Exhumation in Estonia and Reburial in Ukraine
If your relative is already buried in Estonia, 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.
EE → UA · 24/7
Repatriation of the deceased from Estonia to Ukraine
XREQUIEM collects the deceased anywhere in Estonia and drives them through Latvia, Lithuania and Poland to your town in Ukraine. The price starts from €2,300 and the road takes from 24 hours after collection. We deal with the Estonian papers, the embassy in Tallinn and the coffin.
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 €2,300 including documents, the coffin and transport to your town. We will give you the exact 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. In Estonia the hospital records the death in the population register and issues the first death certificate, the surmatõend, so the family does not register it in person. From €2,300 we cover the whole journey: documents, the coffin and transport to your town; a funeral in Ukraine is extra. Counting from collection, the body's way home to Ukraine takes from 24 hours. Give us the city and the address, and the quote comes 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.
How a case in Estonia works
In Estonia the doctor sends the death statement electronically to the population register, and the death is registered automatically. For transport abroad, Estonian officials point you to the rules of the destination country, in this case Ukraine. We handle both the Estonian and the Ukrainian side. We prepare the coffin and the local paperwork. If the hospital or the police ask who is arranging the transport, give them our number +380 77 882 77 77, and we will take care of the rest. We speak Ukrainian, English, Polish and German, so you or the hospital can call us in English. If calling abroad is expensive for you, write to us on Viber, WhatsApp or Telegram, or leave your number and we will call you back.
One call, one price
Name the city: Tallinn, Tartu, Narva or another. We also ask where the body is now (a hospital morgue or with the police) and what you have been given so far. You hear the price in the same call.
We contact the hospital
We agree when to collect the deceased. You will not need to speak Estonian.
We obtain the death documents
The healthcare facility usually enters the data in the register itself and issues the initial death certificate, the surmatõend. If the person had no Estonian personal identification code, the facility issues documents in Estonian that record the fact and the cause of death.
We order the certificate for Ukraine
The local government of the county centre can issue a surmatõend in English, German or French, or on the multilingual standard form. This certificate is issued specifically for the country of citizenship.
We prepare the body and the coffin for the journey
Estonian law allows a body to leave the country only in a hermetically sealed, zinc-coated coffin with a moisture absorber, inside a tightly closed wooden case.
We handle the Ukrainian side
The Estonian papers are translated into Ukrainian and certified. Then we take them to the Embassy of Ukraine in Tallinn together with the certificate of no prohibited items.
We take the deceased home
One vehicle all the way: Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, the border crossing, your town.
We work out your price
Call or leave your number.
Documents in Estonia
The main Estonian document is the death certificate. The other papers are needed for Ukraine and for the journey.
What Estonia issues
- Surmatõend: the death certificate. The initial one is usually issued by the healthcare facility.
- For a foreign national without an Estonian personal identification code: documents in Estonian that record the fact and the cause of death.
- Surmatõend for the country of citizenship: in English, German, French or on the multilingual standard form. It is issued by the local government of the county centre for a small fee.
What we do
- We obtain the initial certificate from the healthcare facility.
- We order the certificate in a form that suits Ukraine.
- Ukrainian translations and certification of the Estonian papers.
- Papers for the embassy in Tallinn and for border customs.
What we need from you
- The deceased's passport, or a photo of it.
- Your passport and a document showing you are a relative.
- A power of attorney for us (we explain how).
Ukraine has not joined the Strasbourg Agreement of 1973, which Estonia applies to moving bodies between member states. The Estonian papers alone therefore do not get the coffin into Ukraine. The border also checks the death certificate and the certificate of no prohibited items.
If the death was caused by a rare, especially dangerous infection, the body is first wrapped in a specially treated shroud. The Estonian Health Board (Terviseamet) supervises this. We will tell you if it applies to your case.
The general list of papers is on the “Documents” page.
The Embassy of Ukraine in Estonia
The Embassy of Ukraine is in Tallinn and has a consular section. The Estonian side notifies the embassy when a Ukrainian citizen dies.
- The consul registers a Ukrainian's death by one of four places: death, residence, burial or where the body was found. We check with the embassy in Tallinn whether your case fits.
- The consul needs the Estonian papers certified and in Ukrainian.
- The consul charges nothing to register the death or for the first certificate. In Estonia the first death certificate is free as well.
- For social protection in Ukraine the consul issues a separate certificate. With it the family claims the funeral allowance.
- The coffin is sealed in Estonia, and the embassy in Tallinn certifies the certificate of no prohibited items. Without that paper the body does not cross into Ukraine.
Checklist for the first hours: “What to do if a loved one dies abroad”.
How we bring the deceased home from Estonia
From Estonia we drive south through Latvia, Lithuania and Poland to a crossing on the Polish-Ukrainian border. Latvia is only transit, so it needs no separate permit.
Where we collect from
Tallinn, Tartu, Narva, Pärnu, Kohtla-Järve or a small village: we come to the hospital, the morgue or wherever the body is. Send the address and we fix the day.
By road
From the Estonian hospital to the cemetery in Ukraine the coffin stays in one of our vehicles. No transfers on the way.
Plane and road
If time matters more than price, the coffin flies part of the way: to Warsaw, Rzeszów or Chisinau, then on in our vehicle. The air leg takes from 2.5 hours. There are no direct flights to Ukraine.
How long it takes
To your town it takes from 24 hours, counted from collection. The papers take longest. After a sudden death the police first make a preliminary examination, and the body is released once the Estonian authorities confirm that no further examinations are needed.
The coffin for leaving Estonia
Estonian law requires a hermetically sealed zinc-coated coffin with a moisture absorber, placed in a tightly closed wooden case. The Ukrainian border wants a metal hermetic coffin under seal. So for the road from Estonia we use one coffin that satisfies both countries, and its cost is in the price. More on the pages “Coffins and sealed zinc liners” and “Road transport”.
Price of repatriation from Estonia
Body from Estonia from €2,300Urn with ashes from €800
The funeral in Ukraine is not included; we quote it 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
- 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
Where we collect (Tallinn, Tartu, Narva or a village) and where in Ukraine we go, road or air, the coffin model and how many papers are ready. Estonian morgues are usually attached to hospitals and storage there is paid, so timing matters too. Prices for other countries are on the “Prices” page.
Call us, day or night
Languages: Ukrainian, English, Polish, German. The same number in messengers.
Questions about repatriation from Estonia
How much does it cost to bring the deceased home from Estonia?
From €2,300 to your town, with the documents and the coffin. A funeral in Ukraine is extra. The final amount comes once we know the city in Estonia and the town in Ukraine.
How long does it take?
From 24 hours after collection. With an air leg, the flight itself takes from 2.5 hours. Most of the wait is paperwork, so we do the Estonian and the Ukrainian documents at the same time.
What should I do first?
Find the insurance policy, write down where the body is and call us. More on the page “What to do if a loved one dies abroad”. Do not pay anything in advance until the whole cost is clear.
Who issues the death certificate in Estonia?
The first one, the surmatõend, comes from the hospital, which also records the death in the population register. For the country of citizenship, the local government of the county centre can issue a certificate in English, German or French, or on the multilingual form. That is the one we order.
Do I need to travel to Estonia?
Usually not. We handle the paperwork, and you only need to give us a power of attorney. If an office insists on a family member's signature, we will warn you beforehand. What can be done from home is described in the article “If the family cannot travel abroad”.
Which documents do you need from the family?
From you: the deceased's passport (a photo will do), your passport, proof that you are a relative and a power of attorney for us. The surmatõend, translations, the embassy in Tallinn and the border are on us.
What kind of coffin is needed? Is embalming compulsory?
Estonian law lets a body leave only in a hermetically sealed zinc-coated coffin with a moisture absorber, inside a closed wooden case. We provide it, and it is in the price. By road we suggest embalming only if needed. For a flight we follow the airline, and some airlines take only embalmed bodies. If the amount changes, you hear it first. More on the page “Preparing the body”.
The deceased had insurance. What should I do?
If the policy covers repatriation, call the insurer first: in Estonia an insurer may appoint the funeral director itself. Send us a photo of the policy, and we check the limits and agree the details with the insurer. If it pays only part, we tell you what is left.
Which cities in Estonia do you collect from?
Wherever in Estonia the body is now, whether a hospital, a morgue or a funeral home, we can collect it. Just give us the address.
Can you bring home an urn with ashes?
Yes. Cremation is common in Estonia, and the urn costs from €800 to bring home. It crosses the Ukrainian border with the death certificate and the certificate of no prohibited items, certified by the embassy in Tallinn. See “Urn transport”.
Tell us what happened
Oleg Zdendiak and the team. We explain the next steps.
Send a request for repatriation from Estonia
Leave your number and we will call you back.
On the way from Estonia we cross Latvia, Lithuania and Poland; across the gulf is Finland. All countries are on the countries page.