Issuing authority and document: The passport for the body (ligpas) is issued by the Danish Patient Safety Authority (Styrelsen for Patientsikkerhed). The Polish certificate is issued by the Polish embassy in Copenhagen.
Transport: By a specialised vehicle for carrying bodies, or by plane. We agree the route and the handover place in Poland with the family.
Timing: We confirm the timing once we have the documents. The Polish Act provides that the starosta (district head) and the consul issue their documents at the latest within 3 days of the application (Article 14(5) of the Act on Cemeteries and Burial of the Dead); in practice time is also needed for the sanepid's opinion and delivering the originals, and the time needed to deal with matters in the country of death depends on the authorities there.
Price: We will quote the price once we know the details.

The procedure in Denmark

Denmark is not a party to the Strasbourg Agreement on the Transfer of Corpses. The ligpas is issued by Styrelsen for Patientsikkerhed. The funeral home solders the coffin with zinc and presents a certificate of soldering. According to the Danish authority, a laissez-passer is not needed for ashes.

Denmark: no appointment, but originals required

In Copenhagen you do not need an appointment for the transport certificate. Documents are submitted during the consulate's opening hours. The ligpas, the death certificate and the cremation certificate must be shown in the original. The application is made by a person entitled to bury the deceased or by someone they authorize, for example a funeral home employee.

A body must be moved by a specialized company in a vehicle that meets sanitary requirements. Ashes may travel by any means that treats them with due respect, including a private car or hand luggage, subject to airline rules; the container must be sealed and durable. The consulate's page also notes that when the family does not bring the deceased home, the body is cremated and the ashes scattered at the expense of the Danish state. We help the family decide in time.

Documents for the Polish embassy

The Polish embassy in Copenhagen requires the starosta's permit, the original death certificate and, for a body, the ligpas. For an urn, the cremation certificate is needed.

On the Polish side two documents are always needed: a permit from the starosta (district head) responsible for the place of burial, and then a certificate from the Polish consul, issued on the basis of that permit and the death certificate (Article 14(4) of the Act on Cemeteries and Burial of the Dead). The same documents are needed for an urn with ashes.

Frequently asked questions

Is a ligpas needed for an urn from Denmark?

No, according to the Danish Patient Safety Authority a laissez-passer is not needed for ashes. The Polish embassy requires a cremation certificate, and in Poland the starosta's permit is needed.

How much does it cost to bring a body from Denmark to Poland?

The price depends on the city, the documents, the type of transport and whether we are transporting a body or an urn. We will give you a price once we know the details.

How long does it take to bring a body home from Denmark?

We confirm the timing once we have the documents. The Act provides that the starosta and the consul issue their documents at the latest within 3 days of the application (Article 14(5) of the Act on Cemeteries and Burial of the Dead); in practice time is also needed for the sanepid's opinion, delivering the originals, formalities in the country of death and the transport itself.

Other countries

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Repatriation of a Body from Denmark to Poland