Exhumation in Turkey and Reburial in Ukraine
If your relative is already buried in Turkey, 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 Turkey to Ukraine
XREQUIEM brings the deceased from any city in Turkey to your town in Ukraine; prices start at €3,300 and cover every step. We obtain the Turkish permits, the apostille and the consular papers ourselves and provide the sealed coffin. The journey 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 €3,300 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 →
In Turkey the papers for taking a body abroad come from several offices: a doctor, the municipality, the sanitary service and customs. The coffin has to be a special sealed one with a moisture absorber. We fly with a road leg (from 2.5 hours in the air) or drive the whole way. A funeral in Ukraine is not part of the price. Send us the city and the address, and you get the exact figure 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.
What we do when you call
In Turkey the documents for taking a body out of the country are issued by several services: a doctor, the municipality, the sanitary service and customs. It is easy to get lost among them, especially without Turkish. We carry out the steps ourselves, and XREQUIEM manages the whole case for you.
We listen and give you the price
You tell us the city, the hospital or morgue and what papers you have. We work out the road to your town and name the sum on the same call.
We obtain the medical certificate of death
This is the ölüm belgesi. If the person died in a state hospital, the hospital issues it. If they died at home or in a hotel, a municipal doctor does.
We arrange the apostille and the translation
The Turkish death document needs an apostille and a translation into Ukrainian. Without them the consul will not accept it.
We handle the case at the Ukrainian consulate
The consul enters the death in the Ukrainian records, and we put together the file for the border crossing.
We prepare the body and the coffin
Turkish rules call for a sealed coffin with a soldered inner layer. Details below.
We obtain the permits to take the body out
The municipal sanitary service issues the road permit for the body. Once there is an air waybill number, it issues the last document, the laissez-passer. A customs officer inspects the coffin.
We take the deceased home
We fly part of the way and drive the rest, or drive all the way. In your town we hand the deceased to the family.
We work out your price
Call or leave your number.
Documents in Turkey
Turkish paperwork has unfamiliar names, yet the list is short. This is who issues each document.
What Turkey issues
- Ölüm belgesi: the medical certificate of death. A doctor issues it and confirms that the body can be buried. In a state hospital the document is certified by the director or the chief physician. Outside a hospital it is issued by a municipal doctor (belediye tabibi).
- Cenaze yol izin belgesi: the road permit for the body. It is issued by the municipal sanitary service.
- Cenaze geçiş izin belgesi: the “passport” for the body from the sanitary authority, when the body is taken by air, sea or rail.
- Laissez-passer: the last document before the body leaves the country. The municipal sanitary service issues it once there is an air waybill number.
The documents are submitted to the sanitary service at the border. Ukraine is not a party to the agreements on the transport of bodies that Turkey takes part in. So the Turkish road permit has to be accompanied by the documents the Ukrainian side requires. We collect them.
What we take on
- We obtain the ölüm belgesi and the permits ourselves.
- We arrange the apostille and translate the documents into Ukrainian.
- We submit everything to the Ukrainian consulate on the family's behalf.
- We book the air transport and take the coffin through inspection by the customs officer.
- We write the customs application and collect the papers for the Ukrainian border.
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 XREQUIEM; we explain how.
A death of a foreigner with no witnesses in Turkey means a mandatory post mortem. This can add a few days before the body is released. We will tell you what to expect.
The general list of papers is on the Documents page.
The Embassy and consulates of Ukraine in Turkey
The Embassy of Ukraine is in Ankara. The Consulate General is in Istanbul, and there is a consulate in Antalya. There is also an emergency line, only for cases where the life of a Ukrainian citizen is in danger or a Ukrainian citizen has died. We contact the mission closest to the place of death.
- The consul registers the death of a Ukrainian citizen. Before that, the Turkish certificate gets an apostille from the governorship (valilik) or district governorship (kaymakamlık) and a Ukrainian translation.
- There is no consular fee for registration or the first certificate.
- To claim the funeral allowance at home, the family takes a certificate from the consul to social protection.
- Without a paper confirming there are no prohibited items in the body or coffin, the Ukrainian border will not let the body through. A Turkish authority issues it and our consulate certifies it.
How we bring the deceased home from Turkey
The route depends on the Turkish city, the timing and what the family wants.
Where we collect from
Istanbul, Ankara, Antalya, Izmir, Bodrum, Alanya, Marmaris or a small resort town: we collect from a state hospital, a morgue or wherever the deceased is. Tell us the town, and we will give you the route and the amount.
Plane plus vehicle
There is no direct flight we can promise: the plane lands in a neighbouring country, and our vehicle drives the rest. Time in the air: from 2.5 hours.
By road
Sometimes a family wants the whole journey by road. It runs in transit through other countries. We choose the route and the border crossing point to suit your case.
How long it takes
From collection to your town takes 24 hours or more. Paperwork is the slowest part, so the Turkish and Ukrainian sides run at the same time.
The coffin for leaving Turkey
Turkey has separate requirements for a coffin used to take a body abroad. It is hermetically sealed, with a moisture absorbent at the bottom. The outer coffin is wooden, with walls at least 20 mm thick. The inner one is soldered shut; Turkish rules allow lead or another airtight material. The Ukrainian border requires a hermetic metal coffin under official seal, so we fit an inner metal liner (zinc or lead). The coffin then meets the requirements of both countries. More on the Coffins and Air transport pages.
Price of repatriation from Turkey
Body from Turkey from €3,300Urn with ashes from €800
That sum covers every stage up to your door. We price a funeral in Ukraine 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
- a vehicle, or a flight plus a vehicle, whichever suits you
- handover to the family
Coffin of your choice and urn: free of charge.
What can change the price
What moves the price: the Turkish city (Istanbul and the coastal resorts are far apart), plane or vehicle only, embalming if needed, and your town in Ukraine. Prices for other countries are 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 Turkey
How much does it cost to bring the deceased home from Turkey?
From €3,300 for the papers, body preparation, coffin, transport and border crossing. A funeral in Ukraine is not included. The final figure depends on the city and route; the breakdown is in the article How much it costs to bring a body home to Ukraine from abroad.
How long does it take?
The flight itself is from 2.5 hours, and the whole way home takes from 24 hours after collection. The papers take longer: the medical certificate of death, the apostille, the consulate and the Turkish permits. So we submit everything in parallel.
They were on a package holiday. Who pays to bring them home?
By law, a tour company must provide the tourist with medical insurance and accident insurance. Send us a photo of the policy in a messenger: we will check the terms and talk to the insurer ourselves. Until the insurer has agreed, do not hire a local funeral home: you could lose the compensation. Often a policy pays for the journey only as far as the Ukrainian border or the airport near it; we will tell you about the rest in advance. More in the article about insurance.
Do I need to travel to Turkey?
Usually not. We deal with the Turkish offices ourselves and message or call you after each step. If someone needs a relative's signature in person, we warn you straight away. 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 or a photo of it, your passport, proof that you are related and a power of attorney for XREQUIEM. We obtain the ölüm belgesi, the apostille, the translations, the permits and the consulate documents.
Is embalming done in Turkey?
It is done, but rarely. Only a doctor may embalm and issue the certificate for export. Whether you need it depends on the route and carrier, as some airlines take only embalmed bodies. We check this on day one. More on preparing the body.
Why is the body not released at once?
If a foreigner dies without witnesses, a post mortem is compulsory in Turkey. Until it is done, the body is not released. We keep in touch with the hospital and will tell you as soon as the body can be collected.
Which cities in Turkey do you collect from?
Any city: Istanbul, Ankara, the coastal resorts or a small town. Give us the city and the hospital, and we will say when collection is possible.
What should I do first?
Start with the steps at the top of this page; the full guide is on What to do if a loved one dies abroad. Sign nothing with a local funeral home before talking to us, and pay nothing until you know the full price to your home.
Can an urn with ashes be brought home?
Yes, from €800. At the Ukrainian border an urn needs the death certificate and a consulate-certified certificate of no prohibited items. Details: 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 Turkey
Leave your number and we will call you back.
We also bring people home from Bulgaria, Romania, Georgia and Egypt; the full list is on the countries page.