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 Tunis.
Transport: The body is 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 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 time is added for the sanepid's opinion and delivery of the originals, and the time needed for matters in the country of death depends on the local offices.
Price: We will quote the price once we know the details.

Procedure: Tunisia

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 a party to the Hague Apostille Convention (according to the HCCH, as of 13 October 2026), so documents from this country can be authenticated with an apostille if a Polish office asks for it.

From Tunisia via Tunis

From Tunisia the certificate is issued by the Polish Embassy in Tunis, with the visit booked by email or phone. Besides the starosta's permit and the death certificate, the consul requires a medical certificate that the death was not linked to an infectious disease, and a funeral company's statement on how the body was prepared: a soldered metal coffin with an absorbent layer of at least 5 cm, in a wooden crate.

Carriage to Poland may be done only by a company specialised in international transport of remains. Tunisia belongs to the Hague Convention, so documents can be authenticated with an apostille if needed. The certificate is collected in person or sent by post on request. When the family does not bring the body home, the consul asks the local authorities to bury the deceased in a public cemetery under local law at their expense, but does not take decisions for the family. We gather the medical certificate and the funeral company's documents, then arrange the flight.

From 1 October 2026 the Consular Section of the Polish Embassy in Tunis has a new reception schedule. On Mondays from 11:30 to 13:30 and on Wednesdays from 10:00 to 12:00 translations, passports and other consular matters are handled, and on Fridays from 10:00 to 14:00 citizens' matters. Most services require a slot booked in e-konsulat, and on Fridays matters without a booking require prior arrangement by email. The duty phone works on working days from 16:15 to 8:15 the next morning, and at weekends and days off in both countries at any hour. In the south of the country there is an honorary consulate in Sousse, which covers among others Kairouan, Sfax, Gabès and Tataouine, and receives on Mondays from 8:00 to 12:00 and on Saturdays from 14:00 to 18:00.

The Polish consul's certificate

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

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 family or an authorised funeral home may apply).
A copy of the death certificate or another document confirming the death.
Medical certificate that the death was not connected with an infectious disease.
Certificate from the funeral home handling the transport that the body was placed in a metal coffin with a layer of absorbent material of at least 5 cm at the bottom, soldered shut and placed in a wooden crate.

Good to know

According to the Polish mission's website:

A company specialised in the international transport of bodies is required.

Frequently asked questions

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

The Polish Embassy in Tunis, on the basis of the starosta's permit and the death certificate. The law 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 Tunisia?

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

Other countries

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Repatriation from Tunisia to Poland