Issuing authority and document: Madagascar is not among the 24 states listed for the Strasbourg Agreement on the Transfer of Corpses (list consulted 13.10.2026), so Malagasy rules and the requirements of the Republic of Moldova apply. According to UK government guidance (published 25.11.2019, no update date, so an old source), a doctor from the Municipal Bureau of Hygiene (BMH) or a Basic Healthcare Center (CSB II) confirms the death, and then a civil registrar issues the death certificate. The list of Moldovan missions on mfa.gov.md (13.10.2026) shows no mission in Madagascar and does not name it among countries covered by another mission; we establish the competent mission at the start.
Transport: Antananarivo is roughly 7,600 km from Chișinău in a straight line (our own calculation from the cities' coordinates). The list of destinations of Chișinău airport (secondary source, 13.10.2026) shows no flights to Madagascar; we have not verified which connecting routes and airlines exist. The UK guidance only says that moving a body requires an international funeral director and does not describe the process.
Timing: The only timeframe in the UK guidance concerns the post-mortem: on police request the coroner tries to produce the report "the day following the request at the soonest"; the report is in French. The guidance gives no timings for the death certificate, export or flight. Being from 2019, it may be out of date; we confirm the timeline once we have the documents.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

The UK guidance (25.11.2019) says a doctor from BMH or CSB II confirms the death, or the head doctor if the person died in hospital; the doctor issues a certificate. A civil registrar then issues the death certificate, in French, with the deceased's full name, date of birth and passport number; a funeral director can handle the registration.

A post-mortem is requested from the coroner by the police in cases of unnatural, sudden, unexplained or suspicious death; the family can object by informing the police. The guidance states that the coroner does not retain organs.

Required documents

The UK guidance does not say what repatriation involves and does not mention embalming or coffin requirements; for these it points to the international funeral director. Those points are not confirmed by any source and we do not assert them. What the Moldovan side requires (mortuary passport, translations from French, legalisation) we establish with the competent mission.

In the Hague Convention status table (updated 30.06.2026) we did not find a row for Madagascar; we draw no conclusion from this and check, before submission, how a Malagasy document can be used in Moldova.

Specifics of Madagascar

The guidance notes that mortuary facilities exist only in Antananarivo and are limited; bodies from other regions must be brought to the capital. Standards are described as much lower than in the UK, and power cuts are frequent, although major hospitals usually have generators.

Burial is the most common option, and cremation is possible. The guidance does not detail requirements for ashes; we establish them with the funeral director and the airline before the flight.

Frequently asked questions

In what language are the documents in Madagascar?

The UK guidance says all documents are produced in French, including the death certificate (acte de décès) and the post-mortem report. The translation and legalisation that Moldova asks for we establish with the competent mission.

Who confirms the death in Madagascar?

According to the guidance, a doctor from the Municipal Bureau of Hygiene (BMH) or a Basic Healthcare Center (CSB II), or the head doctor in a hospital. The civil registrar then issues the death certificate.

Where is the body kept before transport?

The guidance names the Antananarivo mortuary as the only one of its kind and says facilities are limited, with frequent power cuts. Bodies from other regions are brought to the capital.

Does Moldova have an embassy in Madagascar?

The list of missions on mfa.gov.md (13.10.2026) shows no embassy in Madagascar, nor Madagascar among countries covered by another mission. The page carries no update date, so we clarify the competent mission with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at the start.

Other countries

Request

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

WhatsApp Viber Telegram

Repatriation from Madagascar to Moldova