How repatriation from the USA works
It all starts with a phone call. We coordinate with a licensed partner funeral home in the USA that collects the deceased, carries out embalming, and prepares the air-transport coffin — with a sealed metal liner, required by airlines for transport as special cargo.
The American state death certificate is obtained from the vital records office of the state where the death occurred. All American public documents that will be used in Romania must carry an apostille — a certificate issued by the Secretary of State of the issuing state, under the Hague Convention. Once the apostilled death certificate is ready, the Romanian Consulate in the USA issues the Romanian mortuary passport (pașaportul mortuar). Transport is then arranged by air from the nearest major airport.
The state death certificate and the apostille
In the United States, vital records are managed at state level, not federally. The death certificate is issued by the vital records office of the state where the death occurred. Each state has its own process and timeline — in most states, a certified copy is available within a few working days.
For use in Romania, the death certificate must carry an apostille issued by the Secretary of State of that state. Romania is a member of the Hague Convention, so the apostille is sufficient — no further consular legalisation is needed. Apostille processing times vary by state: some states issue apostilles within one to three days; others take one to two weeks. Expedited services are available in most states, and we factor this into the timeline we give you.
The Romanian Consulate's role — the mortuary passport
The mortuary passport (pașaportul mortuar) is issued by the Romanian Consulate in the USA. This is the document that authorizes the deceased to enter Romania and is required by Romanian customs at Henri Coandă International Airport in Bucharest.
One important rule: under Romanian consular procedures, the request for the mortuary passport must be submitted by a person with an address in the United States — either a family member living in the US, or the licensed US funeral home acting on behalf of the family. We work with our US partner funeral home to submit this request correctly.
Romania has five main consular offices in the USA: the Embassy in Washington D.C., Consulate Generals in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Miami. Which office handles the case depends on the state where the death occurred.
Embalming and air transport requirements
Embalming is required for international air transport of human remains in a coffin. US funeral homes are experienced with this requirement and perform it as a standard step before preparing the air-transport coffin. The coffin must have a sealed metal (zinc) liner, airtight, and must meet airline cargo rules.
The US funeral home also provides a declaration confirming that the coffin contains only the deceased's body and compliant materials — this is required by airlines and customs. Embalming and air coffin preparation are handled by our US partner; they are included in the estimate we give you.
Third-party fees you should know about
Repatriation from the USA involves several distinct cost components. The US funeral home charges for collection, embalming, the metal-liner coffin, and local documentation. Air freight from the USA to Bucharest is a significant cost that varies by origin city — flights from New York tend to be cheaper than from Los Angeles or Miami. Airport handling fees at Bucharest Henri Coandă (Otopeni) apply on arrival, typically in the range of €150–250. The apostille fee varies by state (typically $20–50 per document). Romanian consular fees for the mortuary passport may apply starting 2026 following a regulatory change; we confirm current fees on the first call.
All of these are itemised in the estimate we provide. The starting figure of $4,900 reflects a realistic base for a straightforward case from a city with direct cargo connections; the final amount can be higher depending on origin city, flight availability, and specific circumstances.
How long it takes and why the price is set individually
Repatriation from the USA usually takes 7–14 days, depending on the departure city, the available flights, and the consular formalities. It takes longer than from Europe, because of the distance, the apostille process, and the extra administrative steps.
The price cannot be fixed, because it depends on several factors: the US city, the cost of the air cargo ticket, the apostille fees, the consular fees, and the type of coffin. It starts from $4,900, and we give you a firm figure once we know the details of the case, on the first call.
The documents required
- The American state death certificate, with an apostille from the Secretary of State and a legalized translation into Romanian
- The mortuary passport (pașaportul mortuar) issued by the Romanian Consulate in the USA
- The embalming certificate, mandatory for air transport
- The US funeral home's declaration that the coffin contains only the deceased's body and compliant materials
- The air coffin with a sealed metal liner, required by airlines
- Transcription of the death certificate into the Romanian civil registry, on arrival
Romanian consulates in the United States
Romania has five consular offices in the USA: the Embassy in Washington D.C., the Consulate General in New York (covering the northeastern states), the Consulate General in Chicago (covering the Midwest), the Consulate General in Los Angeles (covering the western states), and the Consulate General in Miami (covering the southeastern states and Florida).
The mortuary passport is issued by the consulate with jurisdiction over the state where the death occurred. We determine the correct consulate and manage this contact as part of our standard process.
What we do for the family
Distance, the time difference, and the language make repatriation from the USA hard for a family to manage alone. We coordinate the American side through our licensed US partners and the Romanian side directly, so you have a single point of contact, in Romanian.
We answer day and night, including across the American time zones. We prepare everything in advance, so that on arrival in Romania the family only has to deal with the ceremony.
You do not need to be in the USA to authorize the process. We work with written authorization from the next of kin and coordinate with the US partner funeral home on your behalf.