Death certificate in Romania — the complete English guide

Registering a death in Romania is governed by Law no. 119/1996 and involves a small but strict sequence of steps at the local civil registry (Starea Civilă) of the sector or commune where the death occurred. This guide covers the full procedure for Bucharest and Ilfov, in English, for families of Romanian nationals, foreign residents, and expatriates.

Step 1 — Medical death certification

The Certificat Medical Constatator al Decesului is the medical document establishing the cause of death. It is issued by:

• The family doctor — if the deceased was on their records and the death was expected.
• The forensic doctor (medic legist) — if the death was sudden, at home without medical monitoring, or under suspicious circumstances. Osiris has its own DSP-authorized forensic doctor available 24/7 in Bucharest and Ilfov, at no extra cost.
• The hospital — if the death occurred on a ward.

Step 2 — Civil-registry filing

Within 3 working days, the death must be declared at the Starea Civilă of the sector (Sector 1–6 for Bucharest) or commune (for Ilfov) where the death occurred. Required documents:

• Medical death-certifying document (original).
• Deceased's ID card or passport.
• Deceased's birth certificate (original or certified copy).
• Marriage certificate (if applicable).
• ID of the person declaring the death.
• Written power of attorney (if declaration is by a funeral company).

Step 3 — The death certificate

The Certificatul de Deces is issued on the spot. It is the official Romanian civil document proving the death and is required for: burial or cremation authorization, cemetery access, state death-benefit filing, bank account closures, insurance claims, inheritance procedures, cross-border repatriation.

Step 4 — Apostille (for use abroad)

To use the Romanian death certificate in another country (US, UK, EU, Canada, Australia, etc.), it must be apostilled at the Prefectură of the same county. The apostille takes 1–3 working days and costs approx. 45 RON. Osiris organizes it together with the certificate.

Step 5 — Certified translation

For submission to foreign authorities (embassies, courts, banks), the apostilled certificate is translated by an authorized translator and legalized at a notary. Common target languages: English, Italian, Spanish, German, French, Hebrew, Russian, Arabic.

How Osiris handles all of this for you

With a single power of attorney, we handle: medical certification (if needed), civil-registry filing, death certificate collection, apostille, sworn translation, international courier delivery. Turnaround: 3–5 working days from first call to certified translated copies delivered anywhere in the world.

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