Exhumation in Luxembourg and Reburial in Ukraine

In 30 seconds.

• Exhumation at the family's request is authorized by the college of the mayor and aldermen of the commune (collège échevinal), after consulting the medical inspector (médecin-inspecteur).
• A doctor and a representative of the commune or police are present during the exhumation, and an official report is drawn up.
• To transport an exhumed body to another location, especially abroad, a transport permit is required from the medical inspector of the Health Directorate (Direction de la santé).
• If the person died of an epidemic infectious disease, exhumation is only possible two years after death.
• Our exhumation costs from €500 plus the cost of transport from Luxembourg. We calculate the exact amount for your specific situation.

Call +380 77 882 77 77Ask about exhumation

Who Can Request an Exhumation

The 1913 decree speaks of exhumations "at the request of private individuals." This means the family submits the application. In practice, this is primarily the holder of the grave concession (concessionnaire). The cemetery regulations of the City of Luxembourg remind us that a concession does not grant ownership of the land, only the right of burial. The concession holder, their spouse, children, and parents can be buried in a concession grave, as well as other close relatives with the holder's consent.

If the family is in Ukraine, there is usually no need to travel in person. We prepare the application, and you sign a power of attorney. If the commune asks to confirm the family relationship, certificates translated into French will be needed. We check the exact list of requirements with the commune where the person is buried.

When It Is Possible

Time After Burial

The decree does not set a general minimum waiting period for exhumation. Exception: if death was caused by an epidemic or pandemic infectious disease, exhumation and transport are only possible two years after the date of death.

Concession Period

In the City of Luxembourg, concessions are granted for 15 or 30 years with the right of renewal. A grave without a concession can be reused by the commune after five years. Therefore, it is best not to delay the exhumation of a body from a non-concession grave.

Season

We found no seasonal bans in the decree or in the reviewed municipal regulations. The commune sets the date, and the medical inspector may impose specific conditions.

Urn or Coffin

It is simpler with an urn. For transporting ashes, the regulations of the City of Luxembourg do not even require a hearse. We clarify the exact procedure for releasing an urn from a grave or columbarium directly with the commune.

Documents for Transport to Ukraine

Usually required:

• commune permit for exhumation;
• exhumation report and certificate from the attending doctor;
• transport permit from the medical inspector of the Health Directorate;
• death certificate (acte de décès) from the commune where the person died.

Luxembourg documents require an apostille. It is issued by the legalization office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the application can be submitted via MyGuichet.lu. Then we translate the documents into Ukrainian. Ukraine is represented in Luxembourg by the Embassy of Ukraine in Belgium (concurrently). We coordinate the accompanying border documents with the embassy for each case. See the general list on the documents page.

How Much Exhumation Costs in Luxembourg

Each commune sets its own exhumation fee in its tariff regulations. Two official examples:

The difference is nearly fourfold, so we check your commune's price individually. We did not find a specific exhumation tariff for the City of Luxembourg. Added to the commune fee are: the doctor's work, a new coffin, apostille, translations, and headstone dismantling.

Our exhumation costs from €500 plus the cost of transport (repatriation) from Luxembourg. We calculate the exact amount for your situation. There is no prepayment for transport; payment is made after handover according to the contract.