Guidance

Death on holiday abroad: first steps, what the embassy does and does not do, documents needed, who pays for repatriation, insurance limits, local cremation and how long it takes.

All Saints, All Souls, Totensonntag and Orthodox days of remembrance in 2026 with exact dates – and how families arrange grave care from abroad or relocate an urn closer to home.

Coffin repatriation within Germany and abroad: when a coffin rather than an urn is chosen, transfer or zinc-lined coffin, corpse passport, timing and what drives the cost.

From cremation to interment abroad: who has the urn at each stage, how to track air cargo with the AWB number and what can delay an urn repatriation.

Ritual washing, shroud and prompt burial: what German law allows, which states permit burial without a coffin and how quickly repatriation home realistically happens.

How repatriation from Germany to Kazakhstan works: apostille, corpse passport, the responsible consulate, air cargo to Astana or Almaty, timelines, guide prices and the urn as an alternative.

Apostille, international death certificate or legalisation? Who issues the apostille in Germany, what Russia, Ukraine, Central Asia, the Caucasus and Türkiye require, and the right order of steps.

No deceased person is transported abroad in a coffin without a corpse passport. What the document is, which authority issues it in each federal state, which documents are needed and where delays arise.

Why urns in Germany are not handed to families, which documents and permits you need to take ashes abroad, and why carrying ashes on a plane often fails.

How funerals work in Germany: first steps after a death, burial deadlines in all 16 federal states, compulsory cemetery burial, types of burial, typical costs and help under Section 74 SGB XII.