Just two phone calls
First, call 112. Say that someone has died at home and give the address and the person's age. An ambulance will come, the doctor will confirm the death and notify the police, so you do not need to call them yourself.
Second, call a funeral director, and do it straight away rather than waiting for the ambulance and the police to leave. Few people think of this call in the first moments, yet it matters: the funeral director takes the deceased into their care, deals with the paperwork and handles all the arrangements. While the doctor and the police officer are still there, transport is already being organised.
No documents can be issued until a doctor has confirmed the death, which is why the ambulance comes first. The crew always informs the police, even if the person had been ill for a long time: a local police officer examines the room and writes a report. It is purely a formality. The deceased should not be moved until both have attended.
- One agent stays with you from the first call to the cemetery, instead of a new person at every stage
- They have time for your family: the agent comes to you and explains everything, rather than squeezing in a call between two other funerals
- You see the coffin, cross and accessories in person and judge the wood and upholstery for yourself, not from a photo on a phone
- You are given the full cost before anything starts, written into the contract, with nothing added along the way
- They first ask how you would like the farewell to be and plan around that, not around their usual routine
- Nobody pushes a package on you: you choose only what you need, and you are welcome to bring your own things
You can hold any funeral director to these standards, including us. At Ritual Prim there is no one-size-fits-all: the farewell can take place in our hall or in a church, the coffin and accessories can come from us or from you, and you can leave everything to us or only part of it. We set out the options and how they differ, and the choice stays with you. Our complex, with a farewell hall and a shop, is in Stăuceni, 15 minutes' drive from central Chișinău, and you can reach us day or night on 14 000.
Where the deceased is taken
In the city, the deceased is not left in the flat: until the funeral they rest in a cold room. If the death was natural and the person was under the care of a family doctor, we take them straight from home to our complex, which has its own mortuary, once the doctor and the police have finished. If the police order a forensic examination, the deceased is taken to the Centre of Forensic Medicine, and we collect them from there once the report has been issued.
A forensic examination takes one to three days, and a firm funeral date can only be set once the report is out. It is better to tell relatives that the date is still to be confirmed than to have to move the funeral later.
The death notice (avizier)
Without the avizier, the death cannot be registered and the funeral cannot go ahead. When someone dies at home of natural causes, it is issued by the health centre they were registered with, based on information from their family doctor and the ambulance crew. If there was a forensic examination, the Centre of Forensic Medicine issues it instead. We can collect it for you under a power of attorney, so the family does not have to go in person.
Agenția Servicii PubliceRegistering the death with ASP
You do not have to wait for the death certificate to hold the funeral: burial takes place on the basis of the avizier, and the certificate itself is collected afterwards. A death must be registered within three days, counting both the day of death and the day you apply. This is done by the civil registry of ASP, the Public Services Agency, which has an office in each of Chișinău's sectors. Registration is free, and the death certificate is issued within three working days. The cause of death does not appear on it; it is recorded only on the avizier.
The most common mistake is waiting until the morning or until Monday. While the family waits, a day is lost at the health centre and another at the cemetery. Do not wait for the ambulance and the police to leave. Call us straight after 112 and we will guide you through every step, even at night.
What we take care of
Our agent comes at any hour, day or night, brings the deceased to our complex and collects the avizier needed for the burial. They then agree the date with the church and the cemetery, prepare the hall, the hearse and transport for the family, and collect the death certificate from ASP after the funeral.
All the family has to do is choose the day and let people know. If you have wishes about the farewell, the religious rites or the flowers and decoration, we will follow them. We will tell you how things are usually done and why, but we advise rather than decide for you, and nothing goes on the bill that you did not ask for.
On the first day, the family really has only one decision to make: when the funeral will be. We handle everything else, from the health centre to the cemetery, and simply keep you updated by phone.
Can the deceased stay at home until the funeral?
Yes, and many families choose to. To make this possible, we bring a refrigerated cover: a clear cooling canopy that fits over the coffin and keeps the temperature low. The deceased can stay at home for all the days before the funeral, relatives and neighbours can come to pay their respects, and the body is kept in good condition. We set up the cover, check on it and collect it on the day of the funeral. If space at home is tight, the deceased rests in the cold room at our complex until the farewell and is brought home, or straight to the farewell hall, on the morning of the funeral.
What if the death happens at night?
Make the same two calls: 112, then Ritual Prim on 14 000. The death can be confirmed and the deceased moved at any hour, and we deal with the paperwork during office hours.
Do we have to go to the health centre and ASP ourselves?
No. With a power of attorney, we collect the avizier and the death certificate for you. All the family needs to do is sign the power of attorney.
The police have come. Does that mean something is wrong?
No. The ambulance crew calls the police themselves, and the police attend every death at home. A forensic examination is only ordered when the circumstances are unclear.