Formalities and Documents
We help collect, translate and submit the documents needed to bring a loved one home to Poland, and then to register the death in Poland.
Starosta's permit and consul's certificate
The application for the permit is submitted to the starosta (district head; or the mayor of a city with district rights) responsible for the place of burial. The application contains the deceased's details, the date and place of death, the place from which the body will be transported, the place of burial and the means of transport. If the death certificate does not state the cause of death, a document excluding an infectious disease is attached.
With the starosta's permit and the death certificate, an application is then submitted to the Polish consul in the country of death. Each of these documents is issued no later than 3 days after the application is submitted (Article 14(5) of the Act on Cemeteries and Burial of the Dead).
Transcription of the death certificate
After the body has been brought home, a foreign death certificate can be transcribed into the Polish civil status register (transcription). It is not a condition for transport, but a Polish death certificate makes later official and inheritance matters easier. The application can be submitted at any civil registry office or through the consul.
Frequently asked questions
Do documents from abroad have to be translated?
It depends on the authority. The starosta's office may ask for a sworn translation of the death certificate, while some consulates accept documents without translation. We order translations where they are needed.
Is transcription of the death certificate mandatory?
The Act on Civil Status Records says that a foreign document may be transcribed into the register. It is not a condition for bringing the body home, but it is useful in official matters.
Where do I submit the application for the starosta's permit?
At the district starosta's office (or the city office in a city with district rights) responsible for the place where the deceased is to be buried.