Repatriation of a body: what happens day by day

Repatriation of a body means bringing the deceased back from abroad to their home country for the farewell and burial. For the family, it mostly means several days of waiting, when the phone rarely rings but there are many questions. Here is what happens at each stage, who does it, and what you do in the meantime.

We have written separately about the first hours after a death (certification, mortuary, insurance, consulate): the first 24 hours after a death abroad. This article starts from the moment the family has chosen who will organise the repatriation.

Stage 1. First call and quote

During the first call, we ask four things: the country and city where the body is now, which documents have already been issued, where in Ukraine the body should go, and whether there is an insurance policy. The route, timing and price depend on these answers.

After the call, you receive a quote with the starting price for your country. A table of "from" prices for 26 countries is on the page international repatriation of the deceased. The final amount is fixed in the contract before work begins.

What you do: find the deceased's passport (or a photo of it), the insurance policy if there is one, and the contact details of the person who is near the body abroad.

Stage 2. Documents in the country of death

This is the longest part. The local civil registry issues the death certificate. Then another authority gives permission to take the body abroad: in Poland it is the sanitary inspector, in France the prefect of the département, in the UK the coroner. A separate certificate confirming that the body and coffin contain no foreign objects is issued, and the Ukrainian consulate legalises it.

If the death was sudden or the result of an accident, the body will only be released after the police or prosecutor give permission. Neither the family nor we can speed this up.

How long this stage takes depends on the country: from a few days in neighbouring countries to two weeks or more where a coroner or prosecutor is involved.

What you do: sign a power of attorney if the country requires one, and send us the documents we need. Good photos are often enough; when an original is needed, we explain how to send it: see how to pass documents to the funeral home.

Stage 3. Preparing the body and the coffin

When the documents are almost ready, the body is prepared for the journey. Ukraine requires a metal, hermetically sealed coffin. Embalming is not required everywhere: some countries and airlines require it. More in the article embalming for repatriation.

What you do: hand over clothing if you want the person dressed in their own clothes. If the family wants a farewell with an open coffin, tell us in advance.

Stage 4. The journey

The body travels by hearse, or by plane with a road leg. The road journey itself takes from 24 hours. If a flight is needed, the air leg takes from 2.5 hours but ends at an airport in a neighbouring country, as there are currently no direct flights to Ukraine. From there, the coffin continues by car.

During the journey, we let the family know where the body is and the estimated arrival time.

What you do: arrange a cemetery plot, the day of the farewell and a priest. If you need help with the funeral in Ukraine, you can order it from us: funeral arrangements.

Stage 5. The border

At the Ukrainian border, customs check the death document, the certificate of no foreign objects and a written statement in free form. Clearance takes from one to several hours, depending on the border crossing. We prepare the border documents.

Stage 6. Handover to the family and registering the death in Ukraine

We bring the body to the mortuary, church or straight to the farewell, as agreed. The family receives a set of documents together with the body.

After the funeral, the death must be registered in the Ukrainian civil register if the consul has not done it. Without this you cannot settle the inheritance, pension matters or the funeral allowance. How to do it: registering a death with the civil registry (DRACS) and death certificate issued abroad.

How long repatriation takes overall

A typical case looks roughly like this:

If the police are investigating the death or a coroner is involved, the first row can stretch to weeks. We give an exact timeframe after the first call, once we know the country, city and the state of the documents.

Repatriation or burial abroad

Some families hesitate about bringing the person home at all. Burial abroad is cheaper on the day of the funeral, but then you have to travel every time you want to visit the grave. And reburial later costs more than repatriation straight away. Another option is cremation locally and bringing the urn home. Each path has its own costs and timing, and we will work them out for your country. More about the service: body repatriation to Ukraine.

Need help right now? We advise around the clock. We will handle the documents in the country of death and in Ukraine and organise the transport. Phone +380 73 319 25 35.

Frequently asked questions