Issuing authority and document: Andorra and Moldova are both parties to the Strasbourg Agreement on the Transfer of Corpses (1973): in force for Andorra since 10.03.2007 and for Moldova since 14.03.2003 (Dutch treaty database, checked 13.10.2026). In its declaration of 09.02.2007, Andorra named the Forensic Medicine Service (Service de Médecine Légale) of the ministry responsible for justice and the interior as the competent authority for the laissez-passer. According to secondary public sources (the list of Moldovan missions on Wikipedia, 13.10.2026), Andorra is covered by the Embassy of the Republic of Moldova in Madrid; we did not find confirmation on mfa.gov.md, so we check this at the start.
Transport: Andorra has no railway and no airport for fixed-wing aircraft; the nearest large airports are Toulouse (about 195 km) and Barcelona (about 198 km), and the roads lead to Spain and France (Wikipedia, 13.10.2026). In a straight line it is about 2,200 km to Chișinău (our own calculation from coordinates). The Chișinău airport page lists Barcelona among its destinations and does not list Toulouse (Wikipedia, 13.10.2026), but schedules change and we do not assume that a coffin can leave on a particular flight: we check the cargo option and the route for each case and agree the handover point in Moldova with the family.
Timing: We confirm the timeline once we have the documents. It depends on the registration of the death in Andorra, the translation and apostille of the certificate, the laissez-passer from the Forensic Medicine Service and the road journey to an airport or to Moldova.
Price: Body (repatriation of remains): from 3 100 €
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

The death is registered at the local civil registry office in Andorra, normally through the funeral director. The death certificate (certificat de defunció) states the cause of death, and the funeral home can arrange the translation and the apostille (gov.uk, page updated 06.02.2026).

Under the Agreement (Articles 3 and 5) the body travels with a laissez-passer issued by the competent authority of the country of departure, after it has checked the medical, health and administrative rules and the coffin. Under Article 4, destination and transit countries may not ask for other documents. The Moldovan Ministry of Foreign Affairs notes that the mortuary passport can also be issued by local authorities of the signatory states; we check which document is accepted for your case at the start.

Required documents

The list published by the UK government for repatriation from Andorra (gov.uk, 06.02.2026) includes: a copy of the death certificate from the civil registry, a burial or cremation licence, a literal death certificate from the Andorran ministry, a special coffin with a certificate that it was sealed, the passport of the deceased, the sanitary document “salvo conducte”, an embalming document, court authorisation if a post-mortem was carried out, and a medical certificate for a natural death. That is the list for the United Kingdom, not for Moldova; we confirm the exact list for Moldova for each case.

Andorra has been in the Hague Apostille Convention since 31.12.1996 and the HCCH table shows no objection by Moldova (checked 13.10.2026), so an apostille is the usual route. The Moldovan Ministry of Foreign Affairs states that a foreign death certificate must be legalised.

Coffin and ashes

The Agreement describes the coffin: impervious, with absorbent material, of wood and zinc; for transport by air it needs a purifying device or other guarantees that the departure authority accepts (Article 6). In Andorra this means a special sealed coffin with a certificate of sealing.

Ashes are different: the Agreement does not apply to the international transport of ashes (Article 1(3)). Cremation in Andorra requires a local funeral director. For the urn, gov.uk mentions the death certificate and the cremation certificate and warns that the urn may not be sendable by post or courier. We confirm the documents for an urn travelling to Moldova separately, because we have not found an official Andorran source.

Frequently asked questions

Who issues the laissez-passer in Andorra?

According to Andorra's declaration of 09.02.2007 under the Agreement, the competent authority is the Forensic Medicine Service (Service de Médecine Légale). At the start we check that this is still the authority for your case.

Why does the journey from Andorra start on the road?

Andorra has no airport for fixed-wing aircraft and no railway. From the border the body goes to an airport in Spain or France, or further by road; we choose with the family, depending on the documents and the flights available.

Which Moldovan embassy handles Andorra?

Secondary public sources name the embassy in Madrid, but we did not find confirmation on mfa.gov.md. We check at the start and tell you where documents are submitted, if that is needed.

Can we bring the ashes home from Andorra?

Yes, if the family chooses cremation. The Strasbourg Agreement does not cover ashes, and the British source warns that an urn may not be sendable by post or courier. We confirm the list of documents for Moldova separately.

Other countries

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Repatriation from Andorra to Moldova