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: Bodies are carried by air as air cargo. We agree the arrival airport 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 (district head) and the consul issue their documents within 3 days of the application being submitted at the latest. In practice, time is added for the opinion of the district sanitary inspector (sanepid) and for delivery of the originals. The time needed to deal with matters in the country of death depends on the offices there.
Price: We will quote the price once we know the details.

Procedure: Iraq

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 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.

Baghdad and Erbil: the Polish posts in Iraq

In Iraq, Poland has two posts: the Embassy in Baghdad, whose address is in the International Zone, and the Consulate General in Erbil. According to the embassy's website, direct assistance to Polish citizens in Iraq is provided to a limited extent. The reasons are the category of the post and the security conditions across the country, including Baghdad, which seriously restrict staff movement.

For a family this means that one cannot assume the consul will deal with the case on the spot. That is why well in advance we establish at which post and in what way the documents are to be filed, and we take over contact with the offices. We organise the transport of the body or urn so that the Polish documents are ready before they are needed.

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 (the application may be submitted by the deceased's family or an authorised funeral home).
Copy of the death certificate or another document confirming the death.
Other documents required in the receiving country.

Good to know

According to the Polish mission's website:

The consular fee is paid in cash only.

Frequently asked questions

Who issues the Polish consul's certificate for repatriation from Iraq?

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 for the certificate to be issued within 3 days of the application being submitted at the latest.

Are permits needed for an urn from Iraq?

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

Other countries

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Repatriation from Iraq to Poland