Exhumation in Ireland and Reburial in Ukraine

The short version, in 30 seconds.

The permit is called an exhumation licence. It is issued by the County or City Council where the cemetery is located.
You need consent from the next of kin, consent from the grave owner, and a certificate from the HSE health service.
A licence is also required for an urn with ashes, not just for a coffin.
Council fees vary: from €113.50 in Offaly to €2,500 in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown.
Our exhumation service starts from €500 plus transport from Ireland. No prepayment for transport.

Call +380 77 882 77 77 Ask about exhumation

Who can apply for exhumation

A relative submits the application. The Fingal County Council form directly asks whether the applicant is the next of kin. If not, you must explain why they are not the one applying.

Councils refuse applications if there is no consent from the next of kin. This is stated in the Meath County Council procedure. Therefore, we collect written consents from the spouse, children, and parents to attach to the application.

Another mandatory consent is from the owner of the grave space. The form also asks whether anyone objects to the exhumation and why. If there is a dispute in the family, it is best to resolve it before applying.

If the family lives in Ukraine

You do not need to travel to Ireland. You sign a power of attorney and consent forms, and we pass them to our partners in Ireland. They submit the application to the council and make arrangements with the cemetery. Ukrainian documents for Irish authorities are usually translated into English. We check what the specific council requires before applying.

Law and permits

Exhumation is regulated by Section 46 of the Local Government (Sanitary Services) Act 1948, as amended by the Local Government Act 1994. Following these amendments, local councils issue the licences. Exhumation without a licence is an offence.

The application is submitted to the council's Environment Section. You must attach:

a completed application form;
a copy of the death certificate;
a certificate from the HSE Director of Public Health (in older forms, Director of Community Care and Medical Officer of Health) stating that the exhumation poses no threat to public health;
consent from the authority or owner of the cemetery.

Meath County Council describes what happens next. The application is forwarded to the HSE Environmental Health department. An Environmental Health Officer inspects the grave, gathers details from the cemetery and the funeral director, and gives the council a recommendation with conditions. After this, the council grants or refuses the licence.

Councils will not grant a licence if the grave cannot be accurately identified, if the remains lie beneath another body that is not being exhumed, or if respect for the deceased and protection of public health cannot be ensured.

Councils do not state how long it takes to get a licence. It depends on the council and the HSE, so we clarify this for the specific cemetery.

When it is allowed

There is no minimum period after burial mentioned in the sources we reviewed. We found no restricted seasons either. Councils state something else: exhumation is considered "only in exceptional circumstances". Among such circumstances, Carlow County Council lists a family's wish to move remains to another county or abroad.

The licence is valid for 12 months. Under Meath County Council rules, the exhumation must be carried out within this time. The date, time, and place must be reported to the HSE at least 5 working days in advance.

If the person had an infectious disease, this is taken into account in the HSE certificate. The inspector may set additional conditions.

Urn or coffin: a licence is required for both. Carlow and Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown councils explicitly state that this also applies to cremated remains.

How the exhumation is carried out

Exhumation takes place only in the presence of an HSE inspector. Fingal County Council lists who may be present at the site: council staff, health service staff, police (Gardaí) or security, the funeral director, and gravediggers. Relatives are not on this list.

The inspector ensures that:

the correct grave is opened, and the nameplate on the coffin matches the name on the licence;
work begins as early in the morning as possible;
the grave is screened off from the public;
workers wear protective clothing and masks;
all remains and pieces of the old coffin are placed into the new coffin.

According to Meath County Council, the new coffin must be wooden, tarred on the inside, with a zinc liner and a leak-proof plastic membrane. The lid of the liner is sealed. A nameplate with the name and date of death is attached to the lid. For the journey to Ukraine, we prepare a hermetic metal transport coffin that meets these conditions.

Cremation after exhumation

Sometimes a family wants to cremate the remains in Ireland and bring home an urn. This makes the journey simpler and cheaper. Whether this is possible for exhumed remains is decided by the council and the crematorium. We check this before submitting the application.

Documents for repatriation to Ukraine

council exhumation licence;
death certificate;
coroner's certificate for the removal of a body out of the state, if required. Section 48 of the Coroners Act 1962 allows the coroner to confirm that the body does not need to remain in Ireland. We check with the local coroner whether this is needed for exhumed remains;
certificate of hermetic sealing of the coffin.

The Department of Foreign Affairs of Ireland places an apostille on Irish documents. Ukraine and Ireland are parties to the Hague Convention. We handle the translation into Ukrainian.

The Embassy of Ukraine in Ireland is in Dublin. Its consular section will advise which certificates are needed to bring the remains into Ukraine. We provide a full list of documents to every family.

Reburial in Ukraine

A permit is also required in Ukraine. Reburial is authorised by the executive committee of the local council at the new burial place. We handle this part together with the family.

The Irish application form asks where exactly the remains will be reburied. Therefore, arrange a plot with the cemetery in Ukraine in advance and get a certificate confirming the plot. Upon arrival, we take the coffin to the cemetery or to the morgue, as agreed. How we transport bodies is described on the page repatriation of a body from Ireland.

How much it costs

Each council sets its own licence fee:

Council	Exhumation licence fee
Offaly County Council	€113.50
Carlow County Council	€300
Fingal County Council	€750 + 23% VAT (€922.50), depends on the scope of work
Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council	€2,500

Cemetery work, the new coffin, documents, translations, and the transport itself are paid separately. We check the prices of other councils for your specific case.

Our price: exhumation from €500 plus the cost of transport (repatriation) from Ireland. We calculate the exact amount for your situation. No prepayment for transport: payment is made after handover under the contract.

How long it takes: from the first call to the funeral

Stage	Approximate time
Consultation, family consents, power of attorney	1–3 weeks
Plot certificate in Ukraine	1–2 weeks, in parallel
Council application, HSE grave inspection, licence	several weeks, sometimes longer
HSE notification and exhumation	at least 5 working days after notification
Export documents, apostille	1–2 weeks
Transport to Ukraine	a few days
Executive committee permit and burial	1–3 weeks

Timelines are approximate and depend on the council, the HSE, and the cemetery. At every stage, we will tell you where things stand.

Frequently asked questions

Can a body be exhumed in Ireland and transported to Ukraine?

Yes, with a county council licence. Councils list moving remains abroad as one of the valid grounds. However, a licence is granted only in exceptional circumstances, so there is no guarantee.

Who issues an exhumation permit in Ireland?

The county or city council where the cemetery is located. Before a decision is made, the HSE health service assesses the application.

Is a licence needed to move an urn?

Yes. Councils explicitly state that a licence is also required for cremated remains.

Can relatives attend the exhumation?

Fingal County Council allows only council staff, the HSE, police or security, the funeral director, and gravediggers. For other cemeteries, we check in advance.

How much does a licence cost?

It depends on the council: from €113.50 in Offaly to €2,500 in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown. Our work starts from €500 plus transport.

Do we need to travel to Ireland?

No. A power of attorney and written consents are enough. Our partners submit the application.

What to do now

Call us and tell us where the person is buried: county, cemetery, coffin or urn.
Find the death certificate and the grave deed, if you have one.
Agree within the family on who will submit the application, and collect written consents.
Arrange a plot with the cemetery in Ukraine. We will take care of the rest.

Call +380 77 882 77 77 Ask about exhumation

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Exhumation in Ireland and Reburial in Ukraine: Licence, Documents, Timelines