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- Cremation is regulated by the Law on Cemeteries, Crematoriums and Funeral Services (Legea nr. 102/2014) and the sanitary regulations approved by Government Decision HG nr. 741/2016.
- A foreign citizen is cremated with the consent of their country's consulate in Romania, or if there is none, with the consent of the authorities at their last place of residence.
- The cremation application (solicitare de incinerare) is signed by the person who is legally responsible for arranging the funeral.
- There is one operating crematorium in Bucharest, Vitan-Bârzești. It usually schedules the cremation 1–3 days after the documents are submitted.
- Transporting an urn with ashes to Ukraine costs from 800 €, with no prepayment.
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Translated from Ukrainian “You were always available, whatever the time…” — Віта Х. “Everything was organised with great dignity, professionally and with attention to every detail.” — Тамара Ю. “Every question was resolved promptly, with respect and attention to detail.” — Olha B. “…your support, compassion, sense of responsibility and professionalism meant a great deal to us.” — Ірина Б. “It all went quickly and professionally…” — Оля К. Who gives consent for cremation in Romania
Anyone can express the wish to be cremated during their lifetime: in writing, by a notarized deed, or by appointing a person to arrange the funeral (regulations, Article 35).
The law defines who arranges the funeral (Article 17 of Legea 102/2014) in the following order:
- the person who took on this responsibility under a contract;
- the person named in a will;
- if there is no will, the husband or wife who lived with the deceased in the final period of their life;
- another close relative up to the fourth degree.
This is the person who fills out and signs the cremation application. Each crematorium prepares its own application form. A copy of the death certificate and a copy of the applicant's passport are attached to the application.
If the family is in Ukraine, we help arrange a power of attorney and work through a local funeral home.
Permits and documents for cremation in Romania
The list required by the Bucharest municipal crematorium (ADPMB administration):
- death certificate (certificat de deces), original and copy;
- applicant's identity document, original and copy;
- certificate for burial or cremation (adeverință de înhumare/incinerare), original;
- embalming certificate (certificat de îmbălsămare), original;
- sanitary transport permit from the County Public Health Directorate (DSP), if required;
- copy of the medical certificate confirming death (certificat medical constatator al decesului);
- documents confirming family relationship, such as a marriage certificate.
For a foreign citizen, the consent of their country's consulate in Romania is also required (Article 39 of the regulations, Article 32 of the law). For a Ukrainian, this is the Consulate of Ukraine in Romania. Without this consent, the crematorium will not perform the cremation.
What we ask the crematorium
- which cremation application form it accepts and who must sign it;
- whether it will accept a power of attorney from the family in Ukraine;
- whether embalming is required in your case;
- what is the earliest available date and what is included in the fee.
It is forbidden to cremate an unidentified person or someone for whom a death certificate has not been issued.
How long is the wait for cremation
The law does not set a minimum period between death and cremation. The timing depends on how quickly the family obtains the death certificate, consular consent, and all the required certificates.
In Bucharest, the cremation date is set by the Vitan-Bârzești crematorium itself based on the submitted documents. According to their information, this takes from 1 to 3 days depending on workload. Documents are accepted from 7:00 to 15:00. Weekends and public holidays add extra days.
Special case: if a person with an infection risk died outside a hospital and the body cannot be embalmed for objective reasons, the regulations require burial or cremation within 36 hours after death (Article 20). In this situation, you need to act very quickly.
How much does cremation cost in Romania
The regulations require every crematorium to display a list of services and fees (Article 38). There is no single state fee. The Bucharest municipal administration does not publish the price of the cremation itself on its website; it depends on the ordered services. Only the annual maintenance fee for a columbarium niche at the crematorium is published: 35 lei.
Source: ADPMB București: Taxe și tarife, 2026
The funeral home, embalming, transport of the body to the crematorium, and translations are paid separately. The apostille at the prefecture is free of charge.
If we arrange the cremation through our local partners, we calculate the cremation cost based on the specific situation. If you already have the urn, we will pick it up. Transporting an urn with ashes to Ukraine costs from 800 €. No prepayment: you pay after the urn is handed over under the contract. Details are on the urn transport page.
Urn for transport
After cremation, the ashes are placed in a standard crematorium urn or in an urn that the family bought themselves from any seller. The crematorium keeps a register recording when and to whom the urn was handed over, and draws up an urn handover certificate (proces-verbal de predare-primire a urnei).
For travel, a durable metal or plastic urn is better. If you are flying, the urn is usually taken in hand luggage by prior arrangement with the airline, and it is X-rayed at security. Each airline sets its own rules.
How to take an urn with ashes from Romania to Ukraine
The international transport rules in the law apply to a body. We found no separate procedure for an urn in the law. We check with the DSP whether any additional papers are needed in your case.
The urn must be accompanied by:
- a death certificate with an apostille;
- crematorium documents confirming cremation and the urn handover certificate;
- a translation into Ukrainian.
In Romania, any prefecture (Instituția Prefectului) places an apostille on civil status documents free of charge. We verify the document package with the Embassy of Ukraine in Romania. The general list is on the documents page.
Since there is a direct border with Ukraine, urns are usually transported overland. Read about customs in the article customs clearance for an urn.
Can you transport the urn yourself
Yes. The urn is released to the person recorded in the crematorium register with their signature. Common problems include: missing consular consent, missing apostille or translation, or trying to collect the urn without documents proving family relationship. If you are in Ukraine or short on time, it is better to entrust this to us.
Cremation vs. transporting a body
| Urn with ashes | Body in a coffin | |
|---|---|---|
| Documents | death certificate, consular consent, crematorium documents, apostille | death certificate, mortuary passport (laissez-passer) from DSP, apostille |
| Transport | passenger car | special hearse, hermetically sealed coffin |
| Timeframe | a few days after cremation | depends on documents |
| Price | from 800 € | see the country page |
If the family wants to bury the body, read about transporting a body from Romania.
Burying an urn in Ukraine
An urn can be buried in a grave, placed in a columbarium, or interred in an existing family grave. You need permission from the cemetery. Read more in the article burying an urn.
Timeframes: from the first call to burying the urn
| Stage | Estimated time |
|---|---|
| Consultation, power of attorney, funeral home | 1–3 days |
| Death certificate, medical and municipal certificates | 1–3 days |
| Consent from the Consulate of Ukraine | to be confirmed |
| Cremation | 1–3 days after submitting documents (Bucharest) |
| Apostille, translation | 1–5 days |
| Transporting the urn to Ukraine | 1–2 days |
| Burying the urn | by arrangement with the cemetery |
Timeframes depend on government authorities and the crematorium, which are beyond our control.
Frequently asked questions
Can a Ukrainian citizen be cremated in Romania?
Yes, with the consent of the Consulate of Ukraine in Romania and with all civil status documents.
Who signs the cremation application?
The person who arranges the funeral under Article 17 of Legea 102/2014: under a contract, under a will, the spouse, or a close relative.
How much does cremation cost in Romania?
There is no single fee; each crematorium publishes its own rates. Transporting the urn to Ukraine costs from 800 €.
How long is the wait for cremation in Bucharest?
According to the Vitan-Bârzești crematorium, from 1 to 3 days after submitting the documents, depending on workload.
Is an apostille required?
Yes, on the death certificate. In Romania, the prefecture issues it free of charge.
Do I need to travel to Romania?
Usually no. We process the documents through our partners using a power of attorney.
What to do now
- Find the death certificate or medical certificate and find out where the body is located.
- Determine who in the family is legally responsible for arranging the funeral, and prepare documents proving the family relationship.
- Decide where you will bury the urn in Ukraine.
- Call us. We will arrange the cremation through our partners, help with the consular consent, or pick up the ready urn.
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