Air transport of the deceased to Ukraine
From distant countries, the deceased is usually flown part of the way. The air leg takes from 2.5 hours, and the whole journey home to Ukraine from 24 hours after collection. We take care of the documents, the coffin, the arrangements with the airline and the road journey from the airport to your town.
We will give you the exact price within 5 minutes. Call us, or message us on Viber, WhatsApp or Telegram.
How the body travels home by air
Airlines carry the body in the cargo hold, on either a passenger flight or a cargo flight. The body does not travel in the cabin, and no separate ticket is bought for it.
The plane lands at an airport near Ukraine: Warsaw, Rzeszów or Chișinău. From there our vehicle takes the body across the border to your town. This last part of the journey is always by road.
For the family, it is simple. You call us, and we tell you the price and the route. After that, we tell you every day where the documents are and when the flight leaves. You do not have to travel abroad.
When families choose air transport
Flying is not always the best option. From Poland, Czechia or Slovakia, the road is often faster and cheaper than going through an airport. We recommend whichever route is faster and cheaper in your case.
- The country is far away: Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, Ireland, France or a Scandinavian country.
- The journey by road is very long or crosses several borders.
- The family needs the funeral to take place by a certain date.
- The death occurred outside Europe. Then a flight is usually the only sensible option.
- The insurer approves air transport specifically.
A combined route is also possible: by road to a convenient airport, then a flight to a major airport near Ukraine, then by road again. We will compare the options and tell you what each one costs.
We work out your price
Call or leave your number.
What we do, step by step
The first call
We ask in which country and city the death occurred, where the deceased is now and where in Ukraine they should be taken. We tell you the price and the route.
Documents in the country of death
We help you obtain the death certificate, the permit to take the body out of the country and any other certificates that local law requires. We order translations and the apostille where they are needed.
The Ukrainian consulate
We submit the documents so that the Ukrainian consulate legalises the certificate that the coffin contains no prohibited items. Without it, the body will not be allowed across the Ukrainian border.
Preparing the body and the coffin
We arrange embalming if the country or the airline requires it, and a hermetically sealed coffin with a metal liner.
Arrangements with the airline
Before booking, we agree the documents with the country of departure and the country of arrival. Then we book space in the cargo hold.
The flight and the arrival
We bring the coffin to the departure airport. At the arrival airport, our vehicle is waiting to receive it.
The border and the road home
We complete customs clearance at the Ukrainian border and hand the deceased over to the family at home, at a church, in a farewell hall or at the cemetery.
Documents for air transport
There is no single international list of documents for carrying a body by air. Each country has its own rules, and the airline may add its own. So we draw up the list for the specific country and the specific flight.
What is usually needed
- The death certificate issued in the country of death.
- A document that allows the body to be taken out of the country. In some countries a local authority issues it; in others it is a pass for the body (laissez-passer).
- An embalming certificate, if the body was embalmed.
- A certificate that there are no prohibited items in the body or the coffin, legalised by the Ukrainian consulate.
- The deceased's passport. The identity of the deceased is always established officially.
- A certified translation, if the country or the airline requires one.
What the family provides
- A photo or scan of the deceased's passport.
- Your own passport.
- Documents that show you are related to the deceased, if the local authority or the consulate asks for them.
- The address in Ukraine where the body should be taken.
We collect everything else. Often you do not have to hand in the originals in person: we will tell you how to send them.
Many European countries issue a special pass for the body, the laissez-passer. On its own, it is not enough for Ukraine. Our border needs its own documents as well: the death certificate and the certificate of no prohibited items, legalised by the Ukrainian consulate. We prepare them. More on the page “Arranging the documents”.
A coffin for air transport
An ordinary wooden coffin is not suitable for air transport. The coffin has to be hermetic: wooden on the outside, with a soldered metal liner inside. Ukrainian law requires this: a body may cross the Ukrainian border only in a hermetic metal coffin that is put under official seal. For a flight, the country of departure often adds requirements of its own:
- For a flight, the coffin must have a valve that equalises the pressure, or be strong enough.
- In France, air transport requires a hermetic coffin with a metal casing.
- In Denmark, the body is embalmed for air transport and a separate certificate is issued.
- In Croatia, a flight requires a hermetic metal coffin placed inside a wooden one.
Some airlines accept only embalmed bodies. After our first conversation, we will tell you whether embalming is needed in your case. For how coffins and liners are made, see the page “Coffins and sealed metal liners”.
Where we most often fly from
All prices are “from” prices for the whole journey home. What the price includes is set out further down this page. We will give you the exact amount when we speak.
Denmark from €2,800 Exact price →
Italy from €3,000 Exact price →
France from €3,000 Exact price →
Netherlands from €3,000 Exact price →
United Kingdom from €3,300 Exact price →
Switzerland from €3,300 Exact price →
Spain from €3,500 Exact price →
Ireland from €3,500 Exact price →
Other countries, including outside Europe Get a price
An urn with ashes by air
An urn with ashes is easier to transport than a coffin. It usually does not need a separate booking, but before the flight you should check with the airline whether it goes in hand luggage or in the hold. The urn goes through X-ray screening, so it is packed to keep it from breaking.
At the Ukrainian border, an urn needs the same documents as a coffin: the death certificate and the certificate of no prohibited items. Transporting an urn to Ukraine costs from €100, depending on the country. More on the Urn transport page, and on customs and flying with an urn in the article Customs clearance of an urn with ashes.
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.
The price can change depending on the city we collect the body from, the airline's requirements and the days when offices in the country of death are closed. A funeral in Ukraine is a separate service and is priced separately. We will tell you about all of this before we start.
Questions about air transport
How much does it cost to transport a body by air?
The price depends on the country, the city, the airline and the documents the country of death requires. Our “from” prices for the whole journey home are on the Prices page. We will give you the exact amount for your case when we speak: call us or message us on Viber, WhatsApp or Telegram.
How long does air transport take?
Timings depend on the route: the air leg takes from 2.5 hours, and the body's journey home to Ukraine takes from 24 hours after collection. The documents are agreed with the airline and the countries before booking, and that often takes longer than the flight itself. Overall timings are on the Body repatriation page.
Are there direct flights to Ukraine?
We do not promise direct flights to Ukraine. The flight ends at a nearby airport, and our vehicle carries the body onward.
Can the family travel on the same flight?
Yes. You can buy a ticket for yourself on the same flight as an ordinary passenger. The coffin travels separately, in the cargo hold. From the arrival airport, you can drive behind our vehicle in your own car or travel separately, whichever suits you.
Is embalming required?
It depends on the country and the airline. Some airlines accept only embalmed bodies, and in Denmark, for example, embalming is required specifically for air transport. We will check the requirements before booking and tell you in advance. More on the Preparing the body page.
Can there be connections and transit through other countries?
Yes, when there is no direct flight from the city of death to an airport near Ukraine. Then we take the type of aircraft into account and agree the transport not only with the countries of departure and destination but also with the transit country. We agree a route with a connection in advance and tell you what it is before the flight.
Do I have to travel abroad?
Usually not. Documents can be signed and sent remotely, and we deal with the consulate and the local offices ourselves. If a relative has to be present in a particular country, we will tell you straight away.
Does insurance cover air transport?
It may, if the policy includes transport of the body. Send us a photo of the policy: we will check the terms and deal with the insurer ourselves. Often a policy pays only as far as the border. We will tell you in advance about anything it does not cover.
The death occurred outside Europe. Can you help?
Yes. From distant countries, the body is almost always flown to a major airport near Ukraine, and then our vehicle takes over. We will tell you the price and the route for that country when we speak. More on the page Repatriation from other countries.
Tell us what happened
Oleg Zdendiak and the team. We explain the next steps.
Send a request for air transport
Tell us the country and the city where the body is now. We will call you back.
Thank you. We will call you back. For urgent matters, please call: +380 77 882 77 77.