What body repatriation is and how it works

Who is involved: us, the authorities in the country of death, the consulate and the border

Body repatriation is not handled by a single organisation. It is a chain, and each link is responsible for its own part.

We

We run the whole case. We deal with the hospital and the morgue, collect and translate the documents, prepare the body and the coffin and take the deceased across the border. In some countries the law requires a local funeral home. In Austria, only authorised funeral homes may transport bodies. In France, transporting a coffin requires a funeral home with a French licence. In those countries we organise the steps and run the whole case ourselves.

The authorities of the country of death

A doctor certifies the death. A local authority registers it and issues the certificate: in Germany this is the Standesamt, in Poland the Urząd Stanu Cywilnego, in France the town hall (mairie). The permit to take the body out of the country is issued by a separate authority: in Poland by the sanitary inspector, in France by the prefect of the département.

For transport across borders, many countries issue a “body passport”. In Germany and Austria it is the Leichenpass, in the Netherlands the lijkenpas.

The Ukrainian consulate

As a rule, the consul registers the death of a Ukrainian citizen abroad and issues a Ukrainian death certificate, with no consular fee. Together with it, the consul issues a certificate for the social protection authorities, so that the family can claim the funeral allowance. There are exceptions: in Norway, for example, the death is registered only by the Norwegian authorities, and the Ukrainian embassy does not register it again. Most important for the journey: the consulate legalises the certificate of no prohibited items, and without it the body will not be allowed across the border.

The consulate does not organise the transport itself. The family does, or we on the family's behalf. More in the article “The Ukrainian consulate when someone dies abroad”.

The Ukrainian border

A customs officer checks the documents. The coffin is opened only in exceptional cases, in a healthcare facility, in the presence of a customs officer and the accompanying person.

What the law says:

• To move a body across Ukraine's border (including taking it abroad), the accompanying person shows customs a death certificate (or another document from a competent authority confirming death) and a certificate that the body and coffin (urn) contain no prohibited items. zakon.rada.gov.ua
• A sealed coffin (urn) is opened only in exceptional cases — when there is reliable information about prohibited items — in a healthcare facility, in the presence of a customs officer and the accompanying person. zakon.rada.gov.ua

The family

We need very little from you: the deceased's passport, if you have it, your own passport and a document that shows you are related, such as a birth or marriage certificate. In most cases you do not need to travel abroad; how this works is explained in the article “If the family cannot travel abroad”. In some countries and situations the signature or presence of a relative is needed. If so, we will tell you straight away.

The documents without which the body will not cross the border

Wherever the body is coming from, the rules at the Ukrainian border are the same. You need:

1. a death certificate or another document certifying the death, issued by the competent authority;
2. a certificate that the body and the coffin contain no items prohibited from being taken across the border. It is issued by the authority of the country of death and legalised by the Ukrainian consulate or embassy;
3. a written statement for customs, in any form.

There is one more requirement, and it is not a document but a coffin: the body must be in a hermetically sealed coffin with a zinc liner, put under official seal.

What the law says:

• The body is carried in a hermetic metal coffin; the coffin (urn) is put under official seal by the same officials who issue the certificate of no prohibited items. zakon.rada.gov.ua

Why a “body passport” alone is not enough

Many European countries are parties to the Strasbourg Agreement on the transfer of corpses. Between them, the body travels with a single document, the laissez-passer, or “body passport”. The countries of transit and destination require no other documents.

But Ukraine is not on the list of parties to the Agreement. So the documents required by Ukrainian law are needed at the Ukrainian border as well. In that case the Netherlands, for example, also requires a certificate from the competent authorities that names the deceased and the destination.

Each country has its own local documents. You will find what your case needs on the page for that country in the “Countries” section, and the general list on the “Documents” page.

How much it costs and who pays

A body costs from €800 to transport, depending on the country. For example: Poland, from €800; Germany, from €2,100; Italy, from €3,000. These are “from” prices for the whole journey home. A funeral in Ukraine is a separate service.

The exact price comes within 5 minutes, once we know the country, the city and the documents. A contract fixes it before we start. All the prices are on the “Prices” page. What they are made up of is explained in the article “How much it costs to bring a body home to Ukraine from abroad”.

Who pays. Usually the family, or the insurer if the policy covers repatriation. Often the policy pays only for the journey to the border or to a transport hub in Ukraine, and the family pays the rest. If there is a policy, tell us on the first call: the transport has to be agreed with the insurer, otherwise the insurer may refuse to pay compensation. Who else can help is explained in the article “Who pays for bringing a body home from abroad”.