Insurance and bringing a body home from abroad

In brief

• Find the policy and tell us about it on the first call: the transport has to be agreed with the insurer.
• If the insurer has not agreed to the transport, it may refuse to pay compensation. The number of its assistance service is on the policy.
• A policy often covers the journey only as far as the border or a transport hub in Ukraine. The family pays for the rest of the way to your town, and for the funeral.
• Every policy has its own limit. If the transport costs more, you pay the difference.
• We will check the terms of the policy with you and, if repatriation is covered, we will work with the insurer.

How the transport works through insurance

Transport under a policy is arranged by the insurer's assistance service, a company that handles insurance cases on the insurer's behalf. The usual order is this.

1. Notifying the insurer. The number of the assistance service is on the policy or the insurance card. You need to report the death and give the policy number, the country and the city. You can leave this to us.
2. The death certificate. The insurer starts the transport after it receives the official death certificate. So the first thing to do is the paperwork in the country of death.
3. Agreeing the funeral home. The funeral home has to be agreed with the insurer. If you already have a funeral home in mind, ask the insurer whether that one can be used. If you hire a local funeral home without agreeing it, the insurer may refuse to pay compensation.
4. The transport. We prepare the body and the documents and transport the deceased. Often only the journey as far as the border, or an international transport hub in Ukraine, is paid for.
5. The last part of the journey and the funeral. The family usually pays for the funeral in Ukraine.

If you have already called us and the policy turned up later, tell us at once. We will agree with you what to do next and give you everything you need for the conversation with the insurer: a cost calculation, a list of services and our contacts.

What a policy usually does not cover

• The road from the border to your home. If the policy covers only the way to the border or a transport hub, the family pays for the rest of the journey. We can take this part on.
• The funeral in Ukraine. A cemetery plot, the farewell and the memorial meal are paid for separately.
• Anything over the limit. If the transport costs more than the limit, you pay the difference.
• Costs not agreed in advance. What the family paid for without agreeing it with the insurer may not be reimbursed.

If there is no insurance, or it does not cover the transport

Then the family pays for the transport, either on its own or with help from an employer, social services or the community. This is covered in the article “Who pays for bringing a body home from abroad”. Prices by country: Poland, from €800; Czechia, from €1,000; Germany, from €2,100; Italy, from €3,000. All countries are on the “Prices” page. We will give you the exact price for your case during the call.

If the insurer refuses, ask for the refusal in writing, with the reason. You will need it if you decide to appeal. The transport does not have to wait in the meantime: we can start as soon as you decide.

What to prepare for the insurer

• the policy number, or a photo of the policy;
• the death document from the country of death: a medical document or a death certificate;
• a photo of the deceased's passport;
• your passport and the documents that confirm you are related;
• bills and receipts, if you have already paid for anything.

The Ukrainian death certificate is issued by a Ukrainian consul, who registers the death of a Ukrainian citizen abroad. The first death certificate is issued without a consular fee. There is more in the articles “The Ukrainian consulate when someone dies abroad” and “Death certificate abroad”.