Exhumation in Estonia and Reburial in Ukraine

In 30 seconds.

• Main law: the Cemeteries Act (Kalmistuseadus). Reburial is carried out by the cemetery administrator (kalmistu haldaja) by agreement with them.
• A coffin can be moved no earlier than one year after burial in sandy soil, and three years in moist soil.
• To transport remains out of Estonia, the law requires a hermetically sealed zinc coffin with moisture-absorbing material inside a tight wooden box.
• An apostille on Estonian documents is issued by a notary.
• Our exhumation service costs from 500 € plus the cost of transport (repatriation) from Estonia. We calculate the exact amount for your specific situation.

Call +380 77 882 77 77Ask about exhumation

Who Can Request Exhumation

In Estonia, every grave has a burial plot user (hauaplatsi kasutaja). The law explains that this is the person who holds the written consent of the cemetery administrator to use the plot. If the user has died, the deceased's next of kin (omaksed) have the priority right to the plot: spouse, registered partner, parents, adult children, and siblings.

The law does not separately specify who must sign the reburial application. In practice, the cemetery administrator makes arrangements with the burial plot user. Therefore, we first find out who is registered as the user and whether other close relatives agree. If there is a dispute within the family, it is best to resolve it before applying.

If the family is in Ukraine, traveling to Estonia is usually not required. You sign a power of attorney before a notary, and we obtain the apostille, translate it, and handle the process with the cemetery.

When It Can Be Done

The law sets specific waiting periods for a coffin (§ 9 (16)):

• in sandy soil, reburial can take place no earlier than one year after burial;
• in moist soil, no earlier than three years.

The administrator will tell you what type of soil is at your cemetery. The law does not set such waiting periods for an urn.

If the grave holds several burials. The law allows a new burial on top of a coffin no earlier than 20 years after the last burial in that place (§ 9 (11)). If older remains are found while digging, they are reburied in a pit at the bottom of the same grave, and an intact coffin is left untouched (§ 9 (10)). So in a family grave, someone else may lie above your relative. Before applying, we check with the cemetery who was buried in this place and when.

There are no seasonal bans in the law. In winter, work may be postponed due to frozen ground, which is decided by the cemetery.

Infectious diseases. If death was caused by a particularly dangerous disease (yellow fever, viral hemorrhagic fevers, smallpox, plague, anthrax), the body must be wrapped in a shroud soaked in antiseptic for transport abroad (§ 3 (2)). We check other conditions for exhumation in such cases with Terviseamet.

Documents for Transport to Ukraine

• agreement or decision of the cemetery administrator on reburial;
• death document from the Estonian register;
• confirmation of the new burial plot in Ukraine;
• power of attorney for us, if the family is not traveling.

Since 2010, apostilles on Estonian documents have been issued by notaries, and an electronic apostille is also available. Next, we translate the documents into Ukrainian. Before departure, we coordinate the accompanying documents with the Embassy of Ukraine in Estonia. A general list is available on the documents page.

How Much Exhumation Costs in Estonia

There is no single state fee. Each cemetery sets its own price list, so we check the cost with the local authority for the specific cemetery. Paid separately:

• cemetery work;
• zinc coffin and wooden box for transport;
• notary, apostille, translations;
• dismantling of the headstone, if the family is taking it.

Our exhumation service costs from 500 € plus the cost of transport (repatriation) from Estonia. We calculate the exact amount for your specific situation. For transport, we work without advance payment: you pay after delivery according to the contract. Read about the transport itself on the repatriation of a body from Estonia page.