nothing else can proceed. At home, the death is certified by the family doctor or the crew sent by 112; in hospital, by the on-call doctor. We are not doctors, but we will tell you exactly who to call, what document you receive, and we collect immediately once the certificate is ready. We answer day and night.

Updated: 11 June 2026

Call for details Read more

Doctor's bag and stethoscope beside an apartment door — certifying doctor — the first document. Illustrative image.

What the certificatul constatator is

The certificatul medical constatator al decesului (medical death certificate) is the document by which a doctor officially confirms the death and its cause. It is the first document in the entire process — on the basis of this certificate, the certificatul de deces (death certificate) is then obtained from Starea Civilă (the civil registry office).

Without the certificatul constatator, the deceased cannot be collected, burial or cremation cannot proceed, and an application for the state funeral grant cannot be submitted.

Law 102/2014 on funeral services

Who certifies the death, depending on the situation

Clipboard with a blank medical form and stethoscope on a consultation desk — Illustrative image: the doctor completes the certificatul medical constatator al decesului — the first document in the funeral process.

Situation	Who certifies	What you do
Death at home, during surgery hours	Family doctor	Call the family doctor and request certification
Death at home, at night or at the weekend	Emergency doctor / the crew sent by 112	Call 112 — a medical crew will be sent
Death in hospital or clinic	Ward doctor / on-call doctor	The hospital issues the certificate automatically
Suspicious, violent, or unwitnessed death	Forensic doctor (IML — Institute of Forensic Medicine), with the police	Call 112 — do not move the person; the police take over

Who certifies the death — depending on the situation Legal basis: Law 119/1996 on civil status records, with subsequent amendments.

How to obtain the certificate, step by step

Call the right doctor for the location: the family doctor at home, during surgery hours, or 112 outside those hours. In hospital, the certificate is issued by the hospital.
The doctor certifies the death and completes the certificatul constatator.
You receive the certificate — keep it, as it is needed for all subsequent steps.
Call us. We collect the deceased and obtain the remaining documents on behalf of the family.

What happens after the certificatul constatator

With the certificatul constatator we move forward: we obtain the certificatul de deces (death certificate) from Starea Civilă and, where required, the burial or cremation permit. We obtain all these documents on behalf of the family, on the basis of a simple letter of authority. The complete list is in the guide documents needed at the time of death.

Where to find the official information

The Institutul Național de Sănătate Publică (INSP — National Institute of Public Health) publishes rules and guidance on the procedures for certifying death and issuing the certificates. For specific medical situations, the family doctor or the on-call doctor can advise you.

Medical visit bag beside an apartment door in a dim hallway with warm night-light — Illustrative image: a medical crew at the address for certification outside surgery hours.

Institutul Național de Sănătate Publică (INSP)

How we help

Certification of the death is carried out by an authorised doctor — the family doctor, the 112 crew, the on-call doctor, or, where applicable, the forensic doctor. We do not certify deaths, but we will guide you over the phone on who to call and what happens next, and from the moment you have the certificatul constatator we take over the entire process. If the death occurred at home, read the step-by-step guide for death at home. In hospital the steps differ — see the death in hospital page.

FREQUENT QUESTIONS

What families ask about the certifying doctor and the medical death certificate

Who issues the certificatul constatator de deces?
A doctor. At home, the family doctor during surgery hours or the crew sent by 112 outside those hours. In hospital, the on-call doctor. In suspicious or violent cases, the forensic doctor. The hospital issues it directly; for a death at home, a doctor must be called.
What does the certificatul constatator cost?
When issued by the family doctor or by a hospital, there is no charge for the certificatul constatator. Costs may arise only in special situations — certification carried out by a private doctor outside the state system, or a forensic autopsy requested by the authorities.
What do I do if the family doctor is not available?
Call 112. Outside the family doctor's surgery hours, the medical crew sent by 112 certifies the death and issues the certificate. You do not need to wait until the next day.
What is the difference between the certificatul constatator and the certificatul de deces?
The certificatul constatator is a medical document — issued by a doctor, confirming the death. The certificatul de deces is an administrative document — issued by Starea Civilă (the civil registry office), on the basis of the medical certificate. The first comes first; we obtain the second on behalf of the family.
How long does it take to obtain the certificatul constatator?
It is generally issued within a few hours of the death being certified. In hospital, on the day of death. At home, as soon as the doctor or the 112 crew arrives and certifies the death.
Do you have a certifying doctor?
No. Certification of the death is carried out exclusively by an authorised doctor — the family doctor, 112, the on-call doctor, or the forensic doctor. We are the funeral home: we guide you on who to call and we take over the entire process once you have the certificatul constatator.
What 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. We will guide you over the phone in both situations.

RELATED SERVICES

Related services we provide

Death at home
What to do, step by step, when death occurs at home.
View details
Documents needed at the time of death
All the documents, in the order you obtain them.
View details
Funeral transport
Collection of the deceased after the certificatul constatator is issued.
View details

QUESTIONS?

Call us — day and night

Consultation is free and confidential. We answer any question specific to your family's situation, no commercial pressure.

Call us anytime