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Repatriation of the deceased from Germany to Ukraine
XREQUIEM brings the deceased home from any town in Germany to your town in Ukraine, with prices from €2,100 for the whole job. We obtain the Sterbeurkunde with an apostille, the Leichenpass in the federal state where the death occurred and the letter from the Embassy of Ukraine. The body is on the road from 24 hours after collection.
Oleg Zdendiak, ownerpersonally responsible for every case “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 €2,100 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 Germany, almost everything depends on the federal state. The state decides which office issues the Leichenpass, the body's passport, so our first question is where exactly the death occurred. After that come the death certificate with an apostille and the Embassy of Ukraine's covering letter for the coffin. The funeral in Ukraine is a separate service. 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 once you have called
Germany is large, and each federal state has its own authorities. So the first thing we do is find out where exactly the death occurred and where the body is now: in a hospital, a morgue or under the supervision of the police. We work ourselves: we arrange for the coffin to be closed and prepare the German documents. If the death may not have been natural, the police inform the public prosecutor (Staatsanwaltschaft), and the body can only be buried with the prosecutor's written approval. We find out about that approval ourselves.
XREQUIEM runs the whole case for you, from the first call until the deceased is handed over to the family. If the hospital, the police or the Standesamt ask who is handling the transport, give them our number, +380 77 882 77 77. Calls abroad cost money, so you can also write on Viber, WhatsApp or Telegram and we will call you. The steps:
We take your call at any time
Which city and which federal state, when it happened, whether the passport is with you, and who in the family we should talk to. With that, we can name the price on the same call.
We obtain the death certificate
The Standesamt at the place of death registers the death and issues the Sterbeurkunde. To register it, the office needs the doctor's Leichenschauschein and the deceased's birth certificate; that is the rule in Berlin, for example.
We get the apostille and the translations
Without an apostille, the certificate is not recognised in Ukraine, so we never skip this step.
We arrange the “passport for the body”
In German it is called Leichenpass, a document in several languages. It is issued by the local authorities, which differ from one federal state to another.
We prepare the body and the coffin
The body is placed in an airtight metal coffin, which is sealed. We draw up the document confirming that the body was properly placed in the coffin (in Hamburg it is called Einsargungserklärung). We order and check the document confirming that the coffin contains no foreign objects before everything goes to the embassy.
We obtain the letter from the Embassy of Ukraine
This is the accompanying letter for the coffin. For it we submit the deceased's passport, the certificate and the Leichenpass with an apostille and a translation.
We bring the deceased home
By road or combined with a flight, and we hand the deceased over to the family in Ukraine.
We work out your price
Call or leave your number.
Documents in Germany
The names of German documents sound complicated, but there are only a few of them. Below is what Germany issues and what we do with it.
What the German authorities issue
- Sterbeurkunde: the death certificate. Instead of it, the Standesamt may issue an Auszug aus dem Sterbeeintrag (an extract from the death register).
- Bescheinigung über die Zurückstellung eines Sterbefalls: a certificate of deferred registration of death. It may be enough for burial in Ukraine, but not for inheritance matters.
- Apostille on the certificate: placed by the Bezirksregierung or the Regierungspräsidium (the regional government).
- Leichenpass: the “passport for the body”, issued in several languages.
- A document confirming that the body was properly placed in the coffin, drawn up by us (in Hamburg it is the Einsargungserklärung).
- A document confirming that the coffin contains no foreign objects.
- A medical certificate stating that the deceased had no infectious diseases.
What we take on
- We collect the documents ourselves where the body is now: at the Standesamt, from the doctor, the police or the hospital, whichever of them issues the paper.
- We get the apostille and order translations into Ukrainian.
- We arrange the Leichenpass at the office responsible for it in your federal state.
- We hand the full set to the Embassy of Ukraine in Berlin under the family's power of attorney.
- We put together everything Ukrainian border customs will ask for.
What we need from you
- The deceased's international passport, if you have it.
- Your passport and a document showing you are a relative.
- A power of attorney, so that we can deal with the Standesamt and the Embassy without you. We will explain how to arrange it.
Who issues the Leichenpass depends on the federal state. In Bavaria it is the municipality (Gemeinde) where the transport begins. In Saxony it is the district health office. In Hamburg it is the district office. You do not need to work this out: we know where to go. More about what to do in the first hours is on the page What to do if a loved one dies abroad.
The general list of papers is in the Documents section.
The Embassy and consulates of Ukraine in Germany
The Embassy of Ukraine is in Berlin. There are Consulates General in cities including Hamburg, Frankfurt am Main, Düsseldorf and Munich. There is an honorary consul in Cologne.
To transport a coffin to Ukraine, the Embassy issues an accompanying letter. It requires:
- the deceased's international passport;
- the death certificate with an apostille and a translation into Ukrainian;
- the Leichenpass with an apostille and a translation;
- the original document confirming that the coffin contains no foreign objects, with a translation;
- a medical certificate confirming the absence of infectious diseases.
The Embassy marks the death in the deceased's international passport. A funeral home can handle the documents on the relatives' behalf, and that is what we do. The death of a Ukrainian citizen abroad is registered by the Ukrainian consul, and the first certificate is issued free of consular fees. Based on the registration, the consul issues a certificate that the family uses to apply for the funeral allowance in Ukraine.
How we bring the deceased home from Germany
Other EU countries lie between Germany and Ukraine, so the coffin crosses more than one border. The route depends on the federal state where the death occurred, your town in Ukraine and how urgent it is for the family.
Where we collect from
We collect the deceased from Berlin, Munich, Hamburg, Cologne, Frankfurt am Main, Stuttgart, Düsseldorf, Leipzig and from any other town or village: from a hospital, a morgue or another place where the deceased is. The state where it happened decides which office issues the Leichenpass, so please name it at the start of the call.
By road
Our specialist vehicle collects the coffin in Germany and takes it to the place of burial in Ukraine. Germany is one of the Western European countries closest to us, so the road is usually the most convenient option, especially from the east of the country. More on road transport.
Plane and road
Flying pays off from the south or west of Germany, say from Munich, Stuttgart, Cologne or Düsseldorf, when time matters more than cost. The plane does not land in Ukraine itself but in Warsaw, Rzeszów or Chișinău. The air leg takes from 2.5 hours, and our vehicle drives the rest.
Time on the road
Count on 24 hours at least from collection. In practice, the date is set by the German paperwork, above all the Leichenpass from the office of your federal state.
The Ukrainian border accepts the body only in a sealed, airtight metal coffin. For customs, we write a short declaration and attach the German documents and the embassy letter. All of this is our job.
Bringing home an urn from Germany
We bring urns with ashes too. For an urn, the Embassy issues a separate accompanying letter. It requires:
- the passport;
- the death certificate with an apostille and a translation;
- the cremation certificate (Einäscherungsbescheinigung) with a translation;
- a document confirming that the urn contains no foreign objects.
An urn from a German crematorium costs from €800 to bring home. Before any cremation in Germany, a second doctor examines the body (zweite Leichenschau); in Bavaria, the health office at the crematorium does this. General terms are on the page “Transport of an urn with ashes to Ukraine”. Customs, flights and the post are covered in the article “Customs clearance of an urn with ashes”.
Price of repatriation from Germany
Body from Germany from €2,100What 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.
The “from” price covers the whole journey home. A funeral in Ukraine is a separate service and is not included. The final amount depends on the city in Germany, the town in Ukraine, the type of transport, the coffin model and how many documents are already done. Give us these details and you will hear the exact price straight away. Prices for all countries →
Our work
Call us, day or night
Languages: Ukrainian, English, Polish, German. The same number in messengers.
Questions about repatriation from Germany
How much does it cost to bring the deceased home from Germany?
From €2,100 for the whole journey home: documents, preparing the body, the transport coffin, transport and customs formalities. A funeral in Ukraine is separate. The exact amount depends on the city in Germany and in Ukraine and on the type of transport. Call us and we will tell you the price.
How long does it take?
Counting from collection, the body's way home to Ukraine takes from 24 hours. If part of the journey is by plane, the air leg takes from 2.5 hours. What usually takes longest is the documents: the certificate, the apostille, the Leichenpass and the embassy letter. We apply for them in parallel so as not to lose days.
What is a Leichenpass and why is it needed?
It is the “passport for the body”: a document in several languages that the body crosses borders with. The Embassy of Ukraine needs it for the accompanying letter. It is issued by the local authorities, and each federal state has its own office. We arrange it.
I was given a “certificate of deferred registration of death”. Is that enough?
For burial in Ukraine, such a document may be enough. But it is not valid for inheritance matters; for those you will need a full death certificate. Tell us which document you have and we will tell you what to do next.
Which documents do you need from the family?
Usually the deceased's international passport (if you have it), your passport, a document proving the family relationship and a power of attorney for us. We arrange the rest: the certificate, the apostille, translations, the Leichenpass and the embassy letter.
Do I need to travel to Germany?
In most cases, no. A funeral home can handle the documents on the relatives' behalf, and that is us. If an office asks for a relative's signature in person, we will tell you in advance. More in the article If the family cannot travel abroad.
What coffin is needed? Is embalming mandatory?
To bring the body into Ukraine, it must be in an airtight metal coffin, which is sealed. Embalming requirements in Germany depend on the federal state, and an airline may have its own. So we decide how to prepare the body based on the route and the carrier's requirements. Preparing the body is already included in the price. If embalming is needed, we will tell you in advance whether the amount changes. More on preparing the body.
The deceased had insurance. What should I do?
Send us a photo of the policy before you sign anything with a funeral home in Germany. If transport of the body is covered, the insurer usually has to approve the funeral home first, or the claim may be refused. We check the limits and talk to the insurer for you.
Which cities in Germany do you collect from?
From Berlin, Munich, Hamburg, Cologne, Frankfurt am Main, Stuttgart, Düsseldorf, Leipzig and any smaller place: a hospital, a morgue or wherever the deceased is. Tell us the address and the federal state, and we will say when we can collect.
Can you bring home an urn with ashes?
Yes, from €800. An urn needs its own letter from the Embassy and the cremation certificate (Einäscherungsbescheinigung); the full list is in the section “Bringing home an urn from Germany” above.
Tell us what happened
Oleg Zdendiak and the team. We explain the next steps.
Send a request for repatriation from Germany
Leave your number and we will call you back.
We also take the deceased from Ukraine to Germany
Nearby destinations: Poland, Austria, the Netherlands and Switzerland. All countries are on the countries page.