Issuing authority and document: The Gambia is not a party to the 1973 Strasbourg Agreement (24 states listed; Dutch treaty database, 13.10.2026), so local rules and the requirements of the Republic of Moldova apply. On mfa.gov.md (13.10.2026) there is no Moldovan mission in The Gambia and the country is not named among those covered by another mission; we clarify the competent mission at the start.
Transport: Banjul is roughly 5,620 km from Chișinău in a straight line (our own calculation, 13.10.2026). Banjul does not appear in the list of destinations of Chișinău airport (secondary source, 13.10.2026), so we plan on a connection; specific routes have not been verified. The UK guidance (19.08.2024) says a coffin is made to order in about 72 hours, which goes into the transport plan.
Timing: The UK guidance (19.08.2024) says a post-mortem or police investigation can delay the certificate by several weeks and that a post-mortem report can take several weeks. Islamic burial is generally within 24 hours, but no timing is given for repatriation. We set the timeline once we have the documents.
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

According to the UK guidance (19.08.2024), the death is registered at the Births and Deaths registry office in Banjul; a funeral director can do it with the next of kin’s authorisation and an ID document. The death certificate is based on the hospital’s medical certificate of death or the mortuary’s brought-in-dead certificate. All documents are in English. Extra copies are best requested at once; later a fee and a personal visit to the registry are needed.

The guidance also names a certificate of embalming and a certificate permitting transfer of remains (in the guidance, to the UK). Who issues the latter is not stated.

Required documents

We did not find the list for Moldova (mortuary passport, apostille, translations) in official sources. In the Hague Convention status table (updated 30.06.2026) we did not find a row for The Gambia; we draw no conclusion about the apostille and, before submission, check how Gambian documents can be used in Moldova.

The exact list is set with the local funeral home and the competent Moldovan mission.

Specifics of The Gambia

The guidance says cremation is against the law in The Gambia and that bodies being repatriated must be embalmed, while most bodies buried locally are not. Ready-made coffins are not available; a coffin is made and fitted in about 72 hours.

If the family wants a post-mortem, the guidance says it is requested in writing from the Coroner at the local Magistrates court and carried out at Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital in Banjul; a fee applies to a relative’s request.

Frequently asked questions

Is cremation possible in The Gambia?

No. The UK guidance (19.08.2024) says cremation is against the law in The Gambia. If the family wants an urn, we check the options separately.

Is embalming required?

According to the guidance, bodies being repatriated must be embalmed. Specific requirements for Moldova we check with the local funeral home and the competent mission.

How long does it take to make a coffin?

The guidance says no ready-made coffins are available and a coffin is made and fitted in about 72 hours. The overall repatriation timeline we set once we have the documents.

Where can I get extra copies of the death certificate?

The guidance advises requesting them at the moment the certificate is issued; later a fee and a personal visit to the registry in Banjul are needed.

Other countries

Request

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

WhatsApp Viber Telegram

Repatriation from Gambia to Moldova