Cremation abroad or body repatriation: which to choose

When someone you love dies abroad, the family has two paths. The first is to bring the body home and bury it in a coffin. The second is to cremate in the country of death and bring home the urn with the ashes. Here we compare both on price, timing, the farewell and documents, to make the choice easier.

Comparison at a glance

Price: the urn is not always cheaper

This is the most common mistake. Cremation abroad is charged separately, and so is bringing the urn home. Compare the starting prices:

• Poland. Body from €800. Cremation from €800 plus urn delivery from €800, together from €1,600. The body is cheaper.
• Czech Republic. Body from €1,000. Cremation from €1,400 plus the urn from €800. The body is cheaper.
• Germany. Body from €2,100. Cremation from €1,900 plus the urn from €800. About the same.
• USA. Body from €7,100. Urn from €3,500 plus cremation in America. The urn is noticeably cheaper.

The rule is simple: the closer the country, the better it is to bring the body. For distant countries, where the body has to fly, the urn wins. The full table of body repatriation prices is in how much body repatriation costs.

Timing

Cremation is not always faster. Some countries need an extra permit before cremation, for example from a medical examiner or a prosecutor, and the crematorium may have a queue. Then the urn still has to be brought home.

From neighbouring countries a body often arrives sooner: documents, preparation and the journey from 24 hours. From distant countries both ways take about as long, because most of the waiting is for documents.

The farewell

If it matters to the family to say goodbye at home, with the coffin, in their own church, bring the body. After cremation that kind of farewell is no longer possible.

If the family chooses cremation, the farewell can be held in the country of death before the cremation. For those who cannot travel we offer an online broadcast of the farewell (from 6,000 UAH). At home you can then hold a memorial service and bury the urn with a priest: priest services.

Faith and tradition

The Orthodox tradition prefers burial in the ground, but communities answer the question of cremation differently. If this matters to the family, talk to your priest before deciding. Islam and Judaism usually do not allow cremation.

Sometimes the person's own wish decides: if they said they wanted to be cremated, families often follow it.

Documents

For a body you need the death certificate, the export permit, a certificate confirming that the body and coffin contain no foreign objects, legalised by the Ukrainian consulate, and a metal hermetically sealed coffin. Often an embalming certificate too.

For an urn you need the death certificate, the crematorium's cremation certificate and, for the Ukrainian border, a certificate of no foreign objects legalised by the consulate. No embalming and no metal coffin. Some countries issue a separate permit to take ashes out. Details on the transporting an urn with ashes page.

You can also carry the urn yourself on a plane; we have collected the airlines' rules in an urn with ashes on a plane.

How to decide

Choose body repatriation if:

• the person died in Poland, the Czech Republic or another nearby country;
• the family wants a farewell at home with the coffin;
• the family's faith does not allow cremation.

Choose cremation and an urn if:

• the person died far away, for example in the USA, Portugal or Spain, and the budget is tight;
• the person wanted to be cremated;
• the family lives in different countries and there will be no large farewell at home.

If you are unsure, call us. We will price both options for your country and city and tell you how long each takes. More on cremation: cremation abroad and in Ukraine; on bringing the body home: body repatriation to Ukraine.

Need help right now? We advise around the clock, price both options and arrange whichever you choose. Phone +380 73 319 25 35.

Frequently asked questions