Kenya → Ukraine · 24/7
Repatriation of a Body from Kenya to Ukraine
Yes, a body can be brought home from Kenya to Ukraine, and XREQUIEM runs the whole case. The Kenyan funeral home we work with arranges the burial permit and export documents, and the Embassy of Ukraine in Nairobi certifies the border papers. The price is fixed in the contract; we give the timeframe after the first call.
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. Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu or a small Kenyan town: we collect the body there and bring it to your town in Ukraine. We handle the papers, coffin and travel. The price is fixed in the contract before the transport begins.
Included in the price:
- Documents from the country of death and the consulate
- Embalming and body preparation
- Sealed zinc-lined coffin for transport
- Transport to your city
- Coffin of your choice and urn free of charge
- No prepayment
The sum depends on the Kenyan town, any autopsy, the number of stopovers on the flight and your town in Ukraine. More about pricing →
In short. In Kenya, a death is registered using the passport and a burial permit, and the death certificate is issued in English. If the death is sudden or unnatural, an autopsy may be carried out first. The body is embalmed and placed in a sealed metal coffin. We transport the deceased by plane, with a stopover, to an airport in a country neighbouring Ukraine, and then by road.
- Since 2015 bringing people home
- Ukrainian company Company code (EDRPOU) 46261246
- Contract with a fixed price
- Own workshop coffins and funeral goods
- 24/7 one number throughout
If This Just Happened
- Call us day or night. We will tell you what to say to the hospital and the Kenyan police, then speak to them for you.
- Find the insurance policy. Compensation depends on it.
- Name two towns: the one in Kenya and the one in Ukraine. The passport of the deceased can wait.
What should you do if someone dies in Kenya?
XREQUIEM handles the entire case for you together with a local funeral home in Kenya. Documents in Kenya are issued in English, so the language barrier is smaller, but the procedure has its own rules.
We ask, then name the price
Where did the death happen: in a hospital, at home or at a coastal resort? If outside a hospital, have the local police been told? Is there a burial permit yet? With these answers, we name the price and put it in the contract.
We check whether there will be an autopsy
If the cause of death is unknown, sudden, violent or unnatural, an autopsy may be carried out in Kenya. Deaths outside a hospital are reported to the local police. You may sometimes be asked to pay for the autopsy in advance, even when a police investigation is under way. The post-mortem report is not usually given to the family; a lawyer may obtain a copy. Tissue or organs may be taken for tests during the post-mortem without the family’s consent, and they are not normally returned. If no relatives are in Kenya, the authorities may ask for written permission for a friend or family representative to identify the body.
We register the death and obtain the certificate
A death is registered at the Kenyan Civil Registration Office or at a Huduma Centre. This requires the deceased’s passport and a burial permit. The Kenyan death certificate is issued in English and states the cause of death. The registration also records the place and cause of death, the name as on the ID, the date of death, age, occupation and address. We obtain several copies.
We handle the case at the embassy in Nairobi
We have the English-language Kenyan certificate translated into Ukrainian. The consul registers the death of a Ukrainian citizen and certifies the papers the coffin will cross the border with.
We prepare the body and the coffin for the journey
We have the body embalmed at the mortuary and placed in an airtight metal coffin: the Ukrainian border requires this, and it lets the body withstand the long journey with stopovers. The documents for export from Kenya are arranged by the local funeral home.
Sources: coffin requirement — Customs Code of Ukraine, Article 365; funeral home documents — GOV.UK, 2024
We bring them home
After the flight from Kenya, we meet the coffin at an airport close to Ukraine. Our vehicle drives it on to your town, where we hand the body over to the family.
What documents are needed to transport a body from Kenya
What Kenya issues
- Burial permit: without it, the death will not be registered.
- Death certificate in English, stating the cause of death.
- Post-mortem report, if one was carried out.
- Documents for removing the body: arranged by the local funeral home.
What we take care of
- We liaise with the hospital, the mortuary and the police.
- We register the death and obtain the certificates.
- We arrange embalming and the coffin.
- We translate the documents into Ukrainian.
- We file the papers at the Embassy of Ukraine in Nairobi under your power of attorney.
- We book the air transport.
- We complete the customs declaration and gather the paperwork for the Ukrainian border.
What we need from you
- The deceased’s passport or a photo of it.
- Your passport and a document proving your family relationship.
- A power of attorney in our name. We will advise you on how to draw it up.
The general list of documents is in the ‘Documents’ section.
Embassy of Ukraine in Kenya
The Embassy of Ukraine is based in Nairobi. It also covers Uganda, Malawi, Burundi, Somalia and the Comoros. Consular appointments are booked through an online queue, so we book the embassy slot in advance.
Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, ‘Kenya’ page, 2026
- Before the consul in Nairobi registers the death of a Ukrainian citizen, the English-language Kenyan certificate is translated into Ukrainian.
- The family gets the certificate for the Ukrainian funeral allowance from the consul in Nairobi and takes it to the social protection office at home.
- A Kenyan authority confirms in writing that nothing has been placed in the body or the coffin, and the embassy in Nairobi certifies this paper. Without the certified paper, the coffin will not be let through at the Ukrainian border.
Source: Customs Code of Ukraine, Article 365
How the consul helps families after a death: see ‘The consulate after a death abroad’.
How to transport a body from Kenya to Ukraine
Where we collect the body from
We collect the body from Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru, the coastal resorts and any other town in Kenya — from a hospital, mortuary or funeral home. On the ground, the case is handled by a Kenyan funeral home we work with. Tell us the town and we will tell you the route.
Plane plus car
No direct flight links Kenya and Ukraine. The coffin flies in the cargo hold with a stopover, and from the airport near the Ukrainian border our vehicle takes over.
How long it takes
The timeframe depends on whether there was an autopsy and how quickly the certificate and burial permit are issued. We will give you the exact timeframe after our first conversation. We handle the Kenyan and Ukrainian parts in parallel.
Coffin for export from Kenya
At the Ukrainian border, the coffin must be metal, airtight and sealed. So we fit a zinc liner inside a wooden coffin and seal it shut: customs and the airline both accept it. More: ‘Coffins’ and ‘Air transport’.
How much does it cost to transport a body from Kenya?
The funeral in Ukraine is priced separately.
What the price includes
- liaising with the hospital and mortuary
- documents: local, consular and for the border
- embalming and preparing the body for the journey
- coffin with a sealed zinc liner
- sealing to border requirements
- air transport and road transport to your town
- handover to the family in your town
The burial coffin of your choice is free of charge.
What can change the price
The price varies with the Kenyan town, any autopsy, the number of stopovers and your town in Ukraine. Prices for other routes are on the ‘Prices’ page.
Transporting an urn with ashes from Kenya
If the family decides to have the body cremated in Kenya, we will bring the urn to Ukraine. To take the ashes out of Kenya, you need the death certificate and a certificate from the crematorium, and the airline must be told in advance. Sending the ashes by post or courier may not be possible, but air freight is an option.
Source: GOV.UK, ‘When someone dies in Kenya’, 2024
At the Ukrainian border, the urn passes with the death certificate and a paper confirming nothing else is inside. The embassy in Nairobi certifies that paper. About the service: ‘Transporting an urn with ashes’.
Questions about transport from Kenya
How much does it cost to transport a body from Kenya?
Tell us the town in Kenya where the body is now and your town in Ukraine. We will work out the cost in 5 minutes and put it in the contract before transport begins.
How long does the transport take?
It depends on whether there was an autopsy and how quickly the death certificate is issued. We will give you the exact timeframe after our first conversation, and we file the documents in parallel.
What documents are needed?
The Kenyan death certificate, the burial permit, a post-mortem report if there was one, export documents from the funeral home and papers from the Ukrainian Embassy for the border. We collect them for you.
Can an urn with ashes be transported from Kenya?
Yes. The death certificate and a certificate from the crematorium are needed. We fix the price in the contract.
Who pays if the person had insurance?
Look at the insurance policy: it often covers transporting the body, and the insurer may appoint a funeral director in Kenya itself. Send a photo of the policy via messenger, and we will deal with the insurer. More: about insurance.
Call us, day or night
Languages: Ukrainian, English, Polish, German. The same number in messengers.
Send a request for repatriation from Kenya
Leave your number and we will call you back.
Other routes: Egypt, Other countries. All routes are listed on the countries page.