What to do if someone dies in Moldova

Moldova is a manageable repatriation destination with a resident British Embassy in Chisinau and direct London flights via Wizz Air. The civil registration system functions reliably. For standard cases in Chisinau and the main towns, the process follows a predictable path.

The specific complication unique to Moldova is Transnistria: a separatist territory where normal Moldovan and British consular procedures do not apply.

First 24 hours

Call the FCDO Emergency Travel Line: 020 7008 5000 (24 hours). Then contact the British Embassy Chisinau: +373 22 22 59 02.

If the death is non-natural, Moldovan police must be called immediately. Do not move the body before police attendance.

British Embassy Chisinau

The British Embassy Chisinau is a full resident Embassy. Embassy staff are experienced with the small British national population in Moldova: primarily aid workers, EU programme staff, and family visitors from the Moldovan-UK diaspora.

The Embassy registers the death and issues documentation for UK probate and administrative purposes.

Civil Status Agency: death registration

Death registration goes through the Civil Status Agency (Agenția Servicii Publice). The attending physician certifies cause of death. The Agency issues the death certificate.

In hospital settings this typically moves in 1 to 2 working days. For non-natural deaths, the State Medical Examiner must certify cause of death first.

State Medical Examiner: non-natural deaths

All violent, sudden, or unexplained deaths go to the State Medical Examiner Service. The process:

1. Police attend and secure the scene
2. State Medical Examiner examination ordered
3. Forensic cause of death certification
4. Police confirm no criminal prosecution pending
5. Civil Status Agency issues death certificate
6. Ministry of Health issues export permit
7. Funeral director prepares body
8. Cargo via Chisinau Airport

Medical Examiner process typically adds 5 to 10 days for routine cases.

Transnistria: how it works differently

Transnistria is a de facto separatist territory on Moldova’s eastern border with Ukraine, controlled since 1992 by Russian-aligned authorities. It is not recognised by the UK, EU, or UN. It functions as a parallel state with its own police, registry, and administrative systems.

A death in Transnistria means:

• Transnistrian authorities (not the Moldovan government) control the death registration
• The British Embassy Chisinau has no authority over Transnistrian territory
• Transnistrian authorities issue their own documents (not Moldovan state documents)
• FCDO advises against travel to Transnistria: consular support is very limited

For families dealing with a death in Transnistria, the steps are:

1. Call FCDO: 020 7008 5000 immediately
2. Contact British Embassy Chisinau: they will advise on current capacity to assist
3. Engage a specialist firm with confirmed post-Soviet separatist region experience
4. Do not travel to Transnistria without specialist advice on current entry/exit situation

The main town of Tiraspol is the centre of Transnistrian administration. A small number of firms have experience working through these cases, but they are complex and timeline-unpredictable.

Routing from Chisinau

Chisinau International Airport (RMO) has direct service to London Luton (Wizz Air). Additional UK connections via:

• Bucharest (TAROM, Air Moldova)
• Vienna (Austrian Airlines)
• Istanbul (Turkish Airlines)

Cargo follows passenger routes. The direct Wizz Air connection is standard for UK repatriation cargo.

Document checklist

What to do first

FCDO: 020 7008 5000. British Embassy Chisinau: +373 22 22 59 02.

For standard Moldova cases, a specialist international firm with Eastern European experience is recommended. For Transnistria cases, only firms with confirmed separatist region experience should be engaged.

Sources: UK FCDO Moldova travel advice (gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/moldova, updated 2024); British Embassy Chisinau; Civil Status Agency of Moldova.