Repatriation from Iceland to Moldova

Iceland is an island, so the journey home is by air, and on paper the procedure rests on the Strasbourg Agreement, to which both Iceland and Moldova are parties. We take you through the Icelandic steps and the Moldovan documents.

Issuing authority and document: Iceland and Moldova are both parties to the Strasbourg Agreement on the Transfer of Corpses (1973; in force for Iceland since 11.11.1975 and for Moldova since 14.03.2003, per the Dutch treaty database, checked 13.10.2026). Under it the body travels with a laissez-passer issued by the competent authority of the country of departure. In its declaration of 1983 Iceland named the District Medical Officer (in Reykjavik, the Reykjavik Medical Office of Health), or doctors authorised by them. The death itself is notified to the district commissioner (sýslumaður).
Transport: Iceland has no land border, so the body is flown. Whether a direct flight to Chișinău is available is not something we assume: we check the available routes and connections for your 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 doctor issuing the laissez-passer, on preparing a compliant coffin, and on the flight connections available from Iceland.
Price: Body (repatriation of remains): On request
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

A doctor certifies the death, and the death is then notified to the district commissioner (sýslumaður), who confirms the notification; island.is states that a funeral cannot take place until the officiant has this confirmation. For a body leaving the country, the next step under the Strasbourg Agreement is the laissez-passer from the Icelandic competent authority.

The Agreement allows the laissez-passer to be issued only after the authority has checked that the national medical, health and administrative rules have been met, that the coffin meets the Agreement's requirements and that it contains only the named person and any personal effects. According to the text of the Agreement (Article 4), destination and transit countries may not ask for other documents; for Moldova, the mortuary passport can also be issued by local authorities of Strasbourg states, as the Moldovan Ministry of Foreign Affairs notes. We check with you which document is accepted for your case.

Required documents

Usually needed: the Icelandic death certificate, the confirmation of notification to the district commissioner, the identity document of the deceased, the documents of the person applying and the laissez-passer. To register the death in Moldova, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs notes that a foreign death certificate must be legalised; Iceland has been in the Hague Apostille Convention since 27.11.2004 and the HCCH table lists no objection by Moldova, so an apostille is the usual route. The exact list and any translation we confirm for your case.

Coffin and ashes

The Agreement describes the coffin: it must be impervious, with absorbent material inside, and for transport by air it needs a purifying device or another guarantee that the departure authority considers adequate. Wood and zinc, or the other combinations the Agreement lists, are used for this.

Ashes are different: the Agreement does not apply to the international transport of ashes (Article 1(3)). In Iceland, cremation requires a permit from the district commissioner, given after the notification has been filed and in consultation with the police commissioner (island.is). The documents for taking an urn out of Iceland we confirm separately, because we have not found an official Icelandic source on them.

Frequently asked questions

Who issues the laissez-passer in Iceland?

According to Iceland's declaration under the Agreement of 4 February 1983, it is the District Medical Officer (in Reykjavik, the Reykjavik Medical Office of Health), or a doctor they authorise. We confirm the current office for your case at the start.

What does it mean that both countries are parties to the Strasbourg Agreement?

The body travels with a single standard document, the laissez-passer, and the Agreement states that destination and transit countries may not ask for other documents. It does not remove local steps, such as the notification in Iceland, the coffin and the flight.

Can we bring the ashes home from Iceland?

Yes, if the family chooses cremation, which in Iceland needs a permit from the district commissioner. The Strasbourg Agreement does not cover ashes, so we confirm the documents for the urn separately.

Do we need to deal with a Moldovan embassy ourselves?

Usually not. With your consent we prepare the documents and coordinate with the Icelandic offices and the Moldovan mission that handles the case. If a relative's signature is needed, we tell you exactly where.

Other countries

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