Repatriation from China to Moldova

In China the international transport of the deceased goes through strict procedures: the police for foreigners, embalming, sanitary control on leaving and a carrier recognised by the funeral authority. We go through each step with you, in the required order.

Issuing authority and document: China is not listed among the parties to the Strasbourg Agreement on the Transfer of Corpses (1973), per the public list checked on 13.10.2026, so Chinese rules and the requirements of the Republic of Moldova apply. The death of a foreigner is reported to the exit-entry office of the local police, which issues the death certificate for foreigners; the medical certificate comes from a hospital at county level or above. The mortuary passport is issued by the Embassy of the Republic of Moldova in Beijing.
Transport: As a rule by air, through an international carrier of the deceased recognised by the Chinese funeral authority. The handover point in Moldova is agreed with the family once the Chinese city, the documents and the possible routes are known.
Timing: The duration is given after the documents have been reviewed. It depends on the police, the sanitary control on leaving, the embassy and the route; if a forensic examination is needed, it takes longer.
Price: We will quote the price once we know the details.

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

In a natural death the death certificate is issued by the hospital; in an unnatural death, by the police forensic examiner. The death is then reported to the exit-entry office of the police, and the foreigner's residence permit is cancelled.

For leaving China, the official guide of the city of Chongqing (June 2026) lists for the coffin: the medical death certificate or death appraisal, the embalming certificate from the funeral home and the coffin export permit from the health and epidemic prevention department. Transport goes through the local international body transport service of the China Funeral Association network.

Required documents

Usually needed: the medical death certificate, the death certificate for foreigners from the police, the passport of the deceased, the embalming certificate, the sanitary export permit for the coffin and the papers of the carrier. If the death occurred in a village, a small town or at home, or if the country of destination requires it, the certificate is notarised. China is a party to the 1961 Hague Convention (in force since 7 November 2023) and the Republic of Moldova has not objected; Chinese guides also mention authentication by the embassy, so we confirm with the embassy at the start which form it accepts for Chinese documents.

Specifics of China

In certain cases, for example if the body still does not meet the requirements after sanitary treatment, the Chinese quarantine rules (the 2017 order, whose current wording we are checking) provide for cremation in China and the export of the ashes instead of transporting the body.

Local cremation is carried out by the funeral home at the written request of the family or the embassy/consulate; the ashes can be taken by the family or the embassy. Burial of a foreigner in China is, in general, refused.

Frequently asked questions

Who issues the death certificate for foreigners in China?

The exit-entry office of the local police, once the death has been reported to it with the medical certificate. The residence permit of the deceased is cancelled at the same time.

Why must the transport go through a special carrier?

The official guides of Chinese cities say that the family or its representative must use the international body transport service of the China Funeral Association network. We contact it in good time.

Which sanitary documents are required to leave China?

The official guide of the city of Chongqing (June 2026) lists the medical death certificate or death appraisal, the embalming certificate and the coffin export permit from the sanitary service. The exact list differs by city, and we confirm it locally.

Can we bring home the ashes from China?

Yes. Cremation is carried out by the local funeral home at the written request of the family or the embassy; the ashes can be taken by the family or the embassy. The documents for an urn depend on the Chinese city, and we find them out at the start.

Other countries

Request

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

WhatsApp Viber Telegram