Families rarely choose the morgue — it follows from where the death occurred and whether the cause has to be established. So the first question after a death is usually not which morgue to pick, but where the deceased is now and what happens next.
This page lists the morgues with addresses and opening hours, and sets out the procedure — what a morgue does, how to find where the deceased is, and how release works. If you need help right now, call +371 2208 4540; we are on duty around the clock.
List of morgues in Riga
Each morgue has its own page with the address, opening hours and how to contact it.
What a morgue does
A morgue is not simply a place of storage. It has three tasks: to establish or confirm the cause of death, to keep the body until the funeral, and to prepare it for the farewell.
| What the morgue does | Who is responsible |
|---|
| Receiving the body and refrigerated storage | The morgue itself; the period is agreed with the family or the service |
| Post-mortem examination | The hospital's pathology department, where the cause is unclear |
| Forensic medical examination | The State Centre for Forensic Medical Examination, when ordered by the official in charge |
| Washing, dressing, placing in the coffin | The morgue, at the family's request |
| Embalming and cosmetic treatment | The morgue, where timing or the form of farewell requires it |
| Medical certificate of the cause of death | A doctor or the hospital — without it the death cannot be registered |
What preparation involves is described on preparation of the body at the morgue.
How to find which morgue the deceased is in
If the death occurred in hospital, the body stays in that hospital's morgue. If it occurred at home and a doctor established the cause, the deceased is taken to the morgue the attending service works with. If the cause is unclear or a violent death is suspected, the body goes to a pathology department or to the State Centre for Forensic Medical Examination.
In practice a family need not ring round every morgue: tell us the hospital or the circumstances, and we will establish where the deceased is and contact the morgue ourselves.
Release of the body: procedure and documents
Release follows once the medical procedures are complete and the paperwork is done. You need the medical certificate of the cause of death, the applicant's identity document and, where a funeral service is acting, the family's power of attorney. If an examination has taken place, the timing follows from it.
The full list of documents with deadlines is on documents for a funeral. We set the day of release so that it matches the farewell and the cemetery or crematorium schedule.
What morgue services cost
Each morgue has its own tariff set by the hospital it belongs to — this is not a funeral home charge. The same procedure therefore costs differently from one morgue to another. We establish the rates of the morgue in question and include them in the overall estimate before work begins, so the family sees the whole bill rather than learning of part of it later.
Our own charges and what the plans contain are on funeral costs.
All essential services for cremation
Optimal set of goods and services for cremation
Extended cremation set with farewell in the hall
All essential services for burial
Optimal set of goods and services for burial
Extended burial set with farewell in the hall
Funeral plans may be subject to adjustment.
Changing the funeral plan will allow for a more personalized and meaningful farewell ceremony that reflects the uniqueness and importance of the deceased to their loved ones and community.
Our own morgue
The Riga City Funeral Service has its own morgue with a farewell hall: refrigerated storage, preparation for the farewell, embalming and paperwork in one place. That helps when a family would rather avoid moving the deceased between institutions, or plans to hold the farewell there.
The address and opening hours are on the morgue's page in the list above. How a farewell at the morgue works is covered on farewell at the morgue.
The morgue and the funeral service: who does what
Families often conflate the two. The morgue is part of a medical institution: it receives the body, establishes or confirms the cause of death, stores and prepares. The funeral service provides the service: transport, paperwork, the farewell, the grave plot and the funeral itself.
So the morgue does not set the date of the funeral or advise on cemeteries, and the service cannot speed up an examination or issue a medical certificate. The chain works when someone joins it up — that is our part: we contact the morgue, arrange the release and fit everything else around it.
What people ask most often
- Can we visit the deceased at the morgue? Each morgue sets its own visiting arrangements; these are agreed in advance rather than by turning up unannounced.
- Is the morgue open at night? A body is received around the clock, but administrative matters and release happen during working hours.
- Is storage charged for? Part of the period is usually included, and the rest follows the morgue's tariff — we confirm this case by case.
We contacted the Riga City Funeral Service—the staff was attentive and promptly processed all the necessary paperwork. The ceremony was organized with respect and appropriate level—without unnecessary formality, but with a dignified approach. Next time, I might clarify the details online, but overall, we were satisfied.
Excellent service during a difficult time: professional, personable, and calm. The staff helped with all the paperwork and offered advice on how to best organize the funeral. I recommend them to anyone looking for a reliable and discreet service.
Morgues of Riga on the map
How many morgues are there in Riga?
Nine: mostly attached to hospitals, plus the morgue of the State Centre for Forensic Medical Examination and that of the Riga City Funeral Service. Each has a page with its address and opening hours.
How do I find which morgue the deceased is in?
If the death occurred in hospital, the body stays in that hospital's morgue. Otherwise it depends on the circumstances. Tell us the hospital or the circumstances and we will find out and contact the morgue ourselves.
Which documents are needed to release the body?
The medical certificate of the cause of death, the applicant's identity document and, where a funeral service is acting, the family's power of attorney. If an examination took place, its progress sets the timing.
What do morgue services cost?
The tariff is set by the hospital concerned and is not a funeral home charge. We establish the rates of that morgue and include them in the estimate before work begins.
When is the deceased taken to the State Centre for Forensic Medical Examination?
When there are professionally founded grounds to suspect a violent death. The examination is ordered by the official in charge of the proceedings, and the funeral date then depends on it.
Can the service handle all contact with the morgue?
Yes. We establish where the deceased is, arrange preparation and the time of release, and deliver clothing and documents. The family need not travel to the morgue repeatedly.
Information verified on 5 October 2026 against official sources: the Riga City Cemeteries Administration, the municipality's binding regulations on the operation and maintenance of cemeteries, the Cemeteries Law, and Cabinet Regulations No. 265 and No. 215. Hours and procedures change over time — check before travelling, or call us.
