Issuing authority and document: According to Iceland's declaration to the Strasbourg Agreement, the laissez-passer is issued by the district physician (in Reykjavik, the city health authority). The Polish certificate is issued by the Polish embassy in Reykjavik.
Transport: Iceland is an island, so the coffin is transported by plane or by sea. 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 Iceland

Iceland is a party to the Strasbourg Agreement on the Transfer of Corpses. Poland is not a party to it, so a certificate from the Polish consul is also needed. We confirm the practical Icelandic requirements (coffin, ashes) in every case.

Iceland: a family member reports the death to the sýslumenn

According to the official portal island.is, a family member reports the death to the District Commissioner (sýslumenn) as soon as a doctor has issued the death certificate. With an electronic certificate the doctor sends it himself, and the next working day the family gets a letter in their Ísland.is mailbox. With a paper one the family collects it from the healthcare institution and takes it to the office. They then receive a certificate of notification of death; without it a funeral service cannot take place.

The embassy in Reykjavik accepts documents in person or by post, and a visit is arranged by email or phone. The same procedure applies to remains and ashes. Documents are collected in person or by post at the applicant's expense. We apply for the starosta's permit on the family's behalf and make sure the Icelandic documents reach the embassy as a complete set.

Documents for the Polish embassy

The Polish embassy in Reykjavik requires the starosta's permit and the death certificate or another official document confirming the death.

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

How are bodies transported from Iceland?

Iceland is an island, so the coffin is transported by plane or by sea. We agree the option with the family.

How much does it cost to bring a body from Iceland 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 Iceland?

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 Iceland to Poland