Issuing authority and document: Nigeria is not among the parties to the Strasbourg Agreement (1973) on the transfer of corpses (public list, checked 13.10.2026), so Nigerian rules apply together with the requirements of the Republic of Moldova. The UK government guide (published 16.12.2025, updated 17.12.2025) says the death must be registered at the local registry office in Nigeria, normally through the funeral director. The mortuary passport is issued by an embassy or consulate of the Republic of Moldova; Nigeria does not appear in the list of missions on mfa.gov.md (checked 13.10.2026), so we verify the competent mission before filing.
Transport: Lagos is about 5,100 km from Chișinău and Abuja about 4,700 km (our own straight-line calculation). Nigeria does not appear in the destinations list of Chișinău airport (RMO), so we do not assume a direct flight: if the route has a stopover, we plan it once we have the documents, the departure airport and the airline's conditions. For ashes, the guide asks you to tell the airline in advance.
Timing: We confirm the timeline once we have the documents. According to the guide, the hospital usually issues the cause-of-death certificate within a week, and embalming normally follows the post-mortem, if one is held. For Moldova, the mortuary passport, legalisations and the flight come on top.
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 must be registered at the local registry office in Nigeria; the funeral director can do this for the family. For registration the British guide lists: the deceased's birth certificate (showing place of birth and parents' names), religion, official ID, the hospital's cause-of-death certificate and, where relevant, the spouse's details. The Nigerian death certificate does not state the cause of death; that is in the hospital's certificate.

A post-mortem is possible if the cause is unknown, unnatural, sudden or violent. According to the guide, small tissue samples and organs may be removed for testing without the family's permission, and in exceptional circumstances body parts may be kept without permission, and the post-mortem report is not usually given to next of kin; a lawyer can apply for a copy. Rules can differ between regions, so we ask the local funeral director to confirm them.

Required documents

To take the body out of the country, the British guide lists: the death certificate, a death certificate from the National Population Commission, the coroner's permission to remove the body, the deceased's passport and a Ministry of Health declaration that there is no infection (rules vary by location). The body must be embalmed and placed in a metal casket. This is the list for a British case; what Moldova requires and what the embassy issues we clarify before filing.

Nigeria does not appear in the table of the 1961 Hague Convention (HCCH, checked 13.10.2026), so an apostille cannot be assumed. We confirm the order of legalisations for Moldova with the embassy before sending any documents.

Specifics in Nigeria

The guide says cremation of a foreign national is possible. For ashes it asks for the death certificate and the cremation certificate, compliance with Nigerian rules on leaving the country, and advance notice to the airline; sending by post or courier may not be possible. The rules for ashes differ from those for a body.

Personal belongings are normally given to the family or to the Nigerian police; if they are held as evidence in a court case, they stay with the court until it ends. The guide does not mention airports and does not explain how documents are legalised, so we state nothing about either.

Frequently asked questions

Does the Nigerian death certificate show the cause of death?

No. The British guide says Nigerian death certificates do not give the cause of death; it is in the hospital's separate certificate, which the hospital usually issues within a week.

Who registers the death in Nigeria?

The local registry office; the funeral director can do it on the family's behalf. You tell us which documents you have (birth certificate, ID, the hospital's certificate) and we tell you what is missing.

Can the body be cremated in Nigeria and the ashes brought to Moldova?

The British guide says cremation of a foreign national is possible and that ashes need the death and cremation certificates. What Moldova requires for ashes we confirm with the embassy; we do not claim the procedure is the same.

What happens to the deceased's personal belongings?

They are normally handed to the family or to the Nigerian police. If they are held as evidence they stay until the court case ends; according to the British guide, the British High Commission takes no responsibility for them.

Other countries

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Repatriation from Nigeria to Moldova