Exhumation in Canada and Reburial in Ukraine
If your relative is already buried in Canada, 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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Repatriation of the deceased from Canada to Ukraine
XREQUIEM transports the body from any province in Canada to your town in Ukraine, from €9,100 for the entire journey. We register the death, obtain the permit to take the body out of the province, the apostille and translations, and liaise with the consul. The coffin is flown across the ocean to Europe, then our vehicle takes it on. The journey home takes from 24 hours.
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.” — Ірина Б. “It all went quickly and professionally…” — Оля К. from €9,100 for registering the death in the province, the apostille, the coffin, the flight across the ocean and the road to your town; we give you the price within 5 minutes.
The price includes:
- 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. The price of bringing the deceased home from Canada is from €9,100: it covers the documents, the coffin and the road to your town, while the funeral in Ukraine is a separate service. The rules on removing a body are set by the province, so we start by establishing exactly where the death occurred. The coffin is flown to Europe, and from the European airport our vehicle takes it on. Documents for the Ukrainian border must be apostilled and translated. Counting from collection, the body's way home to Ukraine takes from 24 hours. Tell us the city and the address and we will give you the exact price within 5 minutes.
- Since 2015 bringing people home
- Ukrainian company Company code (EDRPOU) 46261246
- Contract with a fixed price
- 35 countries with “from” prices
- Own workshop coffins and funeral goods
- 24/7 one number throughout
If it has just happened
- Call or write any time. We explain what to say. We contact hospital and police.
- Mention any insurance policy. We coordinate with the insurer.
- Name two cities. Where it happened. Where to bring the body. Enough for a price. The passport comes later.
What we do when you call
When someone dies in Canada, relatives in Ukraine often do not know where to begin: another country, another language, a different time zone. Canada has six time zones, and the switch to summer time is governed by the laws of each province, so the time difference with Ukraine depends on the city. We write and call at a time that suits you, while XREQUIEM handles the entire case. We speak Ukrainian, English, Polish and German, so we can deal with the Canadian offices in English.
We listen and give you the price
We ask in which province and town the death occurred: this determines the names of the documents and who issues them. We then give you the price for your town in Ukraine.
We register the death
In Ontario a death is registered with the municipality, usually the one where it occurred. Without registration, no burial permit is issued.
We obtain the permit to take the body out of the province
In Ontario this needs a certificate approved by the Office of the Chief Coroner. Other provinces have their own procedure, and we check it locally.
We collect the documents for Ukraine
Three documents are required for the Ukrainian border: a death certificate, a certificate confirming that the cause of death was not infectious, and a document confirming that there are no foreign objects in the coffin. We affix an apostille to each one and provide a translation into Ukrainian.
We deal with the Ukrainian consulate
The consul registers the death of a citizen of Ukraine. The originals and their notarised translations are kept ready for the journey.
We prepare the coffin and the flight
We seal the coffin. We book the air transport and agree the documents with the countries involved before departure.
We meet the coffin and bring it home
After the flight across the ocean, our vehicle meets the coffin at a European airport. It transports it across the Ukrainian border to your town, where we hand the body over to the family.
We work out your price
Call or leave your number.
Documents in Canada
Canada has no single procedure: each province issues its own documents. Below is how it works in Ontario, and what Ukraine requires whichever province the death occurred in.
What Canada issues (Ontario as an example)
- Registration of the death: with the municipality, usually the one where the death occurred.
- Burial permit: the permit to bury. It is not issued until the death has been registered.
- Out-of-province body shipment certificate: the document that allows the body to leave the province, approved by the Office of the Chief Coroner.
What Ukraine needs
- The death certificate.
- A certificate from the health authorities that the cause of death was not infectious.
- A certificate that the coffin contains no prohibited items.
All three come with an apostille and a translation into Ukrainian, and the originals go with the coffin.
What we take on
- We register the death and obtain the provincial permits ourselves.
- We arrange the apostille and the notarised translations.
- We deal with the Ukrainian consulate on the family's behalf.
- We book the air transport and agree the documents with the airline.
- We prepare everything for customs at the Ukrainian border: the written statement and the set of documents.
What we need from you
- The deceased's passport, or a photo of it.
- Your passport and a document showing that you are a relative.
- A power of attorney for XREQUIEM, as in Ukraine coffins are only released to the next of kin or their authorised representatives.
The general list of documents is on the Documents page.
The Embassy and consulates of Ukraine in Canada
The Embassy of Ukraine in Ottawa, as well as the Consulates General in Toronto and Edmonton, handle matters relating to Ukrainian citizens in Canada. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs emergency line is intended solely for cases where there is a threat to life or where a Ukrainian citizen has died.
- The consul registers the death of a Ukrainian citizen using Canadian documents bearing an apostille and a translation into Ukrainian. In Ontario, Official Documents Services affixes the apostille to death documents; notarisation is not required for this.
- There is no consular fee for the registration of a death or for the first death certificate.
- The funeral allowance in Ukraine is arranged on the basis of a certificate from the consul, which goes to the social protection authorities.
- The originals with notarised translations travel with the coffin. In Ukraine only the closest relatives, or people they have authorised, can receive it.
What else the consul does when a Ukrainian citizen dies abroad is explained in the article The Ukrainian consulate when someone dies abroad.
How we bring the deceased home from Canada
Canada is across the ocean, so a flight cannot be avoided. The aircraft brings the coffin to Europe, and we cover the last part of the journey in our vehicle.
Where we collect from
We collect the deceased from Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Ottawa, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg and from any other Canadian town: from a hospital, a morgue or from another place where the deceased is. The province where the death occurred decides which permits are needed, so please tell us which one right away.
The flight
The deceased travels in the cargo hold of the aircraft. Whether a particular flight will take a coffin depends on the type of aircraft and on the approval of the countries involved, and we find this out before booking. We do not promise direct flights to Ukraine.
The last part of the journey
From the European airport our specialist vehicle takes the coffin to the Ukrainian border, through customs and on to your town.
How long it takes
From 24 hours after the body is collected. The longest wait is for the official death certificate from the provincial authority (in Ontario, this is ServiceOntario), as well as the apostille and translations.
The body may only be taken across the Ukrainian border in a hermetic metal coffin under seal. We submit a written declaration to customs together with the Canadian documents; we prepare both the declaration and the set of documents ourselves. More on the Air transport and Coffins pages.
What repatriation from Canada costs
Body from Canada from €9,100Urn with ashes from €800
The price covers the flight across the ocean and the road from the European airport to your home. A funeral in Ukraine is charged separately.
What the price includes
The price includes:
- contact with hospital and morgue
- local, consular, border documents
- preparing the body for travel
- hermetically sealed coffin with a zinc liner for transport
- sealing as the border requires
- a flight from Canada to Europe, then our vehicle from the airport to your town
- handover to the family
Coffin of your choice and urn: free of charge.
What can change the price
The cost depends on the province and city of departure, the carrier's fare on the specific date, the airline's embalming requirements, whether the paperwork is already in order, and the destination town in Ukraine. Prices for other countries are on the Prices page.
Call us, day or night
Languages: Ukrainian, English, Polish, German. The same number in messengers.
Our work
Questions about repatriation from Canada
How much does it cost to bring the deceased home from Canada?
From €9,100 for the entire journey from Canada to your town. Prices for all countries are on the Prices page, and a detailed breakdown of the cost is in the article How much it costs to bring a body home to Ukraine from abroad.
How long does it take?
It takes from 24 hours after collection for the body to get home to Ukraine. Most of the time is spent on registering the death, the provincial permit, the apostille and the translations. We run them in parallel.
Why is a coroner's certificate needed?
In Ontario, taking a body out of the province needs a certificate approved by the Office of the Chief Coroner. Without it the coffin will not be sent. We handle this paper ourselves and will tell you when it will be ready.
Is embalming compulsory?
In Ontario, no. But for transport to another country, embalming may be required by the receiving country or by the airline. We will tell you in advance what your flight needs and whether the price will change. More about preparing the body.
What if the death was not in Ontario?
Each province has its own procedure. In Alberta, British Columbia or Quebec the documents may have other names and be issued differently. In Quebec, a death is declared to the Directeur de l'état civil, whilst in British Columbia it is registered by the funeral director via the Vital Statistics Agency, and the permit there is called a disposition permit. Ukraine's requirements stay the same. We find out the local rules at the start, in the province where the death occurred.
Which documents do you need from the family?
We will need the deceased's passport or a photo of it, your passport, proof of your family relationship, and a power of attorney for us. We take care of registering the death with the province, the apostille and the notarised translations.
Who can receive the coffin in Ukraine?
Only the closest relatives, or people they have authorised, can receive the coffin in Ukraine. That is why we ask you for a power of attorney: with it we receive the coffin and the documents that travel with it, and bring it to you.
Do I need to fly to Canada?
Usually not. We keep you updated and tell you what has already been done and what comes next. We write to you in a messenger at a time that suits you. What can be done from home is explained in the article If the family cannot travel abroad.
Will insurance cover the transport?
Check whether the policy covers the transport of a body. If so, please send us a photo of that clause, and we will take it from there with the insurer. Often, the policy only covers part of the journey, to an airport in Europe or to the Ukrainian border. In that case, we tell you the remaining amount before we start. More in the article Insurance and bringing a body home.
Can an urn with ashes be brought home?
Yes, from €800. At the Ukrainian border, the urn must be accompanied by a death certificate and a certificate confirming that there are no prohibited items inside, certified by the consulate. How it works: Urn transport.
Tell us what happened
Oleg Zdendiak and the team. We explain the next steps.
Send a request for repatriation from Canada
Leave your number and we will call you back ourselves: a call from Canada can be expensive.
Other destinations: the USA. All countries are on the countries page.