Repatriation of the deceased from Bulgaria to Ukraine
XREQUIEM brings the deceased home from Bulgaria to Ukraine from €2,500 for the whole journey. We collect in Sofia, Plovdiv, Varna, Burgas or a seaside resort and drive by road to your town in Ukraine, which takes from 24 hours. The RZI permit, the sealed coffin and the papers for the Embassy in Sofia are our job.
Oleg Zdendiak, ownerpersonally responsible for every case
5,0★★★★★129 reviews on Google
Translated from Ukrainian
“You were always available, whatever the time…”
— Віта Х.
“Everything was organised with great dignity, professionally and with attention to every detail.”
— Тамара Ю.
“Every question was resolved promptly, with respect and attention to detail.”
— Olha B.
“…your support, compassion, sense of responsibility and professionalism meant a great deal to us.”
Documents of the country of death and the consulate
Preparation of the body
Zinc-lined transport coffin
Transport to your town
Coffin of your choice and urn free of charge
No prepayment
What changes the total: the city and distance, the route (road or air), the country’s documents, preparation of the body. More about prices →
Summary. In Bulgaria, the death is registered by the local municipality, and the regional health inspectorate (RZI) allows the body to leave the country. An RZI sanitary inspector is present when the coffin is soldered and sealed. Bulgaria is close, so we drive through the neighbouring countries to the Ukrainian border. Tell us the city and the address, and you will have the exact price within 5 minutes.
Bulgaria is one of the EU countries closest to Ukraine. Many Ukrainians work and live there, or go there on holiday, including to the seaside. When a family loses someone there, they need somebody to take charge quickly. That is what we do, from the first conversation with the hospital to handing the deceased over to the family in Ukraine.
We listen and give you the price
Which town or resort, and is the body in a hospital, a morgue or with the forensic doctors? Then we explain the first step and name the amount.
The Bulgarian documents
An extract from the death record and the permit from the regional health inspectorate to take the body out of the country.
Preparing and sealing the coffin
A hermetic coffin, soldered shut and sealed in the presence of a state sanitary inspector.
The Embassy of Ukraine in Sofia
Legalisation of the Bulgarian certificate that there are no prohibited items, and translation of the documents into Ukrainian.
The journey home
Usually by road to the Ukrainian border, without flying. Then on to your town.
Handover in Ukraine
You choose the place: your home, a church or a farewell hall. The funeral itself is a separate service, and we can arrange it in any Ukrainian town.
A death in Bulgaria is registered at the local municipality, which issues the extract from the death record in Bulgarian. The permit for the body to leave the country comes from the regional health inspectorate (RZI), and we apply for it ourselves.
What Bulgaria issues
An extract from the death record (prepis-izvlechenie ot akt za smart): the Bulgarian document that registers the death.
The permit to take the deceased out of the country (razreshenie za prenasyane na pokoynik izvan stranata). It is issued by the regional health inspectorate (RZI).
A sanitary inspector at the sealing. When the coffin is made airtight, or soldered shut and sealed, a state sanitary inspector of the RZI attends.
What Ukraine requires
A death document. The Bulgarian extract from the death record, with a translation into Ukrainian, travels with the body.
A certificate that the body and the coffin contain no prohibited items. A Bulgarian authority issues it; the Embassy of Ukraine in Sofia then adds its legalisation stamp.
A hermetic metal coffin under official seal. In Bulgaria the coffin is sealed in the presence of an RZI inspector. We make sure the Ukrainian requirement is met at the same time.
A written customs declaration in any form. We prepare the text; you only need to sign it.
If the cause of death is unclear or the death was sudden or violent, Bulgaria normally orders a post-mortem by court-appointed forensic doctors. That changes the paperwork, so we confirm the list with the municipality and the RZI first. Belongings found on the deceased go to the police when no relative is present; tell us about them in the first call.
The Embassy of Ukraine in Bulgaria
Consular matters for Ukrainian citizens in Bulgaria are handled by the Embassy of Ukraine in Sofia. From time to time, the Embassy also holds visiting consular sessions in other cities. We will tell you where and when to apply in your particular case.
In Sofia the consul records the death of a Ukrainian citizen and issues a Ukrainian death certificate; there is no consular fee for the first copy.
The consul legalises the certificate that there are no prohibited items. This is the stamp the Ukrainian border guards look for.
The Embassy also gives the family a paper for social protection back home, so they can apply for the funeral allowance.
The consulate helps the family with the return of the body or the urn and stays in touch with them.
Before the documents go to the Embassy, we certify the Bulgarian documents and translate them into Ukrainian. We do this ourselves, so the family does not have to. More in the article “The Ukrainian consulate when someone dies abroad”.
How we bring the deceased home from Bulgaria
Bulgaria is close enough that an air leg is usually not needed. The body travels in our specialist vehicle through the countries in between to the Ukrainian border, and then on to your town. This is often simpler and cheaper than a flight. If the family asks for a faster option, we can consider flying part of the way to an airport near the border (the air leg itself takes from 2.5 hours). We do not promise direct flights to Ukraine.
Where we collect from
We collect the deceased from Sofia, Plovdiv, Varna, Burgas, from the seaside resorts (Sunny Beach, Golden Sands, Nessebar) and from any other Bulgarian town or village: from a hospital, a morgue or from another place where the deceased is. The road from the coast is longer than from Sofia, so we work out the amount for your town.
Timing. On the road it is from 24 hours after we collect the body. The wait is mostly for paperwork: the municipality's extract from the death record and the RZI permit. The border queue adds the rest.
The coffin. A metal, airtight coffin is soldered and sealed while the RZI inspector watches. The Ukrainian border asks for exactly that, so one coffin meets both sets of rules.
Embalming. Bulgaria does not require it for a body leaving the country. A summer death on the coast and a long drive north may still make it sensible, so we decide together once we know the details.
Coffin inside the vehicleFuneral vehicleThe coffin is taken out of the building on a trolleyHearse by the church
hermetically sealed coffin with a zinc liner for transport
sealing as the border requires
usually by road; if needed, part of the way by air
handover to the family
Coffin of your choice and urn: free of charge.
What can change the price
The “from” price is for the whole journey home. The final amount depends on where we collect from (Sofia or the coast), on your town in Ukraine and on the coffin type. A funeral in Ukraine is billed separately. You get the exact figure during the call.
Call us, day or night
Languages: Ukrainian, English, Polish, German. The same number in messengers.
How much does it cost to bring the deceased home from Bulgaria?
From €2,500 door to door. The final amount depends on the town where we collect and on the route. We name it on the phone.
How long does it take?
It takes from 24 hours after collection for the body to get home to Ukraine. We usually go by road, without flying. The documents take longer: the extract from the death record, the RZI permit and the legalisation of the certificate at the Embassy of Ukraine.
Who issues the permit to take the body out of Bulgaria?
The regional health inspectorate (RZI). When the coffin is soldered shut and sealed, a state sanitary inspector of the RZI attends. We prepare the application and the documents for the RZI.
What do I need to do as a relative?
Give us your contact details and the deceased's passport, if you have it. We prepare the application to the RZI, the documents for the Embassy in Sofia, the translations and the customs declaration. When your signature is needed, we will send the document and explain where to return it.
Does someone from the family have to be present when the coffin is sealed?
Usually not. Under Bulgarian rules a state sanitary inspector of the RZI attends when the coffin is soldered shut and sealed. We deal with the RZI, the hospital and the Embassy in Sofia, and we stay in touch with you by phone and in messaging apps. If you want to say goodbye in Bulgaria, tell us in your first call.
Someone died at the seaside while on holiday. Where do I start?
Call us. We will tell you what to say to the hospital or the police, and we will talk to them ourselves. If there was travel insurance, tell us about it, and we will work out the transport with the insurer together. Do not sign a contract with a local service until you have talked to us. For a step-by-step guide, see the page “What to do if a loved one dies abroad”.
Is embalming needed?
No, embalming is not compulsory for taking a body out of Bulgaria. A hermetic coffin is compulsory, and we prepare it. Whether embalming is needed in your case, we will advise after we have spoken. More in the article on the coffin and embalming.
Will insurance cover the transport?
It may, if the travel insurance covers repatriation of the body. Send us a photo of the policy; we read the terms and talk to the insurer ourselves. Often a policy pays only as far as the border, and you hear about the rest in advance.
Which cities in Bulgaria do you collect from?
From any city in Bulgaria: Sofia, the coast, the mountain resorts. Only the length of the road to the border depends on the place.
Can you bring home an urn with ashes?
Yes. Bulgaria has one crematorium, in Sofia. For Ukraine an urn needs the same papers as a coffin: a death document and a certificate that there are no prohibited items, legalised in Sofia. It costs from €800. More on the page “Transport of an urn with ashes to Ukraine”.
Tell us what happened
Oleg Zdendiak and the team. We explain the next steps.
If your relative is already buried in Bulgaria, we arrange the exhumation and bring the remains home to Ukraine for reburial. Our exhumation costs from €500 plus the cost of transport, with no prepayment.
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