AE → UA · 24/7
Repatriation of the deceased from the UAE to Ukraine
XREQUIEM brings the deceased home from the UAE to Ukraine from €4,000 for the whole route. We get the death certificate and the police letters in the emirate where the death happened, then arrange embalming and the consulate. The coffin flies to an airport near Ukraine, and our vehicle drives it to your town. The road home takes from 24 hours.
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 €4,000 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 the Emirates the police register the death first, and the health authority of the emirate issues the certificate. For repatriation the police write separate letters to the mortuary, the embalming facility and the airport police. Then the coffin flies, usually to Poland, and our vehicle drives it on to your town. We do the translations and the consulate at the same time.
- 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 to do if someone has died in the UAE
Most often the person was on holiday or working in Dubai or Abu Dhabi. If they worked there, tell the employer as quickly as you tell the insurer. You will not need Arabic: XREQUIEM talks to the police, the hospital and the mortuary. Our office in Drohobych answers day and night, so we can tell you the first step straight away.
We listen and give you the price
Our first question is the emirate. It decides who issues the certificate: in Dubai it is the DHA, in Abu Dhabi the Department of Health. We tell you the amount for your town in the same call.
The police and the state morgue
If the person died outside a hospital, the police are called. They write the first report and take the body to the state morgue.
An autopsy, if one is ordered
One is ordered when the cause of death is unknown, sudden, unnatural or violent. The case then sits with the public prosecutor, who allows the release of the body and later issues the post-mortem report.
The death certificate
The hospital gives a death notification, and the police station handling the case gives a registration letter. With these the health authority issues the certificate, and the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs stamps it.
Letters from the police and the consulate
The police issue separate no-objection letters: to release the body, to embalm it and to take it out of the country. The Ukrainian consulate issues its own letter for taking the body out.
Embalming and the coffin
A state facility embalms the body after receiving its police letter. The hermetically sealed coffin with the zinc liner is closed there too.
We take the deceased home
Copies of all the papers travel with the coffin: the certificate, the police and consulate letters and the embalming certificate. After landing, our vehicle drives it to the place you name.
We work out your price
Call or leave your number.
Documents needed to bring the deceased home from the UAE
The certificate comes from the authority of the emirate where the person died: the DHA in Dubai, the Department of Health in Abu Dhabi, the Department of Preventive Medicine in Sharjah. So we check the list for your case on the spot.
What the UAE issues
- Police report: if the death happened outside a hospital.
- Death certificate: in Arabic, in English or in both. It is registered by the Ministry of Health and attested, together with its translation, by the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
- No-objection letters from the police: separate ones to release the body, to embalm it and to take it out of the country.
- Embalming certificate: issued by the facility where the body was embalmed. In Dubai, embalming and the permit to take the body out are handled by the Dubai Health Authority (DHA).
- The carrier's documents: the air waybill for the coffin.
We go through these administrative steps on the family's behalf.
What we take on
- We obtain the police report, the certificate and the letters.
- We arrange the embalming and the coffin.
- We book the air transport and obtain the air waybill.
- The Arabic and English papers get a certified Ukrainian translation before we file them with the consulate.
- We write the statement for Ukrainian customs with all the 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 will tell you how to draw it up.
Papers for other countries are collected on the Documents page, and the first hours are covered in What to do if a loved one dies abroad.
The Embassy and consulate of Ukraine in the UAE
The Embassy of Ukraine is in Abu Dhabi and the consulate is in Dubai. We contact the mission closest to the place of death. The UAE authorities ask for a no-objection letter from the consulate before the body can be taken out, so we submit the documents there as early as possible.
- A UAE authority confirms in writing that there are no foreign items in the body or the coffin, and the Ukrainian consulate certifies that paper. Without it the Ukrainian border will not accept the body.
- For repatriation the UAE authorities ask for the deceased's cancelled passport showing the cancelled visa. We check the consular fee and the papers for the funeral allowance in Ukraine before filing.
In the UAE the next of kin makes the decisions but can appoint someone else to act. So instead of travelling you sign a power of attorney for us, and we put together the consulate file. More in the article The Ukrainian consulate when someone dies abroad.
How we bring the deceased home from the UAE
Between the Emirates and Ukraine there is only the air route, and Ukrainian airspace is closed. So the coffin flies to a neighbouring country, and we pick the flight to suit the emirate and your town.
Where we collect from
We collect from a hospital or mortuary in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Al Ain, Ajman, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah or any other town in the country. The main international airports are Dubai, Abu Dhabi (Zayed International) and Sharjah. The right one depends on the city and the flight. Tell us the city and we will give you the route and the amount.
Plane plus vehicle
The flight from Dubai, Abu Dhabi or Sharjah lands in a country next to Ukraine, most often Poland. Our vehicle collects the coffin at the airport.
How the coffin travels by air
The coffin travels in the hold of a passenger flight or on a cargo plane. The airport police receive their own no-objection letter, and the flight booking is part of the document file.
How long it takes
The road itself takes from 24 hours, counted from collection. The wait is mostly for papers: the police letters, the prosecutor's permission after an autopsy, and a place on a flight.
A body crosses into Ukraine only in a metal, hermetic and sealed coffin, so ours has a zinc liner. Customs get a written statement with the papers. More about the flight on the Air transport page.
What to know about the UAE
These rules come from the UK government guidance “When someone dies in the United Arab Emirates” and the UAE government portal u.ae. The guidance was written for British families, so in each case we check the details with the authorities of the Emirates.
- The cause of death on the certificate. It is not always stated there. If you need it for insurance or an estate, say so at the start. We order several copies of the certificate right away.
- The certificate first, then the journey. If the person is buried in the UAE, the certificate can be obtained after the burial. To take the body out of the country it is needed beforehand, so that is where we start.
- Cremation in the UAE. It is possible only for people who were not Muslim. There are crematoria at the Al Foah cemetery in Al Ain, in Sonapur (Jebel Ali, Dubai) and in Sharjah. Cremation requires a police letter, on the basis of which the municipality issues a permit.
- Burial in the Emirates. Only people with a valid residency visa can be buried there. Burial or cremation in a different emirate from the one where the death happened needs special permission.
- Personal belongings. They are returned to the family only after the police enquiries are finished. If you cannot collect them, we will explain how to have them sent.
- Different emirates, different procedures. The language of the certificate and the list of papers can differ from one emirate to another. We follow the procedure of the emirate where the death occurred.
How much does it cost to bring the deceased home from the UAE in 2026?
Body from the UAE from €4,000The contract has one amount for the whole way: from the mortuary in the Emirates to your town, flight included. There is no prepayment. A funeral in Ukraine is not part of it.
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 flight from the UAE and 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 which emirate and airport the coffin leaves from, the airline's fare on the day, whether an autopsy was ordered, which town in Ukraine we drive to and what the insurance covers. We get these answers in the first call and name the amount then. 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 the UAE
How much does it cost to bring the deceased home from the UAE?
From €4,000 for the whole way, including the UAE documents, the flight and the road to your town. How the amount is built up is explained in the article How much it costs to bring a body home to Ukraine from abroad.
How long does repatriation from the UAE take?
The police letters and the certificate with the UAE Foreign Ministry stamp take the longest, and after an autopsy also the prosecutor's permission. Then come the consulate and the flight. We run all of it at once.
Is an autopsy compulsory?
No, only in some cases: when the cause of death is unknown, unnatural, sudden or violent. The police learn of every death outside a hospital, and the prosecutor then allows the release of the body. You hear about that permission from us at once.
What language is the death certificate in the UAE?
It is issued in Arabic, in English or in both. For Ukraine we translate the certificate into Ukrainian and certify it, and the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs adds its own attestation stamp.
Is embalming needed?
Yes. To take a body out of the UAE it is embalmed at a state facility, which issues a certificate. We arrange this. More about preparing the body.
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 us. In the Emirates the next of kin decides, so they sign the power of attorney. The other UAE papers, the translations and the consulate are on us.
Do I have to fly to the Emirates?
Usually not. We handle the papers in the Emirates and write or call you at every step, by phone or on Viber, WhatsApp or Telegram. If your signature in person is needed after all, we warn you in advance. How to stay in touch from home: the article If the family cannot travel abroad.
What kind of coffin is needed?
A metal, hermetic and sealed one, or the Ukrainian border will not accept it. The body is embalmed in the UAE first, and we agree the airline's coffin rules before the flight. Types of coffins are on the Coffins page.
Will insurance cover the transport?
It will if the policy covers transporting the body. Send us a photo of the policy: we check the terms and write to the insurer ourselves. If the person worked in the Emirates, the family should ask the employer too. Do not pay anything until the insurer has approved the costs, or you may not be reimbursed. More in the article Insurance and bringing a body home.
Can an urn with ashes be brought home from the UAE?
Yes, from €800. Cremation in the UAE is possible only for people who were not Muslim, and the police give a separate letter for taking the ashes out. At the Ukrainian border the urn needs the death certificate and a consulate-certified paper confirming no foreign items. 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 the UAE
Leave your number and we will call you back.
Repatriation from other countries: Israel, Turkey, Thailand. All countries are on the countries page.