Repatriation from Europe to Ukraine
Someone has died in Poland, Austria, the Netherlands or elsewhere in Europe and the family wants the funeral to take place in Ukraine? We repatriate by road — Ukrainian airspace is closed to civil flights. We handle the paperwork of the country of death and of the Ukrainian consulate.
Available around the clock · Over 20 years of experience · Fixed price within a few hours · English, Ukrainian, Russian, German
What does it cost?
Cost of repatriating a body to Ukraine from abroad
The price depends mainly on the country of death and the distance to the place of burial in Ukraine. That is why we quote a fixed price for each country after a short conversation. The only route with a verified guide price is from Germany.
Countries and routes
Where we repatriate to Ukraine from
Ukraine’s airports are closed, so the usual route is by specialist vehicle. The table shows the typical route and the rules under which the country of death releases the body.
| Country of death | Typical route to Ukraine | Exit document |
|---|---|---|
| Poland | direct, via one of the Polish-Ukrainian road crossings (details) | permit from the Polish sanitary inspectorate |
| Czech Republic, Slovakia | via Slovakia or Poland | laissez-passer under the 1973 Strasbourg Agreement |
| Hungary | direct across the Hungarian-Ukrainian border | Hungarian national permit |
| Romania | direct across the Romanian-Ukrainian border | corpse passport under the 1937 Berlin Convention |
| Austria | via Slovakia and Hungary, or via Czech Republic and Poland | laissez-passer under the Strasbourg Agreement |
| Germany | via Poland, in our own vehicle (separate page) | corpse passport (Leichenpass) |
| Netherlands, Belgium, France | via Germany and Poland | laissez-passer under the Strasbourg Agreement |
| Italy | via Austria and Hungary, or via Germany and Poland | corpse passport under the 1937 Berlin Convention |
| Spain, Portugal | longest road route – via France, Germany and Poland | laissez-passer under the Strasbourg Agreement |
| Greece | via Bulgaria and Romania | laissez-passer under the Strasbourg Agreement |
| Croatia | via Hungary | Croatian national permit |
| Sweden, Norway | by ferry to Poland or Germany, or overland via Denmark | laissez-passer under the Strasbourg Agreement |
| Finland | by ferry to Estonia or Germany, then overland | laissez-passer under the Strasbourg Agreement |
| Denmark | via Germany and Poland | Danish national permit |
| Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia | via Poland | laissez-passer under the Strasbourg Agreement |
| United Kingdom | across the Channel and the continent, then via Poland | UK national permit |
Ukraine is not a party to the 1973 Strasbourg Agreement or the 1937 Berlin Convention. At the Ukrainian border, Ukrainian rules therefore always apply: a death certificate, a certificate confirming that there are no prohibited items, legalised by the Ukrainian consulate, and a sealed, hermetically closed metal coffin. Once all documents are in place, repatriation usually takes 3–7 working days, longer from distant countries.
Services
What we take care of
From the first call to the handover to the local funeral director in Ukraine — one contact, one fixed price.
Coffin & urn repatriation
By specialist vehicle from anywhere in Europe to any accessible town in Ukraine.
Documents of the country of death
Death certificate, exit permit and, where needed, apostille and Ukrainian translation.
Ukrainian consulate
We prepare the documents for the Ukrainian consulate in the country of death, including the certificate for customs.
Local partners
Hygienic preparation and coffining are arranged through partner funeral directors in the country of death.
Border and customs
We submit the written declaration and all documents to customs and choose the crossing according to current waiting times.
Support in your language
We speak English, Ukrainian, Russian and German — with you, the authorities and the funeral director in Ukraine.
Most frequent request
Repatriation from Poland to Ukraine
Many Ukrainians live and work in Poland, so most enquiries reach us from there. The distance is short: from the border to Lviv, Lutsk or Rivne takes a few hours. The difficulty is rarely the road — it is coordinating the authorities of two countries.
Removal of a body from Poland is authorised by the district state sanitary inspector (Sanepid). The permit is only issued once documents from the country of burial confirm there is no obstacle to entry — for Ukraine, these are the consular documents. The inspector seals the coffin.
- Polish death certificate (akt zgonu) from the registry office (USC)
- medical death certificate (karta zgonu)
- exit permit from the Polish sanitary inspectorate
- wooden coffin with metal liner or metal coffin, sealed by the inspector
- certificate of no prohibited items, legalised by the Ukrainian consulate
- certified Ukrainian translation
- after an accident or investigation: release by the public prosecutor
- written declaration for Ukrainian customs
Transparency
What determines the price
We do not quote a single price for all of Europe — distances and rules differ too much. These three factors decide.
Country and distance
From Poland or Slovakia the journey is short; from Portugal, Spain or the UK the vehicle is on the road for several days. The distance to the place of burial in Ukraine also counts.
Coffin or urn
A body requires a hermetically sealed metal coffin. An urn is lighter but still needs border paperwork — see urn repatriation abroad.
Paperwork in the country of death
Every country has its own permit procedure. Translations, apostilles and consular documents affect both timing and price.
Process
We guide you step by step
You do not have to deal with authorities in a foreign country yourself.
Call and fixed price
Tell us in which country and city the deceased is and where in Ukraine the burial will take place. Within a few hours you receive a written fixed price.
Documents and permits
With our local partners we obtain the death certificate and exit permit and prepare the documents for the Ukrainian consulate.
Preparation and journey
The partner funeral director prepares the deceased and places them in a hermetically sealed coffin. Then the vehicle travels through one or more countries to the Ukrainian border.
Border and handover
Customs clearance at the border, transport to the place of burial and handover to the family or the local funeral director.
Documents
What is needed to bring a body into Ukraine
Ukraine’s Law on Burial and Funeral Services (Article 22) requires the accompanying person to present two documents to customs and the coffin to be made of metal and hermetically sealed. Everything else depends on the country of death.
- death certificate issued by a competent authority of the country of death
- certificate that there are no prohibited items in the body or coffin — issued in the country of death and legalised by the Ukrainian consulate or embassy
- hermetically sealed metal coffin, sealed by the authority of the country of death
- exit permit under the rules of the country of death (laissez-passer, Leichenpass or national permit)
- for transit through Poland: certificate from the Polish consul in the country of departure
- written declaration (free form) for Ukrainian customs
- Ukrainian translations of the documents
- for an urn: cremation certificate and sealed urn
Good to know
What is special about repatriation to Ukraine
Why not by plane
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) confirms that Ukrainian airspace is closed to civil flights. Air freight is only possible to an airport in a neighbouring country, followed by road transport.
The route through Poland
Poland requires a certificate from the Polish consul in the country of departure for a body in transit. We factor this in when planning, for example from the Netherlands or Belgium.
Ashes from Finland, Norway, the Netherlands
Article 22 also covers urns: death certificate, legalised certificate and sealed urn. Urns are not sent by post — the carrier brings them.
Arrange the grave
Burial in an existing family grave needs the written consent of the person holding the grave rights. The plot should be settled before the journey begins.
What the family pays in Ukraine
Separately from repatriation: grave plot or burial in an existing grave, digging, local funeral services, funeral service in church, memorial meal and later the headstone.
How long it takes
Most time goes into paperwork in the country of death. After that, repatriation usually takes 3–7 working days, longer from distant countries.
FAQ
What families ask us most often
How is a body repatriated from Poland to Ukraine?
How much does repatriation from Poland to Ukraine cost?
Can a body be flown to Ukraine?
Which documents are required to bring a body into Ukraine?
How can an urn be brought to Ukraine from Finland, Norway or the Netherlands?
Does the death certificate need an apostille?
How long does repatriation from Europe to Ukraine take?
What if the death occurred outside Europe, for example in Egypt or the USA?
When it is urgent
One call is enough
We are available around the clock, including Sundays and public holidays. The first consultation is free. Tell us where the death occurred — we will tell you which documents are needed and how long it will take.
+49 1511 74 63 888
