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 Consular Section of the Polish Embassy in Prague or the Polish Consulate General in Ostrava.
Transport: By a special vehicle for conveying remains or by air. We agree the route and the place of handover in Poland with the family.
Timing: We confirm the date once we have the documents. The Act 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, extra time is needed for the opinion of the district sanitary inspector (sanepid) and for delivery of the originals. How long matters take in the country of death depends on the local authorities.
Price: We will quote the price once we know the details.

Procedure: Czechia

This country is 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 documents from the country of death the Polish consul's certificate is needed.

According to the Czech government portal, international transport requires a solid coffin with a zinc lining and a laissez-passer; for a foreigner who died in Czechia it is issued by the Ministry of Health through the regional sanitary stations. These rules do not cover urns with ashes.

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

Prague or Ostrava: how the districts are split in Czechia

Two Polish posts serve Czechia. The Embassy in Prague is responsible for the capital and the Central Bohemian, Ústí nad Labem, Karlovy Vary, Plzeň, South Bohemian, Liberec, Hradec Králové, Pardubice and Vysočina regions. The Consulate General in Ostrava covers the Moravian-Silesian, Olomouc, Zlín and South Moravian regions. We name the post according to the place of death.

On the Czech side, death is confirmed by a doctor who fills in the document List o prohlídce zemřelého. According to the Czech government portal, its part B1 goes to the registry office (matriční úřad), which issues the death certificate (úmrtní list), usually within minutes. Part B2, the confirmation of death, goes to the person arranging the funeral, and part B3 to the chosen funeral service. The doctor releases the cause of death in part A only at the family's request. We collect these documents and make sure the death certificate reaches the Polish consul.

The Polish consul's certificate

The Polish consul's certificate for bringing a body or ashes to Poland is issued by the Consular Section of the Polish Embassy in Prague or the Polish Consulate General in Ostrava.

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.
Copy of the death certificate or another document confirming the death.
Laissez-passer (a document authorising the conveyance of a body).
Medical certificate that the death was not related to an infectious disease.
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:

Burial permit issued by the starosta or the city mayor.
Copy of the death certificate or another document confirming the death.
Cremation certificate.
Certificate from the crematorium or funeral home that the urn contains only the ashes of the deceased.

Good to know

According to the Polish mission's website:

For an application sent by post, the consulate first checks the documents by email or phone and then asks for the originals.

Frequently asked questions

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

The Consular Section of the Polish Embassy in Prague or the Polish Consulate General in Ostrava, on the basis of the starosta's permit and the death certificate. The Act 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 Czechia?

Yes. The Polish rules on conveying remains apply accordingly to ashes, so the starosta's permit and the consul's certificate are needed.

Other countries

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Repatriation from Czechia to Poland