Repatriation from the Dominican Republic to Moldova

The island is far away, and the paperwork passes through the civil registry, forensic medicine and a local funeral home. Official sources for this country are few, and we say plainly what we could not confirm.

Issuing authority and document: The Dominican Republic is not in the public list of the 24 countries of the 1973 Strasbourg Agreement (Dutch treaty database, 13.10.2026), so Dominican rules and Moldova's requirements apply. According to the UK government guide (updated 07.10.2025), a death is registered at the nearest civil registry office (Oficialía del Registro Civil), often with the funeral home's help. In the list of Moldovan missions on mfa.gov.md (13.10.2026) the country appears neither with its own mission nor under 'also accredited'; we have not confirmed which mission serves it and will settle this with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs before filing.
Transport: By air only: Santo Domingo is roughly 9,200 km from Chisinau in a straight line (our own calculation), across the Atlantic with no land route. We have not checked whether there are direct flights to Chisinau (RMO) or which connections are used, so the route is chosen case by case. The UK guide notes that rural areas do not always have refrigerated facilities, which matters if the death happened far from a large town.
Timing: We confirm the timeline once we have the documents. In the Dominican Republic the main factors are the post-mortem and its report, the death certificate and the permit to transfer the remains. How long the Moldovan side takes depends on the mission serving the country, which we are still clarifying.
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

The death is registered at the Oficialía del Registro Civil nearest to where it occurred. According to the UK guide (07.10.2025), the certificate is usually issued within three working days, is in Spanish and does not state the cause of death. Registration is normally done by the closest relative or the funeral home.

The same guide says all foreign nationals who die in the country have a post-mortem, at the Pathology Institute in Santo Domingo or Santiago, with the report issued in 4 to 6 weeks. We found no official Dominican source saying whether this applies equally to Moldovan citizens; we check through the funeral home.

Documents needed

For transporting a body the UK guide lists the civil registry death certificate, a certificate of embalming and a certificate permitting transfer of the remains; it does not name who issues the last two. The Dominican Republic is a party to the Hague Apostille Convention (in force from 30.08.2009), and in the HCCH table it carries an objection note. According to the Dutch treaty database, Austria, Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands objected (some have withdrawn); Moldova is not among the objecting states (13.10.2026). Translation into Romanian and the exact list are settled in advance.

Specifics in the Dominican Republic

The UK guide notes that refrigeration varies: larger towns usually have temperature-controlled storage, rural areas not always.

For ashes, the guide says the cremation certificate is shown when leaving the country and airline rules on carrying an urn are checked beforehand. Whether the Moldovan side asks for other documents for an urn, we check separately.

Frequently asked questions

Is a post-mortem compulsory in the Dominican Republic?

The UK government guide (07.10.2025) says all foreign nationals who die there have one, in Santo Domingo or Santiago. We found no official Dominican source about Moldovan citizens, so we ask the local authority through the funeral home.

Where do I get the death certificate, and in what language?

At the Oficialía del Registro Civil nearest the place of death; it is in Spanish and does not show the cause of death. Copies can also be requested from the Dirección de Registro Civil in Santo Domingo, per the same guide.

Why does the apostille table show an objection note for the Dominican Republic?

Some states objected to its accession in 2009. Moldova is not among them in the treaty database checked on 13.10.2026. In what form the Moldovan side accepts the document is confirmed at filing.

Can ashes be brought from the Dominican Republic?

Cremation is done locally, and the UK guide says the cremation certificate is shown on departure. The rules for an urn differ from those for a body; we settle the list of documents by city and flight.

Other countries

Request

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

WhatsApp Viber Telegram