Exhumation in Georgia and Reburial in Ukraine
If your relative is already buried in Georgia, 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.
GE → UA · 24/7
Repatriation of the deceased from Georgia to Ukraine
XREQUIEM collects the deceased from the morgue in Tbilisi, Batumi or any other Georgian town and brings them home to Ukraine. It costs from €3,200 for the whole journey. We gather the five papers Georgian customs asks for, register the death at the Embassy and see the coffin through the flight and then by our own vehicle to your town.
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 €3,200 including the documents, the coffin and the journey 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. Repatriating the deceased from Georgia to Ukraine costs from €3,200 for the whole journey: documents, the coffin and transport to your town; the funeral in Ukraine is extra. Georgia is far, so we go with an air leg (from 2.5 hours) and a road leg to your town. Georgian customs require five documents, from the forensic expert's conclusion to the customs act, and the coffin is sealed in the presence of a customs officer. Counting from collection, the body's way home to Ukraine takes from 24 hours. Call us and within 5 minutes you will have the exact price.
- 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
In Georgia a great deal is decided by the forensic medical expert and by customs: the body is examined at the morgue. So the steps have to be coordinated, and nothing should have to be redone at the airport. We organise and run the steps ourselves, and XREQUIEM manages the case from start to finish.
We listen and give you the price
We ask which Georgian town the deceased is in and whether the police have opened an investigation. While the police are still gathering evidence, the morgue will not release the body. You hear the price to your town in that same call.
We obtain the forensic medical expert's report
It is issued at the morgue. A post mortem is usually done there too, but the family can ask for it not to be done. Customs needs the report in any case.
We obtain the death certificate
It is issued by the regional branch of the House of Justice (Public Service Hall) of the Ministry of Justice of Georgia.
We handle the Ukrainian side
The Georgian certificate is written in Georgian and does not give the cause of death. We have it translated, certify the translation and take it with the other papers to the Embassy of Ukraine in Tbilisi.
We prepare the body and the coffin
If embalming is needed, we arrange it as soon as possible. The deceased is placed in a hermetically sealed coffin with a zinc liner inside a wooden transport crate.
We go through customs
A customs officer and a doctor inspect the body at the morgue, and the coffin is sealed in the customs officer's presence. The permit to take the body out of the country is issued by the Tbilisi customs office at the airport.
We take the deceased home
The coffin leaves from Tbilisi, Kutaisi or Batumi. After landing near Ukraine, our vehicle collects it and drives it to the place you name.
We work out your price
Call or leave your number.
Documents in Georgia
Georgian customs will not release the body without five papers. The forensic expert issues the first one, the air carrier the last.
What Georgia issues
- Medical report on the death: issued by the forensic medical expert at the morgue. It states whether the body has any infectious disease and gives the results of the post mortem, if one was done.
- Death certificate (გარდაცვალების მოწმობა): issued by the regional branch of the House of Justice.
- Sanitary certificate from the sanitary and epidemiological station.
- Customs report: drawn up after the body has been inspected at the morgue.
- Air waybill: the carrier's document for the coffin.
If the body has been embalmed, you can also obtain an embalming certificate. The airline will often need it.
What we take care of
- We obtain the report, the death certificate and the other certificates ourselves.
- We arrange the inspection of the body by the customs officer and the doctor, and the sealing of the coffin.
- We book the air transport and obtain the air waybill.
- Georgian papers go into Ukrainian, get certified and are handed in at the Embassy in Tbilisi.
- We write the statement for Ukrainian customs and attach the Georgian and consular papers.
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 us (we explain the wording).
Papers for other countries: Documents. First hours: “What to do if a loved one dies abroad”.
The Embassy of Ukraine in Georgia
Ukraine has no separate consulates in Georgia, so the Embassy in Tbilisi handles every consular matter. Its hotline is reserved for threats to the life of Ukrainians or their death, which makes it the right number to report a relative's death.
- The consul in Tbilisi registers the death. He works from the forensic expert's report and the certificate from the House of Justice.
- The consul needs the Georgian documents certified and translated into Ukrainian.
- No consular fee is charged for that registration or for the first certificate.
- For the funeral allowance back home, the family receives a separate certificate for the social protection office.
- A separate paper confirms there are no foreign objects in the body or the coffin. The Georgian side issues it and the Embassy certifies it. Without it, Ukrainian border guards will not let the coffin through.
The Embassy file is ours to put together. More on the consul: “The Ukrainian consulate when someone dies abroad”.
How we bring the deceased home from Georgia
Overland from Georgia means crossing several borders, so the coffin covers most of the distance by air. The international airports of Tbilisi, Kutaisi and Batumi are run by the state company United Airports of Georgia. We pick the departure airport by the town where the deceased is and by flights on the date you need.
Where we collect from
We drive out to Tbilisi, Rustavi, Kutaisi, Batumi, Zugdidi or a village: to the hospital morgue or wherever the deceased is now. In Tbilisi, post mortems are most often done at the National Forensic Bureau on Chavchavadze Avenue. Tell us the town and we will give you the route and the amount.
Plane plus vehicle
The flight from Georgia lands at an airport close to the Ukrainian border. Our vehicle is already waiting there for the coffin. We do not promise direct flights to Ukraine.
How the coffin is flown
The coffin travels in the hold of a passenger flight or on a cargo aircraft. We only take the air waybill once the customs report and the sanitary certificate are ready, so the consignment is not held up at Tbilisi airport.
How long it takes
The way home to Ukraine takes from 24 hours after the body is collected. Most of the time usually goes on the documents and on booking the flight.
At the Ukrainian border the body has to be in a hermetic metal coffin under seal. A zinc coffin sealed by the Georgian customs officer meets that rule. Ukrainian customs get our written statement with the papers. More: “Air transport of the deceased to Ukraine”.
Price of repatriation from Georgia
Body from Georgia from €3,200Urn with ashes from €800
A funeral in Ukraine is not part of this price and is quoted on its own.
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
- flight from Georgia, then our vehicle to your town
- handover to the family
Coffin of your choice and urn: free of charge.
What can change the price
The amount depends on where we collect from (Tbilisi or, say, Zugdidi) and which airport the coffin flies from. The carrier's fare on the date, embalming and your town in Ukraine also count. Other countries: Prices page.
Call us, day or night
Languages: Ukrainian, English, Polish, German. The same number in messengers.
Our work
Questions about repatriation from Georgia
How much does it cost to bring the deceased home from Georgia?
From €3,200 for the whole way: Georgian and consular papers, preparing the body, the coffin, the flight and the drive to your town. How we calculate it: “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 waiting is for the papers: the forensic medical expert's report, the death certificate, the customs permit and the Embassy. We work on them in parallel.
Is a post mortem compulsory?
When a foreign national dies in Georgia, a post mortem is usually done, but the family can ask for it not to be done. Customs needs the forensic medical expert's report in any case. If you do not want a post mortem, tell us at once and we will pass your request on. We keep in touch with the morgue and will tell you when the report is ready.
Is embalming needed?
In Georgia embalming is done only if the family asks for it and pays, at the forensic centre or the morgue, preferably within 10 hours of death. Whether you need it depends on the airline: some accept only embalmed bodies. So it is best to talk to us about embalming straight away. More on preparing the body.
Which documents do you need from the family?
Usually the deceased's passport (or a photo of it), your passport, a document showing that you are related and a power of attorney for us. In Georgia the next of kin is generally a spouse, parent, child, grandparent, grandchild or sibling. The rest of the papers, translations and customs are on us.
Do I need to travel to Georgia?
In most cases, no. Even the deceased's belongings can be collected by your representative in Georgia. If the police are investigating, they may keep some items until the investigation ends. If your signature is needed in person, we warn you in advance. See also “If the family cannot travel abroad”.
What kind of coffin is needed?
For transport from Georgia a hermetically sealed coffin with a zinc liner and a wooden transport crate are used. The Ukrainian border requires a hermetic metal coffin under official seal, and a zinc coffin meets this requirement. For the kinds of coffin, see “Coffins and sealed zinc liners”.
Will insurance cover the transport?
Yes, when the policy covers repatriation of the body. Send us a photo of it and we will deal with the insurer. Do not hire a Georgian funeral home without the insurer's consent, or you may get nothing back. More: “Insurance and bringing a body home”.
Which cities in Georgia do you collect from?
From anywhere in Georgia, Tbilisi, Batumi and Kutaisi included, down to small towns. Name the city and the hospital and we will plan the drive to the nearest suitable airport.
Can an urn with ashes be brought home?
Yes. The price is from €800. An urn is simpler to fly than a coffin. For the Ukrainian border it needs the death certificate and a certificate of no prohibited items, certified by the consulate. More on “Transport of an urn with ashes to Ukraine”.
Tell us what happened
Oleg Zdendiak and the team. We explain the next steps.
Send a request for repatriation from Georgia
Leave your number and we will call you back.
Other destinations: Turkey and Egypt. All countries are on the countries page.