GR → UA · 24/7
Repatriation of the deceased from Greece to Ukraine
from €3,800 including documents, preparing the body, the coffin and transport to your town. We will give you the exact price within 5 minutes.
Summary. Bringing the deceased home from Greece to Ukraine costs from €3,800 for the entire journey: the paperwork, the coffin and the road to your town. The funeral in Ukraine is extra. In Greece the body is embalmed for removal, and the removal permit is issued free of charge by the regional public health directorate where the death occurred. We go by plane with a connection (air leg from 2.5 hours) or overland through Bulgaria and Romania; from an island, first by ferry to the mainland. The body's journey home to Ukraine takes from 24 hours after collection. Tell us the city and the address and we will give you the exact price within 5 minutes.
Thank you. We will call you back. For urgent matters, please call: +380 77 882 77 77.
- Since 2015 bringing people home
- Ukrainian company Company code (EDRPOU) 46261246
- Contract with a fixed price
- 35 countries with “from” prices
- Own workshop coffins and funeral goods
- 24/7 one number from start to finish
If it has just happened
- Call or write any time. We explain what to say. We contact the hospital and the police.
- Find the insurance policy. The compensation depends on it.
- Name two cities. Where it happened. Where to bring the body. The passport can come later.
How we handle your case
In Greece a body that is to leave the country must be embalmed, and without the certificate of embalming the permit is not issued. That is why we start preparing the body and the documents at the same time: no days are lost. We organise and run the steps in Greece. XREQUIEM runs your case from the first call until the deceased is handed over to the family.
We answer your call day or night
We ask which city or island the deceased is in and which documents you already have. We give you the price straight away.
We obtain the death certificates
The medical certificate of death and the death record from the civil registry office.
We arrange the embalming
We embalm the body and obtain the certificate of embalming.
We obtain the permit to take the body out of the country
It is issued by the Public Health Directorate of the region where the death occurred. There is no fee for the permit.
We prepare the Ukrainian part
Translations and their certification, the certificate of no prohibited items and the documents for the Ukrainian embassy or consulate.
We pack the coffin for the journey
Usually the coffin is placed in a metal container that is welded shut. Ukraine also requires a hermetically sealed coffin at the border.
We bring the deceased home and hand them over to the family
By air with a connection, or by road. We bring the deceased to your town.
We work out your price
Call or leave your number.
Documents in Greece
The Greek names may look unfamiliar, but there are only a few documents. Four papers are involved in taking the body out of the country, and we arrange all of them ourselves.
What Greece issues
- Ιατρικό πιστοποιητικό θανάτου: the medical certificate of death.
- Ληξιαρχική πράξη θανάτου: the death record from the civil registry office.
- Βεβαίωση ταρίχευσης: the certificate of embalming.
- Άδεια μεταφοράς σορού στο εξωτερικό: the permit to take the body out of the country. It is issued by the Public Health Directorate (Διεύθυνση Δημόσιας Υγείας) of the region, on an application supported by the three documents above. The authority charges nothing for it.
What we take on
- We submit the application for the permit ourselves and collect all the certificates.
- We prepare the statement that the body has been placed in the coffin.
- We translate the Greek certificates into Ukrainian and certify the translations.
- We submit the documents to the Ukrainian embassy or consulate.
- The papers for customs at the Ukrainian border are ours to prepare.
What we need from you
- The deceased's passport, or a photo of it.
- Your passport and a document showing that you are a relative.
- A power of attorney for us. We will tell you how to arrange it from a distance.
Greece is a party to the 1973 Strasbourg Agreement on the transfer of corpses. The permit is issued by the public health directorate of the region where the death occurred. The general list of papers for Ukraine is on the Documents page.
The Embassy and consulate of Ukraine in Greece
Ukraine has two diplomatic missions in Greece: the Embassy in Athens and the Consulate in Thessaloniki. We apply to whichever is more convenient, given where the death occurred.
- The death of a citizen of Ukraine abroad is registered by the consul. It can be registered at the place of death, the place of residence, the place where the body was found or the place of burial.
- For this the consul needs the Greek medical document and the death certificate, translated into Ukrainian and certified.
- Registration of the death and the first death certificate are free of consular fees.
- The consul issues a certificate for the social protection authorities. With it the family can receive the funeral allowance in Ukraine.
- The certificate that the body and the coffin contain no prohibited items is issued on the Greek side, and the consulate legalises it. Without it the body cannot cross the Ukrainian border.
A foreign death certificate is recognised in Ukraine only with an apostille or legalisation. We take care of this. More about the consul's role is in the article The Ukrainian consulate when someone dies abroad.
How we bring the deceased home from Greece
The route depends on where the death occurred: on the mainland or on an island, near a large airport or far from one. We choose it together with you.
Where we collect from
We collect the deceased from Athens, Thessaloniki, Patras, Heraklion on Crete, Rhodes, Corfu, Zakynthos and from any other Greek town, island or village: from a hospital, a morgue or another place where the deceased is. Name the town or the island, and we will tell you at once which route is faster.
By air, then by road
From Greek airports a coffin can usually be sent on any day. The flight goes with a connection to an airport near Ukraine, and from there we continue by road to your town. We do not promise direct flights to Ukraine. The air leg takes from 2.5 hours.
By road
By road we usually go through Bulgaria and Romania to the Ukrainian border. From an island we first go by ferry to the mainland.
How long it takes
The journey home takes from 24 hours after collection. The time before departure depends on the documents and the embalming.
The coffin for leaving Greece
Usually, for transport out of Greece, the body is placed in a wooden coffin, the coffin goes into a metal container that is welded shut, and a wooden case goes on top. This also meets the Ukrainian requirement: a hermetic metal coffin under official seal. Customs clearance at the border is done on a written statement with documents, and we prepare them. More on the Air transport page.
Price of repatriation from Greece
Body from Greece from €3,800The “from” price covers the whole journey home. A funeral in Ukraine is a separate service and is charged separately.
What the price includes
The price includes:
- contact with the hospital and the morgue
- local, consular and border documents
- preparing the body for the journey
- hermetic coffin, soldered zinc liner
- sealing as the border requires
- transport by road, or part of the way by air, whichever is faster and better value for you
- handover to the family in your town
Farewell coffin: quoted separately.
What can change the price
Mainland or island. Close to an airport or far from one. By air or by road. The coffin model. Where in Ukraine we are going. We take all of this into account straight away, when we give you the price. Prices for other countries are on the Prices page.
Call us, day or night
Languages: Ukrainian, English, Polish, German. The same number works on Viber, WhatsApp and Telegram.
Our work
Questions about repatriation from Greece
How much does it cost to bring the deceased home from Greece?
From €3,800. This includes the Greek and Ukrainian documents, preparing the body, the coffin for the journey, transport and customs clearance. A funeral in Ukraine is charged separately. The amount depends most on whether the death occurred on the mainland or on an island, and on where in Ukraine we are going.
How long does it take?
The journey home with the deceased takes from 24 hours after collection. If there is a flight, the air leg takes from 2.5 hours. The documents and the embalming take the most time, so we do them at the same time.
Is embalming compulsory?
In Greece, yes. The certificate of embalming is among the documents without which the permit to take the body out is not issued. When we give you the exact price, we will tell you at once whether embalming changes the amount. More in the Preparing the body section.
The person died on an island. Is that more complicated?
From an island we first take the body to the airport, or by ferry to the mainland, and then on by the usual route. The permit to take the body out is issued by the public health directorate of the region the island belongs to. Tell us the name of the island and we will give you the price and the timing.
Who issues the permit to take the body out?
The public health directorate of the region where the death occurred. The permit requires an application, the death record, the medical certificate of death and the certificate of embalming. The permit itself is free of charge. We submit everything in one package.
Which documents do you need from the family?
You do not need to provide any Greek papers: we obtain the certificates, the certificate of embalming and the permit. From the family we need a photo of the deceased's passport, your passport, confirmation that you are a relative and a power of attorney for us. The power of attorney can be arranged in Ukraine; we will tell you how.
Do I need to travel to Greece?
In most cases, no. We collect the body, submit the application for the permit and arrange the embalming. We deal with the embassy or consulate ourselves. If an office asks for your signature in person, we will warn you in advance. What can be done from home is covered in the article If the family cannot travel abroad.
The person was insured. What should I do?
First send us a photo of the policy, and only then agree anything with anyone in Greece. The insurer usually wants to approve the costs in advance, otherwise you may lose the compensation. Often a policy covers the journey only as far as the Ukrainian border or the nearest airport, so we will tell you straight away about the extra cost for the rest of the way.
Which cities and islands do you collect from?
From any city, village or island in Greece: from a hospital, a morgue or another place where the deceased is. Tell us where the deceased is now, and we will tell you the day we can collect them.
Can an urn with ashes be brought home?
Yes. An urn is brought into Ukraine with the death certificate and a certificate of no prohibited items, which the consulate legalises. Bringing an urn costs from €700. More on the Transport of an urn with ashes page.
Tell us what happened
Oleg Zdendiak and the team. We explain the next steps.
Send a request for repatriation from Greece
Leave your number and we will call you back.
Thank you. We will call you back. For urgent matters, please call: +380 77 882 77 77.
Nearby destinations: Bulgaria, Turkey and Italy. All countries are on the countries page.