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- The exhumation permit is issued by the mayor of the municipality where the cemetery is located (vergunning tot opgraven, Art. 29 Wet op de lijkbezorging).
- For a private grave (particulier graf), you need the consent of the grave rights holder (rechthebbende).
- In the permit, the mayor sets the rules for medical supervision, transport, and the new burial place.
- To transport the body abroad, a laissez-passer and a sealed coffin that meets legal requirements are needed.
- Our exhumation service costs from €500 plus the cost of transport (repatriation) from the Netherlands. We calculate the exact amount based on your situation.
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In the Netherlands, a grave can be private (particulier graf) or general (algemeen graf). For a private grave, the cemetery administration has a registered grave rights holder (rechthebbende). The law directly requires their consent for exhumation. If the rights holder has died, the rights are first transferred to another relative, and this is done at the cemetery.
The application to the municipality is usually submitted by a relative. For example, in the 2026 decisions of the mayors of Raalte and Deventer, the grounds state that the applicant is a family member and the grave rights holder has given consent. The law does not say whether the consent of other close relatives is needed. If there is a dispute in the family, it is better to resolve it before applying: the mayor's decision is published, and interested parties can appeal it.
If the family is in Ukraine, there is usually no need to travel to the Netherlands. We submit the application on your behalf using a power of attorney. We translate the documents proving kinship into Dutch or English. We check the exact list of documents with the municipality, because each one has its own application forms.
Law and Permits
Main law: the Burial and Cremation Act (Wet op de lijkbezorging), Article 29.
- A body is exhumed only with a permit from the mayor of the municipality where it is buried. For a private grave, the consent of the rechthebbende is also required.
- The mayor adds conditions to the permit: medical supervision, transport, and the new destination for the body (bestemming).
- An exhumed body can be cremated at the request of the relative responsible for the burial. If less than a year has passed since the burial, cremation requires written permission from the public prosecutor (officier van justitie).
Exhumation ordered by a court and the planned clearing of graves by the cemetery (ruimen) are regulated separately by law. We are looking specifically at exhumation at the family's request.
How to Apply
The application is submitted to the municipality (gemeente). Many municipalities have their own form, like Deventer. The application states the details of the applicant, the deceased, the grave, and the exact place where the body will be taken. For us, this means the cemetery in Ukraine must be chosen in advance.
How Long It Takes
The law does not set a processing time. Something else is important here: the mayor's decision is published in the municipal gazette. Objections to the decision are accepted for six weeks after publication. Because of this, the permit cannot be used right away: in Deventer (May 2026) it takes six weeks after publication, and in Raalte (July 2026) it takes eight. In other municipalities, the conditions may differ. So, realistically, plan for two to three months to get the permit.
When It Is Allowed
Article 29 does not set a minimum time after burial for an exhumation requested by the family. However, a municipality may require it: in the decisions of Raalte and Deventer, one of the stated grounds is that the body has been in the ground for over 10 years. We check with the local authority to see if your municipality has such a condition.
The ten-year period in the law applies to a different procedure: a cemetery can clear a grave (ruimen) no earlier than 10 years after the last burial in it.
The law does not name any prohibited months. Regarding infectious diseases, we found no separate rules for exhumation in the law. If the person died of an infection, the mayor will set the conditions through medical supervision.
Urn. Article 29 speaks about a body. An urn (asbus) buried in a grave or columbarium is released by the burial site operator (houder). We check with the administration of your cemetery to see how exactly to collect the urn there.
How the Exhumation Works
The exhumation is carried out under the supervision of the cemetery administration. In the Raalte decision, the conditions are as follows:
- the exhumation site is screened off so that bystanders cannot see the work;
- the work proceeds without interruption, as much as possible;
- neighboring graves are not opened, and nearby monuments are protected;
- the body is transported by a professional company or the cemetery;
- all costs are paid by the applicant.
For transport to Ukraine, we place the body into a new sealed coffin. The law requires a watertight coffin (waterdichte kist) for transport abroad, and for countries party to the 1973 Strasbourg Agreement, the requirements of that agreement apply. We use a hermetically sealed transport coffin with a zinc liner.
Cremation after exhumation is also possible, in which case an urn is brought to Ukraine. This is cheaper and simpler in terms of paperwork.
Documents for Transport to Ukraine
- The mayor's permit for exhumation stating the new burial place.
- Laissez-passer (lijkenpas) for transporting the body abroad. The government portal for entrepreneurs says that it is issued by the municipality where the person died. We check with the municipality on how this works for an already exhumed body.
- Death certificate. If it is Dutch, it needs an apostille. In the Netherlands, an apostille is issued by a district court (rechtbank).
- Translation of documents into Ukrainian.
- Documents for the cemetery in Ukraine.
We confirm the list of documents for entry into Ukraine with the Embassy of Ukraine in the Netherlands. Read more about transport documents on the documents page.
Reburial in Ukraine
In Ukraine, a new burial requires a plot at a cemetery and a decision from the local council. We explained in detail how to arrange all of this in our article on exhumation and reburial in Ukraine. We help arrange the burial plot and the funeral in your city.
How Much It Costs
There is no single fee. Each municipality sets the fee for processing the application and for the cemetery work in its own local regulations (verordening lijkbezorgingsrechten or legesverordening). The mayors' decisions state directly that all costs for the exhumation and the new burial are borne by the applicant.
What is included in the costs:
- processing of the application by the municipality;
- exhumation at the cemetery;
- a new coffin for transport;
- apostille and translations;
- transport to Ukraine and the funeral.
Our exhumation service costs from €500 plus the cost of transport (repatriation) from the Netherlands. We calculate the exact amount for your situation, including local fees. For transport, we work without advance payment: you pay after delivery according to the contract.
How Long the Process Takes
| Stage | Estimated time |
|---|---|
| Initial call, finding out the cemetery, grave type, and rights holder | 1–3 days |
| Power of attorney, family documents, burial plot in Ukraine | 1–3 weeks |
| Review of the application by the mayor | a few weeks |
| Publication of the decision and waiting period | 6–8 weeks |
| Exhumation, coffin, laissez-passer, apostille | 1–2 weeks |
| Transport to Ukraine | a few days |
| Reburial in Ukraine | as agreed with the cemetery |
Timelines depend on the municipality, and we cannot influence them. The longest part is usually getting the permit and the waiting period after publication.
Frequently asked questions
Is it possible to exhume a body in the Netherlands and transport the person to Ukraine?
Yes. You need a permit from the mayor of the municipality where the person is buried, and the consent of the grave rights holder if the grave is private. The permit states the new burial place in Ukraine.
Who issues the exhumation permit in the Netherlands?
The mayor of the municipality where the cemetery is located. The cemetery administration does not issue this permit itself; it only supervises the work.
How many years must pass after the burial?
For an exhumation at the family's request, the law does not set a time limit. However, a municipality may require one, as Raalte and Deventer did (over 10 years). We check the conditions of your municipality.
How much does exhumation cost in the Netherlands?
Each municipality sets the fee separately. Our exhumation service costs from €500 plus transport to Ukraine. We will give you the exact amount after speaking with you.
Is it possible to transport an urn from the Netherlands?
Yes. The urn is released by the burial site operator, and crematorium documents are needed to take it out of the country. We check the procedure with your cemetery.
Do relatives need to travel to the Netherlands?
Usually not. We submit the application using a power of attorney, and we arrange the written consent of the grave rights holder.
What to Do Now
- Gather what you have: the name of the cemetery and the city, the grave number, documents for the grave rights, and the death certificate.
- Find out who is registered as the grave rights holder. If this person is no longer alive, let us know.
- Choose a burial place in Ukraine or ask us to help.
- Call us. We will check the municipality's rules and prepare the application. For details on transport, see the repatriation of remains from the Netherlands page.
We work 24/7, and are also available on Viber, WhatsApp, and Telegram.
Sources
- Wet op de lijkbezorging, art. 18, 29, 31, 66 (wetten.overheid.nl)
- Besluit op de lijkbezorging, art. 11, 12: laissez-passer, kist (wetten.overheid.nl)
- Ondernemersplein (KVK/RVO): Stoffelijk overschot vervoeren, laissez-passer
- Gemeente Raalte: vergunning opgraven, Gemeenteblad 2026, 334261
- Gemeente Deventer: vergunning opgraven, Gemeenteblad 2026, 228307
- Gemeente Deventer: aanvraagformulier verzoek tot opgraven stoffelijk overschot
- Rechtspraak: Apostille en legalisatie
- Embassy of Ukraine in the Netherlands
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