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Repatriation of the deceased from Switzerland to Ukraine
from €3,300 including documents, the coffin and transport to your town in Ukraine. We will give you the exact price within 5 minutes.
Summary. Repatriating the deceased from Switzerland to Ukraine costs from €3,300 for the whole journey: documents, the coffin and transport to your town; the funeral in Ukraine is extra. In Switzerland the removal permit (Leichenpass) is issued by cantonal authorities, so the procedure depends on the canton. For the Ukrainian border you also need the death certificate with an apostille and a translation and a certificate that there are no prohibited items. We go by road through Austria or Germany 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.
How we work in Switzerland
Switzerland is not a member of the EU and has its own rules for transporting the deceased. The permit to take a body out of the country, the Leichenpass (body passport), is issued by cantonal authorities, not by a single national service. So the first thing we find out is in which canton the death occurred.
You call us
Tell us the canton, the town, where the body is now and who in the family we can reach. We give you the price straight away.
The medical certificate of death
Everything starts with the Ärztliche Todesbescheinigung.
A burial permit, if one is needed
If the death is unnatural or the cause is unclear, the canton requires this permit before it issues the Leichenpass.
Placing in the coffin and sealing
We draw up a report and confirm that the coffin contains only the remains of the person named and their personal belongings.
The Leichenpass
The cantonal permit to transport the body abroad.
The papers for the Ukrainian border
The death certificate with an apostille and a translation, plus a certificate that the coffin contains no prohibited items, legalised by the Ukrainian consulate.
The journey home
By road or with an air leg. Then we hand the deceased over to the family in Ukraine.
We work out your price
Call or leave your number.
Documents in Switzerland
To take a body out of Switzerland you need a permit, the Leichenpass. The procedure is different in every canton. Here is how it works in Aargau and Solothurn, as an example. We find out the rules of your canton on the first day.
Canton of Aargau
The Leichenpass is issued by the civil registry office (Zivilstandsamt) of the district where the person died.
Before that, we draw up a report of placing the body in the coffin and sealing it: the Einsargungs- und Versiegelungsprotokoll.
The permit is issued only when it has been shown that the body is correctly placed in the coffin and that the coffin contains only the remains of the person named in the document and their personal belongings.
Canton of Solothurn
The Leichenpass is also issued by civil registry offices. Only originals are needed:
- the medical certificate of death (Ärztliche Todesbescheinigung);
- a burial permit, if the death is unnatural or the cause is unclear;
- the deceased's passport;
- the residence permit (Ausländerausweis), if there was one.
Canton of Zurich
Official coffin sealing and the Leichenpass are handled by the Institute of Forensic Medicine of the University of Zurich (IRM). We book an appointment in advance, and the papers can be sent beforehand: a copy of the medical death certificate, an extract from the death register, an identity document with a photo, and details of the route and of any embalming.
As of 6 October 2026 the service costs 346.50 Swiss francs.
Basel-Stadt and Vaud
In Basel-Stadt the Leichenpass is issued by the Bestattungsbüro, and only against the original coffining and sealing report drawn up under that canton's rules, and we take care of this part; the fee is 35 francs (leaflet of 20 January 2026).
In Vaud the prefect of the district where the death occurred issues the permit, and the commune draws up the coffining report; the funeral service of Lausanne seals coffins and urns leaving for abroad.
What we need from you
- The deceased's passport and their Swiss residence permit, if you have them.
- Your passport and a document showing you are a relative.
- Your consent for us to act on behalf of the family. We do the rest.
What to do in the first hours is on the page What to do if a loved one dies abroad. The general list of papers is in the Documents section.
The Embassy of Ukraine in Switzerland
The Embassy of Ukraine in the Swiss Confederation is in Bern. It also covers Liechtenstein. There are honorary consulates in Fribourg and in Vaduz (Liechtenstein).
The Ukrainian office in Geneva is the permanent mission to the UN, not a consulate. Do not take documents for transporting a body there.
- The consul registers the death of a citizen of Ukraine and issues the first death certificate free of consular fees.
- The consul issues a certificate that you use to apply for the funeral allowance in Ukraine.
- The consulate legalises the certificate that the coffin contains no prohibited items, which Ukrainian law requires.
- After a death, consular help may be possible outside working hours, at weekends and on public holidays.
Before we apply, we check with the embassy in Bern which documents it will ask for in your particular case.
How we bring the deceased home from Switzerland
Switzerland is a party to the international agreements on the transfer of bodies. With a Leichenpass, a sealed coffin travels by air or by land without border inspection in the countries on its way. Ukraine is not a party to the Strasbourg Agreement, so at the Ukrainian border you also need the death certificate and the certificate that the coffin contains no prohibited items.
Where we collect from
We collect the deceased from Zurich, Geneva, Basel, Bern, Lausanne, Lugano, Lucerne and from any other town or mountain village in any canton: from a hospital, a morgue or from another place where the deceased is. The canton where the death occurred decides which office issues the Leichenpass.
By road
Our vehicle collects the sealed coffin in Switzerland and takes it to your town in Ukraine, through Austria or Germany and then through Hungary or Poland.
Plane and road
From the west of Switzerland, from Geneva or Lausanne, the road journey is the longest, so a plane makes more sense there. We do not promise direct flights to Ukraine: the plane flies to an airport near Ukraine (Warsaw, Rzeszów or Chișinău). The air leg takes from 2.5 hours, then the journey continues by road.
Journey time
The journey home takes from 24 hours after collection. The time depends on the canton and on how quickly the documents are issued.
At the Ukrainian border the body must be in a hermetic metal coffin, which is sealed. Customs clearance is done with a written statement, and we prepare it. More detail: Air transport and Road transport.
Urn with ashes from Switzerland
We collect the urn from a crematorium or a place of storage in any canton. It goes by road through Austria or Germany, or by plane, depending on the city and on your dates.
Each canton has its own rules and offices, so we find out the local papers for the urn in your canton.
At the Ukrainian border an urn needs the death certificate and a certificate that it holds no prohibited items. The authority of the country of death issues the certificate, and the Embassy of Ukraine in Bern legalises it. We prepare the customs statement, which has no fixed form.
Urn transport: from €700. Details are on the page “Urn transport”, and the customs side is in the article “Customs clearance of an urn with ashes”.
Price of repatriation from Switzerland
Body from Switzerland from €3,300What 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.
The “from” price is for the whole journey home. A funeral in Ukraine is a separate service. The total depends on the canton and the town, the choice of transport, the coffin and the number of documents. Call us and we will work it out as soon as we know the town. 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 Switzerland
How much does it cost to bring the deceased home from Switzerland?
From €3,300 for the whole journey home: documents, the Leichenpass, preparation of the body, the coffin for transport, the transport itself and the border formalities. A funeral in Ukraine is separate. All prices are on the Prices page.
How long does it take?
The journey home with the deceased takes from 24 hours after collection. If part of the journey is by plane, the air leg takes from 2.5 hours. What takes longest is waiting for the documents in the canton and for the papers for the Ukrainian border.
What is a Leichenpass?
A Leichenpass (body passport) is the Swiss permit to take a body abroad. It is issued by cantonal authorities: in Aargau and Solothurn, for example, by the civil registry office. With it, a sealed coffin travels by air or by land without border inspection in the countries on its way.
Why is it different in every canton?
In Switzerland the cantonal authorities are responsible for permits to transport bodies. So the office, the list of documents and the procedure may differ. You do not need to look into this yourself: we find out the rules of your canton.
Which documents do you need from the family?
The deceased's passport and their residence permit (Ausländerausweis), if you have them, plus your own passport and a document showing the family relationship. The canton of Solothurn, for example, accepts only originals. We will tell you how to pass them to us.
Do I need to travel to Switzerland?
In most cases, no. We draw up the report of placing the body in the coffin, and handle the other documents on your behalf. If an office requires a relative to be present in person, we will warn you in advance. What you can do from home is in the article If the family cannot travel abroad.
What kind of coffin is needed? Is embalming compulsory?
A hermetic coffin with a metal liner inside. Such a coffin suits both the Swiss rules and the Ukrainian border. Whether embalming is needed depends on the route and the carrier's requirements. Preparation of the body is already in the price. If embalming is needed, we will tell you in advance whether the price changes. More: Coffin and embalming for bringing a body to Ukraine.
What should I do about insurance?
Send us a photo of the policy first. We will read the terms and agree the transport with the insurer ourselves, so that the compensation is not lost. A policy often pays only as far as the border, and we will say in advance what is left for you to cover.
Do you also collect from Liechtenstein?
Yes. The Embassy of Ukraine in Switzerland also covers Liechtenstein, so call us. In Switzerland we collect from any canton and any town. More: Repatriation of the deceased from Liechtenstein to Ukraine.
Can you bring home an urn with ashes?
Yes. The Strasbourg Agreement does not apply to ashes. At the Ukrainian border an urn needs the death certificate and the certificate that it contains no prohibited items, and customs clearance is done with a written statement. Bringing home an urn costs from €700. More: Transport of an urn with ashes to Ukraine.
Tell us what happened
Oleg Zdendiak and the team. We explain the next steps.
Send a request for repatriation from Switzerland
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: Austria, Germany, France and Italy. All countries are on the countries page.