Exhumation in Montenegro and Reburial in Ukraine

In 30 seconds.

• The permit for exhumation and transfer of remains is issued by the sanitary inspection (sanitarna inspekcija). To take the remains abroad, a transit permit (sprovodnica) is also required.
• Both the inspection and municipal cemetery companies require the consent of the grave owner (vlasnik grobnog mjesta). If there is a family dispute, it must be resolved first, including through the courts.
• The exhumation itself is carried out by the municipal company that maintains the cemetery.
• Documents for Ukraine require an apostille: both Montenegro and Ukraine are parties to the Hague Apostille Convention.
• Our exhumation service costs from 500 € plus the cost of transport (repatriation) from Montenegro. We calculate the exact amount based on your situation.

Call +380 77 882 77 77Ask about exhumation

Who Can Request an Exhumation

In Montenegro, a grave belongs to a specific person or family: the owner or user of the grave plot. In practice, their consent is mandatory. The municipal company of Nikšić and the sanitary inspection stated this directly to an applicant in 2019. The inspection explained that it checks whether there is any dispute over the grave. If there is a dispute, the parties are told to resolve it first before submitting an application.

This is not just theory. In the case of Drašković v. Montenegro (2020), the European Court of Human Rights examined this exact situation: a widow wanted to move her husband's remains from Montenegro to a family plot abroad, while her husband's nephew, the grave owner, refused to give consent. The Court found a violation of the right to private and family life because Montenegro lacked an authority and rules to resolve such a dispute. The takeaway for families is simple: reach an agreement with the grave owner before submitting any paperwork.

If the family is in Ukraine, traveling to Montenegro is usually not necessary. We prepare the application, and you sign a power of attorney and written consent. A notary certifies the signatures, followed by an apostille and translation into Montenegrin.

When It Is Possible

The sources we reviewed do not mention a minimum waiting period after burial. Nor do they mention a specific "season" for exhumation. However, the inspection assesses sanitary safety before issuing a permit. The Government of Montenegro stated directly that even with the owner's consent, an exhumation is not carried out without such an assessment. Therefore, the inspector sets the date and conditions. We verify specific cemetery rules and restrictions related to infectious diseases with the local authority.

One more practical point. In Montenegro, burials often take place in family vaults (grobnica) that hold several people. If the remains have mingled with others, moving only your relative may be impossible or may require forensic examination. We ask the municipal company about the condition of the grave before filing the application.

Documents for Transfer to Ukraine

• decision of the sanitary inspection granting permission for exhumation and transfer abroad;
• transit permit for remains (sprovodnica);
• written consent of the grave owner;
• death certificate (izvod iz matične knjige umrlih);
• document confirming the new burial plot in Ukraine;
• power of attorney for us, if the family is not traveling.

Montenegrin documents for Ukraine are apostilled, and we then translate them into Ukrainian. Before departure, we coordinate the accompanying documents with the Embassy of Ukraine in Montenegro. A general list is available on the documents page.

How Much Exhumation Costs in Montenegro

We did not find official state tariffs for exhumation. Each municipal company has its own price list, so we check the exact amount with the local authority for the specific cemetery. The following are paid separately:

• work of the municipal company at the cemetery;
• a new hermetically sealed metal coffin for transit;
• notary, apostille, and translations;
• dismantling of the headstone, if the family is taking it.

Our exhumation service costs from 500 € plus the cost of transport (repatriation) from Montenegro. We calculate the exact amount based on your situation. For transport, we work without prepayment: payment is made after handover according to the contract. Details about the transport itself are on the body repatriation from Montenegro page.