Exhumation in Hungary and Reburial in Ukraine
If your relative is already buried in Hungary, 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 Hungary to Ukraine
From Budapest or the smallest Hungarian village to your door in Ukraine, XREQUIEM drives the deceased home by road, from €1,900 for the whole journey. We register the death, get the district office permit, prepare the sealed metal coffin and clear the border. The road home takes from 24 hours after collection.
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 €1,900 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 →
Hungary shares a land border with Ukraine, so the journey home is a drive, not a flight. Two Hungarian offices set the pace. The registrar needs the papers within 5 days, and the district office at the place of death issues the transport permit. You pay from €1,900 for the whole journey with documents, coffin and transport. The funeral in Ukraine is extra. Call, and the exact price 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 we handle your case in Hungary
Hungary works to its own deadlines. The papers to register a death must be filed within 5 days, and without a separate permit the body cannot be taken out of the country. So we start as soon as you call. We prepare the Hungarian papers and the coffin. We follow every step and keep you informed until the deceased is home. If the hospital asks who will collect the deceased, give them our number, +380 77 882 77 77. We speak Ukrainian, English, Polish and German. If you cannot call, write to us in a messenger and we will call you back.
We listen and give you the price
Name the Hungarian town, the hospital or morgue, and your town in Ukraine. That is enough for the full cost on the first call.
We make arrangements with the hospital or the morgue
You do not need to speak Hungarian or find out whom to call. We deal with the hospital, the morgue or the police.
We register the death
A doctor examines the body and writes the medical certificate of death (halottvizsgálati bizonyítvány). We then have 5 days to submit the deceased's documents to the registrar. After that, an extract from the death register is issued.
We obtain the transport permit
It is issued by the district office at the place of death. The application states where the body is taken from and to, by what transport and who goes with it. The permit sets out the conditions of transport, and these are checked before departure.
We prepare the body and the coffin
For transport abroad, Hungarian rules require an inner metal coffin. Ukraine, too, accepts the deceased only in a hermetic metal coffin under official seal. We prepare a coffin that meets both the Hungarian and the Ukrainian requirements.
We handle the Ukrainian side
While the Hungarian offices do their part, we translate and certify their papers. The consulate then confirms that the coffin holds no prohibited items.
We bring the deceased home
Hungarian rules allow only a closed hearse built and approved for this purpose, and at least two people travel with the body. That is how we drive, across the border to your home, church or farewell hall.
We work out your price
Call or leave your number.
Documents in Hungary
There are only a few Hungarian documents, but each comes from a different office. Here is what each one is and who issues it.
What Hungary issues
- Halottvizsgálati bizonyítvány: the doctor's certificate, written after the body has been examined. It goes with the permit application.
- Halotti anyakönyvi kivonat: the death register extract. The civil registrar (anyakönyvvezető) issues it once the papers are filed.
- Halottszállítási engedély: the transport permit. The district office (járási hivatal) at the place of death grants it as the public health authority, and a funeral service may receive it for the family.
What we take on
- We submit the documents to the registrar on time.
- We file the permit application and meet its conditions before departure.
- We arrange for the documents to be certified and translated into Ukrainian.
- Consular papers and the border declaration are ready before we leave.
What we need from you
- The deceased's passport. A photo will do while the hospital or police keep it.
- Your passport and a document showing that you are a relative.
- A power of attorney for us, made quick by our template.
Good to know in advance
When the death is registered, the registrar marks the deceased's visa or permit in the passport as “érvénytelen” (“invalid”) and returns the documents. You will need the passport later, so do not throw it away or give it to anyone you do not know.
Hungary is not a party to the international agreements on transporting bodies: neither the 1973 Strasbourg Agreement nor the 1937 Berlin Agreement. So there is no international body passport here. Its role is played by the Hungarian permit to transport the body.
The general list of documents is on the Documents page.
The Embassy and consulate of Ukraine in Hungary
The Embassy of Ukraine is in Budapest and has a consular section. There is one more Ukrainian consulate, in Nyíregyháza.
- A Ukrainian consul may record the death where the person died, lived, was found or will be buried, so Budapest or Nyíregyháza both work.
- The registrar's extract and the doctor's certificate reach the consul certified and in Ukrainian. We arrange this.
- The consul charges nothing for the record and the first certificate.
- Families who claim the funeral allowance in Ukraine get the certificate for social protection from the same consul.
- Without the consulate's confirmation that the coffin carries no prohibited items, the hearse is turned back at the Ukrainian border.
For the first hours, read our guide for families.
How we bring the deceased home from Hungary
The whole way runs on the road. Allow from 24 hours between collection and arrival in Ukraine. The registrar, the district office and the queue at the crossing decide the rest. More about road transport.
Where we collect from
We collect the deceased from Budapest, Debrecen, Miskolc, Nyíregyháza, Szeged, Pécs, Székesfehérvár and from any other Hungarian town or village: from a hospital, a morgue or from another place where the deceased is. The district administration at the place of death issues the permit, so please name the town at once.
Six road crossings link the two countries. We take the one nearest your route.
| Ukraine | Hungary |
|---|---|
| Dzvinkove | Lónya |
| Kosyno | Barabás |
| Vylok | Tiszabecs |
| Chop (Tysa) | Záhony |
| Luzhanka | Beregsurány |
| Velyka Palad | Nagyhódos |
The coffin and embalming
To move a body outside a town or village, Hungarian rules require a strong, watertight coffin with a lid. For transport abroad, an inner metal coffin is also required. At the Ukrainian border the body must likewise be in a hermetic metal coffin under official seal.
Embalming is not required by law in Hungary. It is done only at the family's request, and only in a pathology department, a forensic medical institute or a post-mortem room. We will tell you honestly, and in advance, whether it is needed in your case. The coffins we offer are on the Coffins page.
How much it costs to bring the deceased home from Hungary
Body from Hungary from €1,900Urn with ashes from €800
It covers everything from the Hungarian morgue to your door. The funeral in Ukraine is billed 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
- the hearse journey to your town
- handover to the family
Coffin of your choice and urn: free of charge.
What can change the price
Four things can change it: the distance from the city in Hungary to the border and on to your town; the coffin you choose; whether the family wants embalming; and how many documents you already have and how many we must prepare from scratch. You will hear the full amount before we begin. You can compare with other countries 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 Hungary
How much does it cost to bring the deceased home from Hungary?
From €1,900 for the papers, preparing the body, the transport coffin, the hearse and the customs formalities. The funeral in Ukraine is not part of it. Your exact figure depends on the Hungarian town and your town in Ukraine, and we give it on the phone.
How long does it take?
Once we have collected the body, allow from 24 hours on the road. Most of the waiting comes earlier, at the registrar and the district office. If the death was sudden or its cause is unclear, Hungarian law calls for a post-mortem first. We run the Hungarian and Ukrainian papers side by side.
What should I do first?
Call us before you sign anything with a local undertaker. The What to do if a loved one dies abroad page lists the first steps. Pay nothing until you know the full cost.
Do I need to travel to Hungary?
Usually not. We take the papers to the registrar, and as your funeral service we apply for the permit. If an office wants a relative to sign in person, you hear it from us early. See also If the family cannot travel abroad.
Which documents do you need from the family?
Four things: the deceased's passport (a photo is enough while the hospital or police hold it), your own passport, proof that you are related, and a power of attorney for us. The Hungarian certificates, the permit, the translations and the consular papers are our job.
What kind of coffin is needed? Is embalming compulsory?
For a journey abroad Hungary asks for an inner metal coffin, and Ukraine wants a hermetic metal coffin under official seal. Ours meets both and is in the price. Embalming is not compulsory in Hungary. At the family's request it is done in a pathology department, a forensic medical institute or a post-mortem room. We will advise what suits your case. More on the Preparing the body page.
The registrar wrote “érvénytelen” in the passport. Is that normal?
Yes. It means that the deceased's visa or permit is no longer valid. The registrar adds this mark when registering the death of a foreign national and returns the documents. Keep the passport safe, because you will need it later.
The deceased had insurance. What should I do?
Check with the insurer before agreeing to anything with a Hungarian funeral home, otherwise the claim can be refused. A photo of the policy is enough for us to take over the contact. Often a policy pays only for the journey as far as the border, and we tell you early what remains.
Which cities in Hungary do you collect from?
Anywhere in the country, from Budapest, Debrecen or Szeged to small villages, whether hospital, morgue or another place. Give us the address and we name the collection time.
Can you bring an urn with ashes?
Yes, when cremation has already taken place. The border asks for the death certificate and the certificate of no prohibited items, certified by the Ukrainian consulate. Urn transport starts at €800. More on the Urn transport page.
Tell us what happened
Oleg Zdendiak and the team. We explain the next steps.
Send a request for repatriation from Hungary
Leave your number and we will call you back.
Hungary's neighbours: Slovakia, Romania, Austria and Croatia. Or see all countries.