Issuing authority and document: Export documents are issued by the authorities of the country of death; we confirm them in your case. Polish certificate: the Polish consul with territorial jurisdiction in this country; we identify the mission in your case.
Transport: By a special vehicle for the conveyance of bodies, or by air. We agree the route and the handover point in Poland with the family.
Timing: We confirm the timing once we have the documents. The law provides that the starosta and the consul issue their documents within 3 days of the application at the latest (Article 14(5) of the Act on Cemeteries and Burial of the Dead); in practice time is added for the sanepid's opinion and delivery of the originals, and the time needed for matters in the country of death depends on the local offices.
Price: We will quote the price once we know the details.

Procedure: Croatia

This country is not a party to the Strasbourg Agreement on the Conveyance of Corpses of 1973 (according to the Netherlands treaty database, as of 13 October 2026). Poland is not a party to it, so in addition to the documents from the country of death, the Polish consul's certificate is needed.

The country is a party to the Hague Apostille Convention (according to the HCCH, as of 13 October 2026), so documents from this country can be authenticated with an apostille if a Polish office asks for it.

Matičar and coroner: first steps in Croatia

According to the Croatian government portal, a death must be reported to the registrar (matičar) within three days, in the area where the death occurred or the body was found. When someone dies at home, one calls the ambulance (194) or the police (192) and gives the examining doctor (mrtvozornik) access to the deceased. That doctor issues the burial permit, and the documents from this procedure are taken to the registry office.

In a hospital the family gives personal details on the ward, and the hospital issues the death certificate. The deceased may not be buried or cremated before the examination. On the Polish side consular matters are handled by the Consular and Polonia Department of the Embassy in Zagreb. We help establish which registry office the case belongs to and collect the documents so that the examining doctor's permit and the death record are complete before we turn to the Polish consul.

The Consular and Polonia Section of the Polish Embassy in Zagreb is located at Miramarska 23 on the fifth floor and receives visitors from Monday to Friday from 9:00 to 13:00. The embassy's website also has a Croatian version. On the coast there is an honorary consulate in Split at Kliška 29, which lists Croatian, English and Polish as its contact languages. For families who, after the death of a loved one in Dalmatia, are looking for the nearest Polish address, this is practical information to start with. We confirm with the mission which actions an honorary consul can take and which must be handled in Zagreb before we set the next steps in your case.

The Polish consul's certificate

The certificate for bringing a body or ashes to Poland is issued by the Polish consul with territorial jurisdiction in this country; we identify the mission in your case.

On the Polish side two documents are always needed, for an urn too: the starosta's permit and the Polish consul's certificate (Article 14(4) of the Act on Cemeteries and Burial of the Dead).

Documents for the consul: body

According to the Polish mission's website, the following are needed:

Burial permit issued by the starosta or the city mayor.
A copy of the death certificate or another document confirming the death.
Sprovodnica za prijenos umrle osobe (permit from the Croatian sanitary inspectorates).
Potvrda o smrti (medical certificate that the death was not connected with an infectious disease).
Dozvola za pokop umrle osobe (permit from the Croatian sanitary and epidemiological office).
Certificate from the funeral home: the body in a metal coffin with a layer of absorbent material (at least 5 cm), the coffin soldered shut and placed in a wooden crate.

Documents for the consul: ashes

According to the Polish mission's website, the following are needed:

Originals: the permit of the starosta or the city mayor.
Death certificate or another document confirming the death.
Potvrda o kremiranju (cremation certificate).
Potvrda o smrti (death card / doctor's certificate).
Certificate from the funeral home that the ashes are in a sealed, damage-resistant container.

Frequently asked questions

Who issues the Polish consul's certificate when a body is brought from Croatia?

The Polish consul with territorial jurisdiction in this country; we identify the mission in your case, on the basis of the starosta's permit and the death certificate. The law provides that the certificate is issued within 3 days of the application at the latest (Article 14(5) of the Act on Cemeteries and Burial of the Dead).

Are permits needed for an urn from Croatia?

Yes. Polish rules on the conveyance of bodies apply accordingly to ashes, so the starosta's permit and the consul's certificate are needed.

Other countries

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Repatriation from Croatia to Poland