Exhumation in Moldova and Reburial in Ukraine
If your relative is already buried in Moldova, we arrange the exhumation and bring the remains home to Ukraine for reburial. Our exhumation costs from €500 plus the cost of transport, with no prepayment.
MD → UA · 24/7
Repatriation of the deceased from Moldova to Ukraine
XREQUIEM brings the deceased home from any town in Moldova by road, in our specialist vehicle, with no flight. We handle the Romanian documents and their translation, the Ukrainian consulate, the sealed coffin and the border crossing. Prices start from €500. The road home takes from 24 hours after collection.
Oleg Zdendiak, ownerpersonally responsible for every case 5,0 129 reviews on Google
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. from €500 including documents, the coffin and transport to your town. We will give you the exact price within 5 minutes.
Summary. Moldova shares a land border with Ukraine, so the deceased travels in our vehicle through a road checkpoint. The Public Services Agency issues the death certificate in Romanian, and we have it translated into Ukrainian. A Strasbourg laissez-passer may go with the body, but the Ukrainian border needs its own papers. Give us both towns and we name the price within 5 minutes.
- Since 2015 bringing people home
- Ukrainian company Company code (EDRPOU) 46261246
- Contract with a fixed price
- 35 countries with “from” prices
- Own workshop coffins and funeral goods
- 24/7 one number throughout
If it has just happened
- Call or write any time. We explain what to say. We contact hospital and police.
- Mention any insurance policy. We coordinate with the insurer.
- Name two cities. Where it happened. Where to bring the body. Enough for a price. The passport comes later.
What we do: from your call to handing the deceased over to the family
You do not need to work out foreign rules or find someone on the spot. You call us, and we take it from there. Here is how it goes when someone has died in Moldova.
The conversation
We find out where the deceased is now: in a hospital, in a morgue or at home. We ask which documents you already have and where in Ukraine the deceased should be taken.
The price
We tell you the exact price for the whole journey home straight away. You know it before we start.
Local formalities
For foreigners, an autopsy in Moldova is usually compulsory and is done by forensic doctors. It may be waived if a hospital doctor gives the cause of death or on religious grounds. We arrange the release of the body with the local authorities. We tell you where your signature is needed and what we will handle ourselves.
Preparing the body and the coffin
We arrange the preparation of the body and a coffin that is hermetically sealed, has a zinc liner and is put under official seal. Ukrainian law requires this for a body to be brought into the country.
Documents for the border
We put together the set of documents that the Ukrainian border requires and translate the Moldovan documents into Ukrainian.
The way home
From Chișinău or Bălți, the drive to the border is short. We cross at a road checkpoint and carry on to your town, and you hear from us along the way.
Handing over to the family
We hand the deceased over to the family, or take them straight to the farewell ceremony, as you decide.
We work out your price
Call or leave your number.
Documents: what is needed to bring a body home from Moldova
Which documents Moldova issues depends on where and in what circumstances the person died. We will give you the exact list once we know the circumstances. We ask you only for what nobody but the family can provide.
What we ask from the family
- The deceased's passport, if you have it.
- Your passport.
- Documents that prove your relationship to the deceased: a birth or marriage certificate.
- The contact details of the hospital or the morgue, if you have them.
If something is missing, do not worry. Tell us, and we will suggest how to manage without it or where to get it.
What we do
- We register the death with the Public Services Agency and obtain the certificate, the doctor's note on the cause of death and the permit to move the body.
- We order a translation into Ukrainian and have it certified.
- We agree the set of documents with the Ukrainian consulate.
- We prepare everything the Ukrainian border requires.
Language of the documents and translation
First, a doctor fills in the medical death record, the Certificat medical constatator de deces. Then, the Public Services Agency issues the death certificate in Romanian. For use in Ukraine they are translated into Ukrainian, and the translation is certified. The documents themselves are certified with an apostille or by consular legalisation, unless an international treaty exempts them. In Moldova, the apostille comes from the Ministry of Justice. We will tell you what your set needs once we see the documents.
What is checked at the Ukrainian border
To leave Moldova, the body needs the civil death certificate, the doctor's certificate with the cause of death, an embalming certificate and a permit to transfer the remains. The Ukrainian border checks its own list: a document confirming the death, a certificate of no prohibited items legalised by the Ukrainian consulate, and a hermetic metal coffin under seal. The full list and explanations are on the page about arranging the documents.
The laissez-passer from Moldova
Moldova is a party to the Strasbourg Agreement on the transfer of corpses. So a body from Moldova can travel with a laissez-passer, or “body passport”. It is not enough for the Ukrainian border, though: Ukraine is not a party to this agreement and checks documents under its own law. We prepare both sets of documents.
The Ukrainian consulate
Ukraine has a consular section at its Embassy in Chișinău and a Consulate in Bălți. Both run a hotline for deaths of Ukrainian citizens. The consul registers the death and legalises the certificate for the border, and appointments are booked through e-Consul. What else the consul does, and how to get a Ukrainian death certificate, is in the article “The Ukrainian consulate when someone dies abroad”.
How we bring the deceased home from Moldova
Moldova is Ukraine's next-door neighbour, so a plane is usually not needed. We drive a specialist vehicle to the border crossing and on to the town in Ukraine that you name. The deceased lies in a hermetic coffin, secured inside the vehicle.
There are several road border crossings between Moldova and Ukraine. We choose the one for your case depending on where we collect from, where we are going and how the border is working that day.
The way home to Ukraine takes from 24 hours after the body is collected. What usually takes the most time is not the road but the documents: registering the death, certificates and translations. We will tell you how long your case will take after the first conversation, when we know what you already have.
We collect the deceased from Chișinău or any other town in Moldova. We take them to any town in Ukraine: to the family, to a farewell hall or to a church.
Call us, day or night
Languages: Ukrainian, English, Polish, German. The same number in messengers.
How much it costs to bring the deceased home from Moldova
Body from Moldova from €500Urn with ashes from €400
Name both towns and we quote the price at once.
The price depends on:
- the town in Moldova we collect from and the town in Ukraine we take the deceased to;
- which documents you already have and which still have to be obtained;
- the preparation of the body and the type of coffin needed;
- how long the deceased has to wait before departure.
Our quote covers everything between the Moldovan morgue and your door, the Romanian translations included. Funeral costs in Ukraine come on top.
What the price includes
The price includes:
- contact with hospital and morgue
- local, consular, border documents
- preparing the body for travel
- hermetically sealed coffin with a zinc liner for transport
- sealing as the border requires
- road transport from Moldova to your town in our vehicle
- handover to the family
Coffin of your choice and urn: free of charge.
Questions about repatriation from Moldova
How much does it cost to bring the deceased home from Moldova?
From €500. Call or leave your number and we will give you the exact figure while we talk. It runs from the morgue in Moldova to your town, with translation from Romanian and the border crossing included. A funeral in Ukraine is not part of it. An urn with ashes costs from €400.
How long does it take?
It takes from 24 hours after collection for the body to get home to Ukraine. The road from Moldova is short, so most of the time usually goes on documents. We will tell you how long your case will take after we talk, once we know what has already been arranged.
Which border crossing do you use?
One of the road border crossings between Moldova and Ukraine. Which one depends on the route: where we collect from and which town in Ukraine we are going to. At the border we file the documents and the customs clearance application ourselves.
The documents from Moldova are in Romanian. Do they need translating?
Yes. Romanian papers from the Public Services Agency and the hospital go into Ukrainian, with a certified translation, and we order it. You do not need to look for anything yourself: it is enough to send us photos of the documents you already have.
Do I need to travel to Moldova?
In most cases, no. We deal with everything ourselves, and from you we need signatures and copies of documents. Whether you need to be there in person depends on the circumstances, and we will tell you straight after the first conversation. The article “If the family cannot travel abroad” explains what can be done from home.
Is embalming needed?
Requirements for embalming differ from country to country. Ukrainian law does not require embalming, but the coffin must be hermetically sealed, with a soldered zinc liner, and under official seal. We will tell you whether embalming is needed in your case after we check. The page about preparing the body gives more detail.
What should I do first if someone has died in Moldova?
The first steps are at the top of this page, and the page “What to do if a loved one dies abroad” covers them in detail. Do not rush to sign contracts with local funeral homes: after talking to us you will know what is needed and what is not.
Which towns in Moldova do you collect from?
From Chișinău and any other town in Moldova. Tell us the place, and we will work out the route and give you the price.
Can an urn with ashes be brought from Moldova?
Yes. Transporting an urn costs from €400. Moldova has no crematorium, so cremation is usually arranged in Odesa. The same basic requirements apply to an urn entering Ukraine as to a coffin: a document confirming the death and a certificate of no prohibited items. About urn transport →
Can you arrange the farewell in Ukraine straight away?
Yes, we can take the deceased straight to a farewell hall or a church. A funeral in Ukraine is a separate service. We will explain what it includes and what it costs, so that you can decide calmly.
Tell us what happened
Oleg Zdendiak and the team. We explain the next steps.
Send a request for repatriation from Moldova
Leave your number and we will call you back.
Neighbouring routes run from Romania, Bulgaria, Poland and Slovakia. Every other country we cover is listed on the countries page.