Issuing authority and document: Albania is not listed among the parties to the 1973 Strasbourg Agreement on the Transfer of Corpses in the public list we consulted on 13.10.2026, so Albanian and Moldovan rules apply together. UK government guidance (published 12 May 2025) says the funeral director must obtain permission to remove the body but does not name the office; we did not find it in another source and establish it at the start. The mortuary passport is issued by embassies or consulates of the Republic of Moldova; on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website Albania appears under the embassy in Sofia.
Transport: By air or by road. By road the way from Albania to Moldova is long and crosses several transit countries, which may have requirements of their own. The public table we consulted shows only a seasonal Tirana — Chișinău flight, so we look for a flight on the actual date.
Timing: We confirm the timeline once we have the documents. Relevant are the local permit to remove the body, the preparation of the special coffin, the embassy in Sofia (which also covers North Macedonia) and the flights available on the date.
Price: Body (repatriation of remains): from 1 300 €
Ashes (urn): from 800 €

Country status under the 1973 Strasbourg Agreement on the Transfer of Corpses: per the Council of Europe list (archived 20.05.2014) and the Netherlands treaty database; checked 11.10.2026.

Procedure

According to UK government guidance (12 May 2025), the death is registered at the local registry office, usually through the funeral service; the death certificate ("Certifikatë vdekje") does not give the cause of death, and an international version with an English translation can be requested.

To take the body out of the country, the same guidance requires the death certificate, the deceased's passport, permission to remove the body and a special coffin for transport; the coffin's specifications are not given. No Moldovan embassy in Tirana appears in the list of missions on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website: Albania is shown under the embassy in Sofia (the list carries no date).

Required documents

Usually needed: the Albanian death certificate with an apostille and a translation, the identity document of the deceased, the permit to remove the body, the funeral service's documents and the mortuary passport. Albania is a party to the 1961 Hague Apostille Convention (accession 3 September 2003, in force since 9 May 2004, no declarations in the HCCH table). In the list of the Moldovan Ministry of Foreign Affairs (updated 2 February 2017) it appears among the states with an apostille. The translation and the exact list we agree with the mission.

Specifics of the country

Cremation is not available in Albania, UK guidance says; it can be done in a neighbouring country through the funeral service. The guidance says nothing about ashes, so we check the rules for an urn separately.

In a straight line, Tirana airport is about 960 km from Chișinău.

Frequently asked questions

Who issues the mortuary passport for a death in Albania?

Embassies or consulates of the Republic of Moldova. On the Ministry of Foreign Affairs list Albania appears under the embassy in Sofia. The list carries no date; we confirm with the mission how a request is submitted.

What is the "special coffin" required in Albania?

UK government guidance requires "a special casket" for transport but gives no specifications. We learn them from the funeral service and compare them with the airline's or the route's requirements.

Is there a direct flight from Tirana to Chișinău?

The public table we consulted shows only a seasonal flight, with no confirmation that it carries human remains. We check a flight for the actual date or choose another route.

Can cremation take place in Albania?

No: according to UK guidance cremation is not available in the country and can be done in a neighbouring one. We confirm the documents for an urn for the chosen route.

Other countries

Request

If the form does not send, please write to us in a messenger:

WhatsApp Viber Telegram

Repatriation from Albania to Moldova