NL → UA · 24/7
Repatriation of the deceased from the Netherlands to Ukraine
from €3,000 including documents, the coffin and transport to your town. We will give you the exact price within 5 minutes.
Summary. Repatriating the deceased from the Netherlands to Ukraine costs from €3,000 for the whole journey: documents, the coffin and transport to your town; the funeral in Ukraine is extra. In the Netherlands almost everything is decided by the municipality: it issues the death certificate and the body passport (lijkenpas), and the apostille is affixed by the local court. Ukraine is not party to the Strasbourg Agreement, so an additional certificate from the competent authorities is needed. We go by road through Germany and Poland or with an air leg (from 2.5 hours). The body's journey home to Ukraine takes from 24 hours after collection. Call us and within 5 minutes you will have the exact price.
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.
From the first call to handing the deceased over to the family
In the Netherlands, almost everything is decided by the municipality (the local city authority). It issues the death certificate and the body passport. We do the work ourselves, and XREQUIEM runs the whole process for you.
We answer at once
We ask which city the deceased is in and who from the family is nearby, and we give you the price.
We obtain the death certificate from the municipality
In Dutch this is an overlijdensakte, or an uittreksel uit een overlijdensakte (an extract from it).
We obtain the apostille from the court
The local court, the Rechtbank, puts the “Apostille” stamp on the certificate.
We arrange the lijkenpas
This is the permit to take the body abroad, the body passport. We apply for it at the municipality where the person died.
We obtain an additional certificate
Ukraine is not a party to the Strasbourg Agreement on the transfer of corpses, so in a case like this the Dutch rules require a separate certificate.
We hand in the deceased's passport at the embassy
The passport is submitted to the Embassy of Ukraine so that it can be cancelled.
We bring the deceased home and hand them over to the family
By road, or with an air leg, to your town in Ukraine.
We work out your price
Call or leave your number.
Documents in the Netherlands
What the Dutch authorities issue
- Overlijdensakte or Uittreksel uit een overlijdensakte: the death certificate or an extract from it. The municipality issues it.
- The apostille on the certificate: the local court (Rechtbank) affixes it.
- Lijkenpas (laissez-passer): the permit to take the body abroad. The municipality where the death occurred issues it.
- A certificate from the competent authorities with the name of the deceased and the place the body is being taken to. It is needed when the destination country has not ratified the Strasbourg Agreement, as is the case with Ukraine.
The municipality issues the death certificate, and we know exactly which one it is in your case.
What we do
- We obtain the documents at the municipality and the apostille at the court ourselves.
- We order a translation of the certificate into Ukrainian.
- We arrange the lijkenpas and the certificate for Ukraine.
- We prepare the certificate that the coffin contains no prohibited items, for the Ukrainian border.
- We draw up the declaration for Ukrainian customs.
What we need from you
- The deceased's passport. It has to be handed in at the embassy.
- Your passport and a document showing you are a relative.
- Your consent for us to act on behalf of the family.
The first steps after a death are on the page “What to do if a loved one dies abroad”. The full list is in the “Documents” section.
The Embassy of Ukraine in the Netherlands
The Embassy of Ukraine in the Kingdom of the Netherlands is in The Hague. Ukraine also has honorary consulates in Amsterdam and 's-Hertogenbosch.
After the apostille and the translation of the certificate, the deceased's passport is handed in at the embassy, where it is marked as cancelled. The embassy accepts passports without an appointment, on working days from 09:00 to 13:00. We confirm the reception hours on the day of the visit.
What else the consul of Ukraine does:
- registers the death of a citizen of Ukraine (by the place of residence, of death or of burial);
- issues the first death certificate free of consular fees;
- issues a certificate for claiming the funeral allowance in Ukraine;
- legalises the certificate that the coffin contains no prohibited items, which Ukrainian law requires when a body is brought in.
For the consular letter for the coffin, we check the list of documents directly with the embassy in The Hague.
How we bring the deceased home from the Netherlands
The Netherlands is a party to the Strasbourg Agreement on the transfer of corpses, so the coffin must be hermetic, with a metal liner inside. Ukrainian law requires essentially the same: a hermetic metal coffin that is put under official seal.
Where we collect from
We collect the deceased from Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, Utrecht, Eindhoven, Groningen and from any other Dutch town or village: from a hospital, a morgue or from another place where the deceased is. The municipality where the death occurred issues the documents, so please name the town at once.
By road all the way
Our vehicle collects the coffin in the Netherlands and takes it to the Ukrainian border, and then on to your town. The longest part of the journey is through Germany and Poland.
By air and by road
Flying makes sense when saving time matters: the Netherlands has large airports, so finding a flight is easier. We do not promise direct flights to Ukraine: the flight goes to an airport near Ukraine (Warsaw, Rzeszów or Chișinău). The air leg takes from 2.5 hours, and the rest of the journey is by road.
How long it takes
The journey home takes from 24 hours after collection. The exact time depends on how quickly the municipality and the court issue the documents.
More in “Road transport” and “Air transport”.
Urn transport from the Netherlands
We also transport urns with ashes. Dutch rules do not require any documents to take ashes out of the country, but it is advisable to have an English translation of the death certificate and the cremation certificate at hand.
At the Ukrainian border an urn needs the death certificate and a certificate that it contains no prohibited items. Urn transport costs from €500. More in “Urn transport”.
The article “Customs clearance of an urn with ashes” explains how an urn clears customs, whether it can be taken on a plane and whether the post accepts it.
What repatriation from the Netherlands costs
Body from the Netherlands from €3,000What 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.
This is a “from” price for the whole journey home. A funeral in Ukraine is a separate service. The final amount depends on the city in the Netherlands and the town or city in Ukraine, the type of transport and the coffin. Call us and we will give you the amount during the call. Prices for all countries →
Our work
Call us, day or night
Languages: Ukrainian, English, Polish, German. The same number works on Viber, WhatsApp and Telegram.
Questions about repatriation from the Netherlands
How much does it cost to bring the deceased home from the Netherlands?
From €3,000 for the whole journey home: documents, the apostille, translations, preparing the body, a coffin for the journey, transport and the border crossing. A funeral in Ukraine is separate.
How long does it take?
The body's journey home to Ukraine takes from 24 hours after collection; the air leg takes from 2.5 hours. Most of the time goes on the documents at the municipality and the court. We submit everything at the same time wherever possible.
What is a lijkenpas?
It is the Dutch name for a laissez-passer, the permit to take a body abroad. You do not have to go to the town hall: we submit the application and collect the document.
Why is another certificate needed if there is a lijkenpas?
Ukraine has not ratified the Strasbourg Agreement. For such countries the Dutch rules require a separate certificate from the competent authorities, with the name of the deceased and the destination. Ukrainian law, for its part, requires a certificate that the coffin contains no prohibited items, legalised by the consulate.
Which documents do you need from the family?
The deceased's passport (it is handed in at the embassy to be cancelled), your passport and a document showing you are a relative. We take care of the death certificate, the apostille, the translation, the lijkenpas and the certificates.
Do I need to travel to the Netherlands?
In most cases, no. We handle the documents at the municipality and the court ourselves, and we deal with the embassy on your behalf. If an office asks for a relative's signature in person, we will tell you in advance. What you can do from home is described in the article “If the family cannot travel abroad”.
Is embalming done in the Netherlands?
A light form of embalming, thanatopraxy, is permitted in the Netherlands, including when the body is taken abroad. Whether it is needed depends on the route and the carrier's rules. Preparing the body is already included in the price. If embalming turns out to be needed, we will tell you in advance whether the amount changes. The coffin is hermetic, with a metal liner inside. More in “Preparing the body”.
What should I do if there was insurance?
It depends on the policy. Before you accept an offer from a funeral home or hospital, send us a photo of the policy. We will establish the terms and settle things with the insurer; if the policy pays only part of the way, we will tell you how much is left to pay.
Which places in the Netherlands do you collect from?
From any town, city or village in the Netherlands: from a hospital, a morgue, a hospice or another place where the deceased is. Give us the address and we will tell you when we will be there.
Can you bring home an urn with ashes?
Yes, from €500. The documents needed are described in the section “Urn transport from the Netherlands” above on this page.
Tell us what happened
Oleg Zdendiak and the team. We explain the next steps.
Send a request for repatriation from the Netherlands
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: Belgium, Germany, Denmark. All countries are on the countries page.