Repatriation explained, national & EU-wide
Process, documents and costs of a transfer to another federal state or EU country.
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This guide was written and professionally reviewed by the editorial team of Himmelsruhe Bestattungen. Its content is based on our daily funeral counselling and grief support practice, is updated regularly and does not replace individual advice.
Why this guide?
Every day we support bereaved families in Berlin – in English, German, Russian and Italian. In this guide we answer the questions we hear most often, the same way we would in a personal conversation: calmly, concretely and without jargon. If anything remains unclear, simply give us a call – the consultation is free of obligation.
A transfer within Germany or to another EU country, for example to Poland, Romania, Bulgaria or Czech Republic, requires careful planning. We organise urn dispatch by certified courier or casket transport, obtain the mortuary passport and coordinate the forwarding partner.
Processing takes 2 to 10 working days depending on form and route. We communicate in German, Russian and English, with authorities, cemetery and the destination.
Frequently asked questions
Which documents are required?
Death certificate, mortuary passport (for EU transfers) and, where applicable, a cemetery certificate at the destination, we obtain all of these.
What does a transfer cost?
Depending on form and route, between around € 600 (urn dispatch within Germany) and approx. € 4,500 (casket transport to an EU country). We provide a binding fixed price.