Embassy of the United States

For more information or suggestions of funeral homes, please call the Embassy’s consular section or e-mail us at ACS_Sofia@state.gov.

Embalming

Embalming can be performed at all major Bulgarian hospitals.  It is not always of the same quality as embalming in the United States.  Length of time for this process varies, and cannot be performed until 24 hours after the time of death.  According to Bulgarian regulations, embalming is not mandatory for a body to be shipped to the United States.  If the American citizen was a victim of a crime or died in a hospital partial embalming of the body is mandatory.  Partial embalming costs approximately 150-200 dollars.  Burial may be postponed indefinitely if the body is kept in a refrigeration facility.  If the body has been embalmed, the maximum period before burial without refrigeration is 40 days. 

Cremation

The only cremation facility in Bulgaria is located in Sofia.  Before the remains may be cremated, the facility must receive a notarized request from the next-of-kin and a medical certificate.  The physician who signed the death certificate issues the latter.  The medical certificate must state that a post mortem was performed and that the individual died of natural causes.  If the American citizen was a victim of a crime or a road accident, permission for cremation from a forensic doctor is required. 

Under Bulgarian law, an urn with ashes may not be kept at home but must be placed in a cemetery or repatriated.  Transporting the remains from Bulgaria requires special documentation and should be coordinated with the funeral home and airline, if applicable.  The Embassy cannot take custody of remains – the funeral home should make arrangements to provide properly dated documentation to allow for pickup and transport by the deceased’s kin or other representative.  The Embassy can suggest a regional funeral home that is familiar with these requirements but cautions that few Bulgarian funeral homes have experience repatriating remains.  Please contact the Embassy for more information.

Casket and Containers

The wooden caskets and zinc-lined containers used in Bulgaria meet U.S. regulations, as well as the requirements for shipment out of Bulgaria.  The zinc-lined containers are made on order.  The ashes from cremated remains are placed in marble or ceramic urns, which necessitates very careful outer packing.

Burial plots

Burial plots can be purchased in Bulgaria.  Initially, they are provided gratis for an eight-year period following the burial.   If not purchased, they may be rented by the next-of-kin at the end of the initial eight-year period in ten-year intervals.  The rent is paid for 10 years and the municipality determines its rate.  Rent is pre-paid before the expiration of the initial eight-year period and before the expiration of each subsequent ten-year period. 

Transportation and Repatriation of Remains

Costs for preparing and returning a deceased individual’s body to the United States from Bulgaria are generally quite high and must be paid by the family unless appropriate insurance was acquired in advance. Often, local laws and procedures can make the return of remains to the United States a lengthy process. On average, 10 days to 14 days should be expected for return although it can take significantly longer depending on the circumstances of death.

In order to be cleared for shipment, a body must be sanitarily treated, sealed in a zinc-lined container, placed in a wooden casket, and put in a packing case.  The case must be to the requirements of the air company that will ship the remains.  Sealing is performed in the presence of customs officials in the case of embalmed or cremated remains.  If the body must be shipped from one location in Bulgaria to the point of international departure in another city, the outer container must be bonded by local customs and accompanied by a “Transporten List” issue by the local custom official who witnessed the sealing of the casket and outer container.  Permission for the exportation of the remains must be obtained from the county sanitation authorities.  The permission is issued upon presentation of copies of the deceased person’s passport and of the Bulgarian death certificate.

If the remains are cremated, the county sanitation authorities issue the permission for the export of the ashes upon presentation of copies of the deceased person’s passport, of the Bulgarian death certificate and of a copy of the cremation certificate.  The permission is issued after the cremation has been performed.

Exhumation and Shipment

Remains may be disinterred only after an initial eight-year period has elapsed.  In the rare cases of exhumation before that time period, permission from the sanitation authorities is required.  The cemetery will charge an exhumation fee and cremation and packing charges are the same as above.  Documents required for the exportation of remains are:  Request from the next-of-kin, a copy of the Bulgarian death certificate of the deceased, an excerpt from the cemetery’s registrar, permission from the respective county sanitation authorities and permission from customs officials.  All requirements and regulations are national in scope.