Embassy of the United States Tirana, Albania

When a U.S. citizen dies in Albania, we stand ready to assist with the notification of the next-of-kin (NOK) of the deceased, help with burial or transportation arrangements, provide addresses of local funeral homes and local offices, explain the procedure for obtaining an Albanian death certificate from local authorities and produce an official record of the death which can be used in the United States. We can assist family members in returning the deceased's remains to the United States. However, costs may be high and must be paid by the family. We can also act to protect the property and personal estate of a deceased U.S. citizen until such property can be turned over to the NOK.

Declaration of Death

In Albania, an official declaration of death requires certification in a medical report that includes the person's identity, as well as the time, place and cause of death. A death that occurs outside of Albania is verified according to the laws and policies of the place of death, in an Albanian airplane or vessel when traveling, and in international zones, for which this law is applied.

According to Albanian law, the declaration of death must be completed within 10 days of the death or the discovery of the decedent’s remains.  If the death occurs outside of Albania, the declaration of death must be completed within 60 days.  If the 10-day legal time frame as passed for the declaration of death then there is a penalty fee of 3,000 Leke (approx. $30.00) that one needs to pay in order to obtain a local death certificate.

According to Albanian law, if someone dies in a hospital, within 5 days, local officials will forward the medical report on the cause of death (Skedë Vdekje D-4) together with the identity card of the deceased to the local registry office in the municipality where he/she is registered or where the death occurred. In the case of a U.S. citizen, a copy of the U.S. passport should be attached to the medical report on the cause of death. The same process applies when death occurs in a prison, military facility or any other institution.

When death occurs at home, relatives must notify a doctor who will prepare the medical report on the cause of death and forward the report along with either an Albanian identity document or a copy of the U.S. passport of the deceased to the appropriate local registry office within 5 days. To expedite the registration process, the officials may provide that report directly to the NOK, who in turn must submit the report and a copy of the U.S. passport to the appropriate local civil status office within 5 days. Alternately, the NOK may submit the report and identity document to the contracting funeral agency, which will register the death of the deceased.

For suspicious deaths, deaths resulting from violence, deaths which have occurred in detention centers, or deaths due to car accidents, a copy of the U.S. passport or local identity document and the report on the cause of death is valid only when issued by a forensic expert and approved and signed by the district prosecutor of the place of death.

For more information on the procedures of declaration of death, please visit the Albanian Ministry of Interior's General Directorate of Civil Status webpage “Deklarimi i Vdekjes (http://dpgjc.moi.gov.al/) - Note: Information at this webpage is in Albanian language.”

Autopsy

According to Albanian law, an autopsy may be anatomopathological or forensic. An autopsy may be performed starting 12 hours after the time of death. In extraordinary cases an autopsy may be performed within a shorter time period, but no sooner than 4 hours after the time of death and then only with the approval of two medical doctors.

When death occurs at medical institutions, the anatomopathological autopsy may be performed in cases when the shift medical supervisor or the hospital director requests the verification of the diagnosis of the cause of death. If the shift medical supervisor or the pavilion director does not request the autopsy, or when death occurs outside of medical instructions, an anatomopathological autopsy is performed only with the request of NOK or with the patient's written or oral will. In all cases of stillborn children or when children die at medical institutions, an anatomopathological autopsy is performed.

If during the anatomopathological autopsy possible evidence is found that suggests a crime, the autopsy will be suspended and the doctor will notify law enforcement authorities who will refer the case to the forensic experts.

A forensic autopsy will be performed only when ordered by a prosecutor, the court or judicial police.

Local Death Certificate

Local death certificates are issued upon receipt of the report on the cause of death and a copy of the identity card, or a copy of the U.S. passport, by the registrar of deaths in the district civil status office with jurisdiction over, either the place of residence or the place of death.  Currently a local death certificate can be issued only if subject was registered with the office of civil status of his place of residence.  Otherwise, subject's next-of-kin or family representative may need to obtain a certified “apostilled” copy of subject's U.S. birth certificate in order to register and then obtain a local death certificate (this policy is under review by the Albanian authorities.)

The certificate is written in Albanian language and are issued against e fee of 50 Leke (50 cent) or, if requested and in stock, in a six language certificate (English, Spanish, Greek, German, French, Italian), for an additional fee, and prepared in accordance with the laws of Albania.

Disposition of Remains

Burial/Interment: There are only two types of interment, underground and aboveground (e.g. Mausoleum.) The permission to bury is issued by the local registrar of deaths at the district civil status office together with the local death certificate. Deceased foreign citizens may be buried in Albania regardless of their residence. They can be buried in public cemeteries administered by municipalities or communes with the approval of civil authorities; burial is also allowed within the premises of religious facilities with approval of both the religious community and the civil authorities. Burial without the appropriate permissions, both religious and civil, will result in administrative fines. By order of the Ministry of Health, burial must occur within 24 hours from the time of death. The fees for local burial/internment vary from $180.00 to $210.00, depending on the place or burial/internment. Fees for the coffin vary from $300.00 to $3,000.00. Special hermetically sealed coffins that meet international standards for use in transportation of deceased persons out of the country are available on the local market, but may be difficult to find.

Cremation: There are no known facilities for cremation in Albania at this time.

Disinterment: Disinterment may occur after a 10-year period and only with the permission of the municipality or commune officials. Family members or legal representatives may request disinterment after 5 years from the burial date. Disinterment may also occur prior the assigned period with a judge’s order or with a prosecutor’s request for investigation purposes as explained in the Autopsy section above.

Embalming: There are no known facilities for embalming in Albania. However, Albanian law allows for embalmed remains to be buried in Albania.

Transportation of Remains to the United States: If NOK or legal representative of a deceased person decides to transport the remains for burial in the United States, an Albanian funeral home in coordination with a family member must request in writing to the County’s Prefecture Office, repatriation of the deceased person accompanied with the Consular Mortuary Certificate, which can be obtained at our office. After preparing the remains, the funeral director provides the following:

1. The local death certificate;
2. Specific travel itinerary (method of transport to the United States, plus the specific place and scheduled time of arrival of the remains at the POE);
3. Medical Certificate issued by the Albanian Institute of Legal Medicine;
4. Customs Declaration Form issued by the Albanian Customs authorities; and
5. Affidavit by the Local Funeral Director (an affidavit or sworn declaration of the funeral director or person responsible for preparing the remains for shipment.)
   
   The accompanying documents will be affixed to the Consular Mortuary Certificate, and will be signed by the consular officer and impressed with the consular seal. These documents, plus the cancelled U.S. passport of the deceased, are returned to the funeral home director who then delivers the remains and paperwork to the airport for transportation to the United States. Please note, however, that preparation of the remains for air transport does not necessarily mean that the remains will be suitable for viewing by relatives upon arrival in the United States.

Funeral home expenses, including fees for certificates, special coffins and transportation to the airport vary, on average cost around $1,800 (not including air transportation.) The price difference varies depending on the nature and quality of the services provided. Most Albanian undertakers or funeral homes require payment in advance. Few funeral agencies are able to provide special hermetically sealed coffins that meet the standard for use to transport deceased persons out of the country in case of death from communicable deceases.

Money can be transferred from the United States using private companies, such as Western Union, or via the Department of State's OCS/TRUST system or directly transferred to a local funeral home bank account in Albania. Information on money transfers is available on the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Consular Affairs webpage “Sending Money to U.S. Citizens Overseas (http://travel.state.gov/).”

Transportation of Remains in Albania: Article 555 of the Albanian Customs Code states that coffins holding deceased persons, urns holding ashes, and flowers, funeral ornaments and/or other objects accompanying the above are excluded from import taxes. Flowers, ornaments, and other objects brought into Albania for a funeral ceremony or for decoration of a grave are excluded from the 20% VAT tax only when their total value does not exceed $100.

Consular Report of Death Abroad

Although authenticated copies of the local death certificate can be obtained, they are unacceptable in the United States for insurance and estate purposes. In the United States, a “Report of Death of an American Citizen Abroad” (CRODA) issued by the U.S. consular officer is generally used in lieu of a foreign death certificate as proof of death.  The CRODA is a report that provides the essential facts concerning the death of a U.S. citizen, disposition of remains, and custody of the personal effects of a deceased citizen.  The Report of Death is based on the foreign death certificate, and cannot be completed until the foreign death certificate has been issued.  The CRODA can sometimes take from two to three weeks or longer after the date of the death, depending on how long it takes local authorities to complete the local death certificate.

We will provide the NOK with up to 20 certified copies of the Report of Death at the time the initial report is issued. These are provided at no fee. For information on how to request a certified copy of a CRODA, please visit the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Consular Affairs webpage “Copy of a Report of Death of an American Citizen Abroad (http://travel.state.gov/).” 

Additional Information

Please visit the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Consular Affairs web pages “Consular Report of Death” and “Death of U.S. Citizens Abroad by Non-Natural Causes.”

List of Local Funeral Agencies

Disclaimer: The U.S. Embassy in Tirana, Albania, assumes no responsibility or liability for the professional ability or reputation of, or the quality of services provided by, the following facilities. Inclusion on this list is in no way an endorsement by the Department of State or the U.S. Embassy. Names are listed alphabetically, and the order in which they appear has no other significance. The information in the list on professional credentials, areas of expertise, and language ability are provided directly by the facilities.

Alba 2000
Address 1: Rr. Dibres, Nr. 302, Tirana, Albania
Address 2: Rr. Durresit, Tirana, Albania
Tel: +355-(0)4-236-0639; +355-(0)4-223-2921
Cell: +355-(0)68-203-6063; +355-(0)68-204-7089
Fax: +355-(0)4-236-3069; +355-(0)4-223-2921
Email: funeral_alba_2000@hotmail.com
Hours of Services: 24-hour service. Covers funeral services for all Albania.

Perla 1
Kont Uran Sqaure, Nr. 39
Tirana, Albania
Tel: +355-(0)4-222-1578
Cell: +355-(0)68-209-2228; +355-(0)68-203-4712
Hours of Services: 24-hour service. Covers funeral services for all Albania.

Perla 2
L. Kala, Near Villa Perla
Elbasan, Albania
Tel: +355-(0)54-240-097
Cell: +355-(0)68-207-0166; +355-(0)68-208-6936
Hours of Services: 24-hour service. Covers funeral services for all Albania.

Tibos
Rr. Qemal Stafa
Tirana, Albania
Tel: +355-(0)4-234-5785
Cell: +355-(0)68-206-0057; +355-(0)68-206-0058
Email: funeraltibos@yahoo.com
Hours of Service: 24-hour service. Covers funeral services for all Albania.