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 Embassy in Cairo.
Transport: The body is conveyed by air as air cargo. We agree the arrival airport 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: Egypt

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 either, so in addition to documents from the country of death the Polish consul's certificate is needed.

This country is not a party to the Hague Apostille Convention (according to the HCCH, as of 13 October 2026). If a Polish office asks for a document from this country to be authenticated, legalisation is needed.

Egypt: certificates for ashes only since 2020

The website of the Polish Embassy in Cairo carries a notice dated 7 April 2020. Because of the COVID-19 restrictions, the consul may issue certificates for bringing home only the remains of a cremation, not an uncremated body, until further notice. We confirm with the consulate whether this is still current before any preparations begin, which is why in Egypt we usually speak of transporting an urn.

The application needs a burial permit from the starost or city mayor and a copy of the death certificate or another document confirming the death. A visit is booked by email with the consulate, documents can be filed in person or by post, and the consul issues the certificate immediately and no later than three days after the application. When the family does not bring the deceased home, the consul asks the local authorities for a burial under local law in a public cemetery, at their expense.

The Polish consul's certificate

The Polish consul's certificate for bringing a body or ashes to Poland is issued by the Polish Embassy in Cairo.

According to the Polish mission's website, from 7 April 2020 until further notice the consul issues certificates only for ashes (the remains produced by cremating a body). We confirm with the consulate whether this restriction still applies, and we check whether cremation is possible in this country 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: 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.

Frequently asked questions

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

The Polish Embassy in Cairo, 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 Egypt?

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 Egypt to Poland