KR → UA · 24/7
Repatriation of the deceased from South Korea to Ukraine
from €7,000 including documents, the coffin and transport to your town. We will give you the exact price within 5 minutes.
The price includes:
- Documents of the country of death and the consulate
- Preparation of the body
- Zinc-lined transport coffin
- Transport to your town
- Burial coffin free of charge
- No prepayment
What changes the total: the city and distance, the route (road or air), the country’s documents, preparation of the body. More about prices →
Summary. South Korea is very far away, so the journey home includes a flight: a plane to an airport in a country next to Ukraine and then our vehicle to your town. First the hospital issues the death certificate, and the police check the circumstances of a foreigner's death. We handle all the papers, the translations and the Embassy in parallel, and we work around the clock.
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 throughout
If it has just happened
- Call or write any time. We explain what to say. We contact hospital and police.
- Mention any insurance policy. We coordinate with the insurer.
- Name two cities. Where it happened. Where to bring the body. Enough for a price. The passport comes later.
What to do if someone has died in South Korea
It often happens to someone working there, studying or travelling, when the family knows neither Korean nor the local rules. You do not need to search for anyone yourselves. In Korea we organise everything on the spot ourselves, and XREQUIEM manages the whole case from start to finish. Call us at any time and we will tell you what to do first.
We listen and give you the price
We ask which city the body is in now and which documents already exist. At the same time we give you the amount to your town and fix it in the contract.
The death certificate
It is issued by the hospital (사망진단서). If the death happened outside a hospital, a doctor writes a post-mortem examination report (사체검안서). The English version has to be requested separately; we take care of that.
The police check
The death of a foreigner is checked by the local police, and meanwhile the body stays in the hospital morgue. If the death was not natural, the body is released only with the permission of the police and the prosecutor.
Registering the death
The death is registered at the local administrative office within a month of the day it became known. The hospital's certificate is attached to the report.
The Ukrainian side
We submit the documents to the Embassy of Ukraine in Seoul. There the death of a Ukrainian citizen is registered and the papers are certified for the border.
The body and the coffin
The body goes into a hermetic zinc coffin, which is sealed. If the airline requires embalming, we arrange it in advance.
We take the deceased home
By air to an airport in a country next to Ukraine, then by road in our vehicle. We hand the deceased over to the family wherever you tell us.
We work out your price
Call or leave your number.
Documents needed to bring the deceased home from South Korea
Here is what the papers are and who issues them. We confirm the exact list for your case on the spot, because it depends on the place and cause of death.
What South Korea issues
- Hospital death certificate (사망진단서) or post-mortem examination report (사체검안서). In Korean; the English version is issued on separate request.
- Report of death (사망신고서): filed at the local administrative office together with the certificate.
- Certificate of completed examination of the body (검시필증), if the death was not natural. The police issue it on the prosecutor's decision.
- Embalming certificate, if the body was embalmed, and a certificate that the coffin meets air transport rules.
- The carrier's documents: the air waybill for the coffin.
We go through these administrative steps on the family's behalf.
What we take on
- We obtain the certificate, the report of death and the other papers.
- We book the air transport and obtain the air waybill.
- We translate the documents into Ukrainian, certify them and submit them to the Embassy of Ukraine.
- We prepare the coffin as the Ukrainian border requires.
- We draw up the customs statement for the Ukrainian border and attach the documents to it.
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 draw it up.
While the body is in the hospital morgue, a storage fee is charged. It is paid when the body is collected, so it is best not to delay your call.
The general list of papers is on the Documents page. What to do in the first hours is on the page What to do if a loved one dies abroad.
The Embassy of Ukraine in South Korea
Ukraine's mission in South Korea is the Embassy in Seoul. Korean death documents are in Korean, so for the consul they are translated into Ukrainian and certified.
- Without the certificate of no prohibited items in the body and the coffin, issued by an authority of the country of death and certified by the Ukrainian consulate, the body will not be allowed across the Ukrainian border.
- How the consul registers the death, which papers are needed for the funeral allowance in Ukraine and whether a consular fee applies, we confirm before filing. The general rules for all countries are in the article below.
Usually you do not need to go to Seoul: we prepare and submit the documents to the Embassy. More in the article The Ukrainian consulate when someone dies abroad.
How we bring the deceased home from South Korea
South Korea is very far from Ukraine, so the journey can only be made with a flight. Planes are not flying to Ukraine at the moment, so the coffin flies to a country next to Ukraine, and from there our vehicle takes it on.
Where we collect from
We collect the deceased from Seoul, Busan, Incheon, Daegu, Daejeon, Gwangju, Ulsan and from any other city in South Korea: from a hospital, a morgue or any other place where the deceased is. Most often we fly from Incheon International Airport near Seoul; which airport suits your case depends on the city and the flight. Name the city, and we will give you the route and the amount.
Plane plus vehicle
Most often the plane flies to an airport in Poland. Sometimes a flight to Frankfurt is more convenient, and then the road leg is longer. There the coffin is met by our vehicle, which takes it to your town.
How the coffin travels by air
Airlines carry the coffin in the cargo hold of a passenger aircraft or on a cargo flight. We agree the documents with every country involved before booking, so that the coffin is not held up at an airport.
How long it takes
The journey itself from Asia takes from 72 hours after collection. Most of the time usually goes on the documents, the police check and booking the flight.
We do not promise direct flights to Ukraine. The Ukrainian border accepts a body only in a hermetic metal coffin under official seal. Ours is a coffin with a soldered zinc liner. Customs clearance is done on a written statement with documents, which we prepare. More on the Air transport page.
What to know about South Korea
A few rules of the country that affect timing and papers. Sources: the UK government guidance for families “What to do after a British person dies in South Korea”, the Korean Act on the Registration of Family Relationships (Article 84) and statistics from the British Cremation Society (checked in October 2026). The guidance is written for British families, so we confirm each point on the spot for your case.
- The police check every death of a foreigner. While the check is under way, the body stays in the hospital morgue. We stay in touch with the hospital and the police.
- A death that was not natural. In that case the body is released only with the permission of the police and the prosecutor. The police issue a certificate of completed examination of the body (검시필증), and without it the body cannot be collected. We obtain it.
- The morgue fee. A fee is charged for keeping the body in the hospital morgue and is paid when the body is collected. The faster the papers are ready, the smaller the amount.
- Registering the death within a month. Under Korean law the death must be registered within a month of the day it became known. The hospital certificate or the post-mortem examination report is attached to the report.
- The English version of the certificate. The hospital issues it only on separate request. We ask for it at once so as not to lose a day.
- Cremation is very common. According to statistics from the British Cremation Society, more than 90% of the dead in Korea have been cremated in recent years. So arranging a cremation there is straightforward if the family chooses an urn.
How much does it cost to bring the deceased home from South Korea in 2026?
Body from South Korea from €7,000The price covers the whole journey of the body home, air leg included, and is fixed in the contract. A funeral in Ukraine is priced separately.
What the price includes
The price includes:
- contact with hospital and morgue
- local, consular, border documents
- preparing the body for travel
- hermetic coffin, soldered zinc liner
- sealing as the border requires
- by air to an airport near Ukraine, then in our vehicle to your town
- handover to the family
Burial coffin: free of charge.
What can change the price
The city in Korea and the departure airport. The airline's fare on the date of travel. Whether there was a police check or an autopsy, and whether embalming is needed. The arrival airport (Poland or Frankfurt). The destination in Ukraine. Whether insurance covers part of the costs. We clarify all of this in the first conversation and give you the price straight away. Prices for other countries are on the Prices page.
Call us, day or night
Languages: Ukrainian, English, Polish, German. The same number in messengers.
Our work
Questions about repatriation from South Korea
How much does it cost to bring the deceased home from South Korea?
From €7,000 for the whole journey home. Everything the price includes is listed above, and we fix the price in the contract. What the price is made up of is explained in the article How much it costs to bring a body home to Ukraine from abroad.
How long does repatriation from South Korea take?
The journey itself takes from 72 hours. The papers take longer: the hospital certificate, the police check, the Embassy and the flight. We run them in parallel.
Why does the coffin not fly straight to Ukraine?
Planes are not flying to Ukraine at the moment. So the coffin flies to an airport in a neighbouring country, most often Poland, sometimes Frankfurt. There it is met by our vehicle.
Why is the body not released at once?
In Korea the police check the death of a foreigner. If the death was not natural, the body is released only with the permission of the police and the prosecutor, after the certificate of completed examination of the body is issued. We stay in touch with the authorities and will tell you when the body can be collected.
Who issues the death certificate in South Korea?
The hospital issues the certificate. If the death happened outside a hospital, a doctor writes a post-mortem examination report. With it, the death is registered at the local administrative office. The documents are in Korean, so for Ukraine they are translated and certified.
Is embalming needed?
It depends on the airline and the route: some carriers accept only embalmed bodies. So it is best to tell us about it at once. More about preparing the body.
Which documents do you need from the family?
The deceased's passport (or a photo of it), your passport, a document showing that you are related and a power of attorney for us. We take care of the Korean documents, the translations and the Embassy.
Do I have to fly to Korea?
In most cases, no. We gather the papers on the spot ourselves and keep you updated by phone or on Viber, WhatsApp or Telegram. If we need your signature in person, we will tell you in advance. More in the article If the family cannot travel abroad.
What kind of coffin is needed?
At the Ukrainian border, a hermetic metal coffin under official seal is required. It must also meet air transport rules, so we agree everything in advance. Which coffins exist is on the Coffins page.
Will insurance cover the transport?
Yes, if the policy provides for transporting the body. Photograph the policy and send it to us: we will check the terms and contact the insurer ourselves. Better not to pay for the transport yourself until the insurer has agreed, or the compensation may not be paid. More in the article Insurance and bringing a body home.
Can an urn with ashes be brought home from South Korea?
Yes. Transporting an urn costs from €2,500. Most people in Korea are cremated, so arranging a cremation there is straightforward. For the Ukrainian border an urn needs the death certificate and a certificate of no prohibited items certified by the consulate; it is also worth having the cremation certificate and telling the airline in advance. More on the Urn transport page.
Tell us what happened
Oleg Zdendiak and the team. We explain the next steps.
Send a request for repatriation from Turkey
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Thank you. We will call you back. For urgent matters, please call: +380 77 882 77 77.
Repatriation from other countries: Japan, Kazakhstan, Australia. All countries are on the countries page.