Exhumation in Slovakia and Reburial in Ukraine: Who Approves It, Timelines, Costs

In 30 seconds.

• The application (žiadosť o exhumáciu) is submitted to the cemetery operator (prevádzkovateľ pohrebiska). It is filed by the person who arranged the funeral, or if they have passed away, by a close person.
• The resting period (tlecia doba) in Slovakia is at least 10 years. Before that, you need an opinion from the Regional Public Health Authority (RÚVZ).
• If the person had a dangerous infectious disease at the time of death, the law prohibits exhumation.
• To take a coffin abroad, a laissez-passer for a corpse (pas pre mŕtvolu) is required. It is issued by the self-governing region (samosprávny kraj).
• Our exhumation service starts from €500 plus transport from Slovakia. No upfront payment for transport.

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Who Can Request an Exhumation

The Funeral Services Act (§ 19 par. 7) names three possible applicants. First: the person who arranged the funeral (obstarávateľ pohrebu). Second: a close person (blízka osoba), if the funeral organizer is no longer alive. Third: the municipality (obec), if it arranged the funeral. Separately, a judge or prosecutor can order an exhumation, but that is not our case.

In practice, the cemetery also looks at the grave lease agreement (nájomná zmluva). If the grave lessee is a different person from the applicant, it is better to have their written consent. This reduces the chance of refusal.

If the Family Lives in Ukraine

You do not have to travel to Slovakia. You issue a power of attorney, we pass the documents to our partners in Slovakia, and they submit the application and make arrangements with the cemetery. Documents from Ukraine are translated into Slovak for the Slovak authorities. We check with the cemetery before applying to see what exact format they want for the power of attorney.

When Exhumation Is Possible in Slovakia

By law, the resting period (tlecia doba) is at least 10 years, depending on the soil (§ 19 par. 3). The exact period for each cemetery is written in its operating rules (prevádzkový poriadok pohrebiska). If the remains have not decomposed after this period, it must be extended.

Importantly, exhumation before 10 years is not prohibited. You simply need to attach the RÚVZ opinion to your application.

There is one strict ban. Section 4 of the law prohibits exhuming the remains of a person who was infected with a dangerous disease at the time of death. This is visible from the medical examination certificate or the death notification. That is why we check the medical part of the documents first.

We found no seasonal bans in the law. We check with the cemetery operator to see if a specific cemetery has its own restrictions by month.

An urn with ashes is simpler than a coffin: there are no sanitary risks. However, § 19 does not contain separate rules for urns, so we clarify the procedure for an urn directly with the cemetery.

Documents for Transport to Ukraine

Pas pre mŕtvolu

For the international transport of a body or remains, Slovakia issues a laissez-passer for a corpse (pas pre mŕtvolu). Under § 7 of the law, it is issued by the self-governing region (samosprávny kraj). If the person had a dangerous disease, it is issued by the RÚVZ. If an autopsy was performed, it is issued by the Healthcare Surveillance Authority. If the transport falls under an international agreement signed by Slovakia, the rules of that agreement apply (§ 7 par. 2). We check whether this applies to your route for each specific case.

Embassy of Ukraine

The Consular Section of the Embassy of Ukraine in the Slovak Republic in Bratislava can advise which documents are required to bring the remains into Ukraine. We provide a full list of documents to each family individually.

Apostille and Translation

Slovakia and Ukraine are both parties to the Hague Apostille Convention. An apostille on a death certificate is issued by the district office (okresný úrad) that oversees the registry office (matričný úrad). An official guide from the Ministry of the Interior of Slovakia lists a fee of €10 per document. We also arrange the translation.

How Much It Costs

Each cemetery sets its own prices. As an example, here is the price list for Marianum, the city cemeteries of Bratislava, valid from 1 August 2026 (prices include VAT):

According to the price list, the exhumation price includes digging and refilling the grave. The RÚVZ opinion, pas pre mŕtvolu, apostille, translation, transport coffin, and the transport itself are paid separately. Other cemeteries have their own prices, which we request for your specific case.

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