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 Bangkok.
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: Thailand

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.

Thailand: a death is reported within 24 hours

In Thailand a death is reported to the registrar for the place of death or where the body was found, within 24 hours. In areas with poor transport access the Central Registrar Director may extend this, but not beyond seven days. The person reporting usually brings an ID card, a copy of the house registration, and a hospital death certificate if there is one. Failure to report on time carries a fine of up to 1,000 baht.

If the body has been moved elsewhere, the report can be filed there, but a hospital certificate and at least two witnesses confirming the deceased's identity are needed. The Polish Embassy in Bangkok also serves Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar. We organise the next steps together with the family.

The Polish consul's certificate

The certificate for bringing a body or ashes to Poland is issued by the Polish Embassy in Bangkok.

According to the Polish mission's website, the death certificate must be authenticated by the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

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.
Original of the death certificate or another document confirming the death, authenticated by the local Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Certificate from the local funeral home on the preparation of the body and the closing of the coffin.

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.
Original of the death certificate or another document confirming the death, authenticated by the local Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Certificate from the local funeral home on the cremation and the closing of the urn.

Good to know

According to the Polish mission's website:

A body may be transported only by means of transport designated for the purpose, by a company specialising in international transport of bodies.

Frequently asked questions

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

The Polish Embassy in Bangkok, 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 Thailand?

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 Thailand to Poland