Issuing authority and document: The passport for the body (laissez-passer, lijkenpas) is issued by the mayor of the municipality where the death occurred. The Polish certificate is issued by the consul at the Polish Embassy in The Hague.
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 the Netherlands

The Netherlands is a party to the Strasbourg Agreement on the Transfer of Corpses. The laissez-passer is issued by the municipality where the death occurred. Poland is not a party to this agreement, so in addition to the Dutch documents a certificate from the Polish consul is needed. In the case of an unnatural death, the prosecutor's consent is needed.

According to the Dutch government website, the Dutch side requires no documents for the transport of ashes; it recommends translating the death certificate and the cremation certificate. The Polish consulate, however, requires a cremation certificate for an urn.

First steps in the Netherlands and flying with an urn

A death is reported to the municipality (gemeente) where it happened, and a funeral director can do this on the family's behalf. After the report the municipality issues the death record and the permit for burial or cremation. In the Netherlands a body may not be buried or cremated sooner than 36 hours after death, because the police may need to establish the cause. An earlier funeral needs a municipal licence, issued after a statement from the public prosecutor and the mayor.

Documents for Poland are accepted by the Consular Department of the Polish Embassy in The Hague, in person during office hours or by post, with no booking in e-Konsulat. If the family chooses an urn, the Dutch government notes that some airlines accept it as hand luggage or in the hold. Before we plan a flight, we check the airline's rules. When planning a flight from Schiphol, the Dutch government advises contacting the airport's customs administration about an ash container.

Documents for the Polish consulate

For a body, the Polish Embassy in The Hague requires the starosta's permit, the original death certificate from the municipality, the laissez-passer, a medical certificate that the death was not related to an infectious disease, and a certificate from the funeral home about the coffin: metal, hermetically soldered, with a layer of absorbent material, in a wooden crate. For ashes: the starosta's permit, the death certificate and the cremation certificate.

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

Who issues the lijkenpas in the Netherlands?

The mayor of the municipality where the death occurred. The application may be submitted by the funeral home.

What kind of coffin is needed?

The Polish consulate requires a certificate that the coffin is metal, hermetically soldered, with a layer of absorbent material and placed in a wooden crate.

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

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

Request

If the form does not send, please write to us in a messenger:

WhatsApp Viber Telegram

Repatriation of a Body from the Netherlands to Poland