When a foreign national dies in Ukraine: documents, the consul and bringing them home

Registering the death in Ukraine

How this works in Ukraine:

• In Ukraine a death is registered by the civil registry office (DRACS); the grounds include the medical certificate of death (form No. 106/o) or another document listed in the Rules for State Registration of Civil Status Acts in Ukraine. zakon.rada.gov.ua
• A death is registered at the deceased's last place of residence, the place of death or where the body was found, or the place of burial. zakon.rada.gov.ua

What the UK government tells families about the Ukrainian certificate:

• The Ukrainian death certificate is issued in Ukrainian; with a certified translation it can usually be used in the UK for most purposes. gov.uk
• According to UK government guidance, Ukrainian death certificates do not include the cause of death. gov.uk

If the destination country asks for the cause of death, we will tell you which document you need for that.

The post mortem and the family's consent

It is better to know about this in advance.

• According to UK government guidance for families, under Ukrainian law a post mortem is likely to be required when a foreigner dies in Ukraine, and written permission from the next of kin may be requested. gov.uk

This is how the German Embassy describes it for German citizens:

• The family emails the embassy its consent to an autopsy; this is a formal requirement regardless of the cause of death so that the body can be released for burial. Foreigners in Ukraine are, as a rule, autopsied. ukraine.diplo.de

If you have any questions about the post mortem, tell us at the start of the call.

How to bring the deceased home

Taking a body out of Ukraine has its own requirements. The main ones are:

• To move a body across Ukraine's border (including taking it abroad), the accompanying person shows customs a death certificate (or another document from a competent authority confirming death) and a certificate that the body and coffin (urn) contain no prohibited items. zakon.rada.gov.ua
• When a coffin (urn) is taken out of Ukraine, the certificate of no prohibited items is issued by a forensic medical expert in the presence of a customs officer (Art. 22 of the Law on Burial and Funeral Services). zakon.rada.gov.ua
• The body is carried in a hermetic metal coffin; the coffin (urn) is put under official seal by the same officials who issue the certificate of no prohibited items. zakon.rada.gov.ua

The other requirements on the Ukrainian side are collected on the page “Repatriation of a body from Ukraine to another country”. You will also find the country pages there, with each country's entry requirements.

This is how the UK government describes it for its citizens:

• An international funeral director in the UK works with a local funeral director in Ukraine; the family gives both permission to act on its behalf. gov.uk

What we do:

1. We collect the deceased

   From a hospital or morgue in the town where the death occurred.

2. We handle the Ukrainian side

   We help with registering the death and obtaining the certificate, and we prepare the translations and arrange the apostille if the destination country requires them.

3. We gather the documents for the embassy

   We prepare what the embassy and the destination country ask for. If a relative's own signature is needed anywhere, we will tell you in advance.

4. We transport and hand over the deceased

   On arrival we hand the deceased over to the funeral home the family has chosen.

This article is about foreign nationals who die in Ukraine. If a Ukrainian citizen has died abroad, read about repatriation of the deceased from abroad.