When someone dies in Germany and is to be buried in their home country, the family faces two things at once: grief and a procedure involving many authorities. This article explains how that procedure actually works — what it costs, which documents are required, how long it takes and where things usually get stuck. If you would rather talk, we are available around the clock in English, German, Russian and Ukrainian.
What to do in the first hours
You do not have to decide everything at once. Only three things are genuinely urgent:
- Doctor. The doctor issues the medical certificate of death (Todesbescheinigung). Nothing else can happen without it. If the death occurred in a hospital or care home, the institution will arrange this.
- Funeral director. We collect the deceased and place them in refrigerated storage — at any time of day or night, including weekends.
- Family. When you are ready.
Everything else — registry office, death certificate, consulate, transport documents — can start the next day. And that is our job, not yours.
What it costs
| Destination | By road | By air freight |
|---|---|---|
| Ukraine | €3,500 – €8,500 | currently unavailable |
| Russia | €5,500 – €7,500 | €6,500 – €9,500 |
| Kazakhstan, Central Asia | €5,500 – €8,000 | €6,500 – €9,500 |
| Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan | air freight only | €4,500 – €7,500 |
| Balkans | €2,500 – €4,500 | €3,800 – €5,500 |
Included in the fixed price: collection in Germany, hygienic care, coffin with zinc liner or urn container, all documents, death certificate, consular certificates, customs clearance, the transport itself and handover to the funeral director in the destination country.
What may be added: certified translations and legalisation if the destination country requires them; a farewell viewing in Germany before departure; longer storage if departure is delayed. Burial on arrival is usually invoiced directly to the family by the local partner.
Which documents are required
- Death certificate (Sterbeurkunde) from the German registry office, in the international multilingual format for use abroad
- Medical certificate of death (Todesbescheinigung)
- Corpse passport (Leichenpass), issued by the authority at the place of death
- Certificate of no objection (Unbedenklichkeitsbescheinigung) from the public health office
- Sealing certificate for the zinc-lined coffin
- Passport of the deceased or a certified copy
- Consular approval from the destination country
- Apostille and certified translations, depending on the country
- Release by the public prosecutor if the death has not been certified as natural
The order matters: the consulate usually only grants its approval once the death certificate and corpse passport are ready. Anyone who tries to run the steps in parallel rather than in sequence loses days.
For an urn the set of documents is much smaller: death certificate, the crematorium’s cremation certificate and confirmation that the urn contains the ashes of this person. An urn does not need a corpse passport.
The zinc-lined coffin: why it is required
For the international transport of a body, a metal inner coffin is soldered airtight and placed inside a wooden coffin. For air freight a pressure-equalisation valve is added. It is the most expensive single item — and the reason an urn costs about half as much. When exactly it is required is explained in our article “Zinc-lined coffin for repatriation abroad”.
Worth knowing in advance: once the coffin has been soldered, a farewell at the open coffin is no longer possible. If the family would like to see the deceased one last time, tell us early — we schedule the farewell beforehand, usually without adding a day.
How long it takes
By road within Europe usually four to seven days; by air freight to Central Asia or the Caucasus seven to ten days. This is counted from the point at which all documents are complete — not from the day of death.
Delays are almost never caused by flights. They are caused by a missing release from the public prosecutor, a death certificate in the wrong format, a closed consulate or an uncertified translation. That is why we check the documents in full before booking transport.
Who pays
Consulates advise and issue certificates but do not cover repatriation costs. Check whether the deceased had insurance that includes repatriation: travel insurance and some funeral insurance policies do, usually up to a fixed amount.
If there is no insurance and money is short, an application to the social welfare office under § 74 SGB XII remains an option — usually the office at the place of death, or, if the deceased received social assistance, the office that paid it. It only covers the portion that would have been incurred for a burial at the place of residence, plus transport to the nearest airport; the air fare and zinc-lined coffin are not included. It is best to apply before signing a contract.
Frequently asked questions
Call us — the conversation is free
The first conversation is free and non-binding. Tell us where the deceased is and where they need to be taken — we organise the rest. Available around the clock, including nights and weekends.
Phone: +49 1511 7463888 · Request a call back
This article reflects the published regulations and does not replace legal advice. The requirements of the competent authority and the destination country are binding.
