Who is legally responsible
The local authority — the local council (primăria), through its social services department — has the legal obligation to ensure burial for persons without next of kin, under Law 102/2014. The concrete procedure is set by local council decisions and varies from one locality to another.
The burial arranged by the local authority includes an allocated burial plot — usually in dedicated sections of local cemeteries — and a decent ceremony. As a rule the grave is identified and marked; it is not an anonymous burial.
Costs borne by the local authority may be recovered from the estate if the deceased left assets. If there are no assets, the cost remains with the local authority.
How the procedure works
The typical steps of the procedure, from notification to burial. Exact timelines and documents required vary from one locality to another, in line with the relevant local council decision.
Anyone — a neighbour, building administrator, doctor, police officer, or social worker — may notify the local authority of a death without next of kin. There is no requirement to be a relative to report the situation.
| Step | Who carries it out |
|---|---|
| Reporting the death (hospital, police, neighbours, building administrator) | Anyone aware of the situation → local authority or 112 |
| Verifying whether relatives exist (social inquiry) | Social services department of the local authority |
| Allocating a burial plot and organising burial | Local authority, with a contracted funeral home |
| Covering costs | Local authority; costs may be recovered from the estate if assets exist |
Unidentified deceased
The situation differs slightly when the deceased cannot be identified. In this case, the mayor of the administrative-territorial unit where the death occurred orders the burial, under Law 102/2014. The same rule applies when the person who would normally be responsible cannot be found or fails to fulfil that obligation.
Unidentified persons may not be cremated — the law provides for burial, in order to preserve the possibility of later identification. The authority that ordered the burial and the case file number are entered in the records register.
Until burial, the body is kept under appropriate conditions — usually at the mortuary of the medical facility or the forensic medicine service — until the procedures are complete.
If the person is later identified or relatives come forward, they may obtain the burial location from the local authority. Relocation of the remains is possible subsequently, with the required sanitary clearances.
If relatives come forward later
Relatives who learn of the death before burial may take over the arrangements at any time through a funeral home — in that case the local authority does not intervene.
If you learn of the death after burial has already taken place, you can obtain the exact location from the local authority. Relatives may subsequently request relocation of the remains with the required sanitary clearances. The timelines and procedure for relocation are established with the local authority and the cemetery administration.
Dignity regardless of circumstances
Every person deserves a dignified funeral. Friends or neighbours may organise the funeral themselves through a funeral home — the organiser does not need to be a blood relative. The deceased's identity documents are needed; the remaining documents — the medical death certificate, the official death certificate — are obtained in the course of the process, as with any funeral.
The local authority steps in only when no one else does. If you are in this situation and wish to organise the funeral for someone close who has no family, call us — we take over arrangements quickly, with or without a family relationship. If the deceased was a person with a disability, additional DGASPC notification obligations apply — details in the guide on death of a person with a disability. The guide on organising the funeral explains all the steps, and for a no-commitment conversation you may use our free consultation.
