Repatriation from Vietnam to Moldova

In Vietnam a death is registered at the ward People's Committee, and taking remains out of the country needs the approval of the quarantine, customs and immigration office. We help with the steps and with the documents for the Moldovan side.

Issuing authority and document: Vietnam is not a party to the Strasbourg Agreement on the Transfer of Corpses (public list, checked on 13.10.2026), so Vietnamese rules apply together with the requirements of the Republic of Moldova. The mortuary passport is issued by embassies or consulates of the Republic of Moldova. According to the list on mfa.gov.md (checked on 13.10.2026), Vietnam is covered by the Embassy of the Republic of Moldova in Beijing; we confirm the steps with it for each case.
Transport: By air. The international medical quarantine certificate is obtained, according to the UK guidance, from the disease control centre in Hanoi, so Hanoi appears in the departure papers whichever city the body leaves from; we do not assume a direct flight to Chișinău.
Timing: We confirm the timeline once we have the documents. The UK guidance says local formalities for repatriation usually take about a week, longer over public holidays, and a post-mortem examination can add time.
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 government guidance (updated 23.01.2026), a death is registered at the local ward People's Committee, and a funeral director can do it. The application form (in Vietnamese only), the original death notification, the deceased's temporary registered address and copies of the visa and passport are required.

The death certificate takes about a week, is in Vietnamese and does not state the cause of death; the cause appears only in the Vietnamese death notification. Taking remains out of the country needs permission from the quarantine, customs and immigration office, which a funeral director usually obtains.

Required documents

According to the same guidance, repatriation requires: the death certificate, the deceased's passport, the international medical quarantine certificate and the certificate of preservation of remains. For ashes carried by a traveller, the death certificate, the cremation certificate and the quarantine certificate are needed, and the airline is told in advance. The guidance is written for British families, so we confirm the list for the Moldovan side with the mission.

Vietnam acceded to the Hague Apostille Convention on 31.12.2025, and it entered into force for Vietnam on 11.09.2026. The HCCH table shows objections from Czechia, Austria and Germany, but none from the Republic of Moldova. Because the rule is so recent, we confirm how Vietnamese documents are apostilled before sending them.

Post-mortem and embalming

The UK guidance notes that local hospitals normally embalm the remains, which may affect a later post-mortem. The final decision on a post-mortem rests with the Vietnamese police; the family can ask for it to be waived, but the police may go ahead if the cause of death is not determined.

Post-mortem reports are issued in Vietnamese and, according to the guidance, can take from a couple of weeks to several months. The same guidance says ashes may not be sendable by post or courier.

Frequently asked questions

Where is a death registered in Vietnam?

At the People's Committee of the ward where the death occurred. According to the UK guidance, a funeral director can do it.

Does the death certificate state the cause of death?

No. The UK guidance says only the Vietnamese death notification states the cause, not the certificate.

Will there be a post-mortem?

The Vietnamese police decide. According to the UK guidance, the family can ask for it to be waived, but the police may proceed if the cause of death is not determined.

Since when does the apostille apply in Vietnam?

Since 11.09.2026, after accession on 31.12.2025 (HCCH table, checked on 13.10.2026). We confirm how Vietnamese documents are apostilled in practice before sending them.

Other countries

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