How to repatriate a body from Russia to Tajikistan

A citizen of Tajikistan died in Russia – what to do:

1. Contact the nearest Consulate General of Tajikistan

The consular section of the embassy will provide the widest possible assistance in case of death of Tajikistan citizen in Russia. The emergency mobile phone of the consular service of the Embassy of Tajikistan +7 (985) 740-0212.

If the deceased citizen of Tajikistan had a valid insurance policy, embassy staff will help you in contacting the insurance company so that it can begin to fulfill its obligations faster.

Consular sections of Tajikistan Embassy in Russian Federation are located in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Ufa, Yekaterinburg and Novosibirsk.

2. Notify the deceased person's insurance company

If for some reason you cannot contact the embassy urgently, do not hesitate to notify the insurance company by telephone on the number specified in the policy. 

To enter Russia, citizens of Tajikistan are required to have insurance covering the costs of post-mortem repatriation. Many citizens of Tajikistan, entering Russia, have invalid insurance policies. Please mind, that to obtain compensation for the cost of returning the body under such a policy is not possible. Repatriation of the body is a rather expensive procedure and we recommend to secure legally valid and binding insurance contract, which will cover the costs of return of the remains to the motherland in case of death of a citizen of Tajikistan in Russia. The insurance company will bear the expenses on returning the body home and participate in organizing the process of post mortem repatriation.

In the event of Tajikistan citizen’s death in Russia their family or representatives should not hesitate to notify the insurance company by telephone on the number specified in the policy. 

Choose a funeral director that will arrange transportation of the body to Tajikistan

The transportation of the remains back home can be arranged independently, but it is better to hire professionals for help. Collecting and executing of documents that meet all requirements of the Russian Federation is quite complicated and bureaucratized. A qualified funeral director will collect all necessary documents and arrange transportation in accordance with the customs and sanitary requirements. They will do it faster and help to avoid mistakes related to post-mortem repatriation arrangement.

If you choose to collect the documents and organize transportation of the remains independently, it may take up to 1-2 weeks.

A funeral director will do it within up to 3 business days.

What should not be done when transporting the body to Tajikistan

We recommend to arrange transportation of the remains only given you have a full package of correctly executed documents. Otherwise, this will lead to serious problems during the transportation or when crossing the border. Violation of the rules for transporting the body is fraught with heavy fines and even criminal prosecution.

Specifics of post-mortem repatriation to Tajikistan:

By order of the government of Tajikistan, the national airlines Tajik Air and Somon Air must deliver the coffin with the body from Russia to Tajikistan free of charge. You can transport the body without an attendant, but then cargo 200 will have to be met at the airport by a relative of the deceased person or a funeral home representative and the attendant must have a flight ticket. In some cases, the Tajik embassy may agree with the air carrier about a discount for an accompanying person. Some airlines have special rates for shipping remains and attending persons' tickets.

Air flight destinations:

• Dushanbe
• Khujand
• Kulyab

Who can provide financial aid for organizing the transportation of the body to Tajikistan

Currently there are no organizations that provide financial aid for organizing body repatriation to Tajikistan. But you can address the Tajik diasporas in Moscow or other cities in Russia for help. In each case, a decision on assistance will be carried out individually.

You can ask the Consulate General of the Republic of Tajikistan to provide a list of such organizations.

Assistance from the Tajikistan Embassy in post-mortem repatriation

In the event of the death of Tajikistan citizen, Embassy employees will:

1. provide up-to-date list of requirements and documents for the importation of the deceased;
2. advise on the rules for registering the death of a Tajik citizen abroad;
3. advise on the procedure for arranging the transportation of the body from Russia to Tajikistan;
4. send a request for financial aid to relevant organizations.
5. help to choose a funeral company
6. help to conclude an agreement on the free-of-charge transportation of cargo 200 with Tajik national airline;
7. help to agree with the Tajik national airlines on a discount on a ticket for an attendant accompanying cargo 200;
8. contact the relatives of the deceased in Tajikistan to arrange a meeting of the body at the airport;
9. help to contact the diaspora for help and organizing fundraising;
10. translate documents into Tajik (paid service);
11. certify documents, including the Apostille seal (paid service)

What Tajikistan embassy and consulates do not do:

• pay for the burial and post-mortem repatriation of a Usbekistan citizen;
• provide any legal advice.

Post-mortem repatriation: is it allowed to cremate a Muslim?

If the deceased person was a Muslim, then only the body can be transported. Islam does not approve of cremation:

"Breaking the bone of a dead person is similar (in sin) to breaking the bone of a living person," 
hadith Ahmad 24686

There may be situations where it is permissible or can be forgiven:

"Before your time, there was a man who did nothing good except believing that Allah is the only god. When the man was about to die, he told his family, 'When I died, take my body and burn it until it becomes like coal. Then grind it and scatter it in the air on a windy day.' When the man died, the family did what he had instructed them to do. Then God held man in the Lord's hand. God, the Almighty and Glorious, asked the man, 'Oh, son of Adam! What made you do what you did?' The man replied, 'Oh, Lord! Fear of you.' So God forgave the man because of this and the man had never done anything good except believing that Allah is the only god.", 
hadith Ahmad 8040

However, the practice of cremation is not common for Islam.

Repatriation of remains: if the deceased was not a Muslim

If the deceased was not a Muslim and is not to be buried in a Muslim cemetery, then there are no reasons against cremation.

Russia and Tajikistan allow exporting and importing of remains:

• The body in a sealed container;
• Cinerary urn.

Ashes shipment is always cheaper and easier to arrange.

To ship a body or an urn to Tajikistan you will need to:

• collect the documents;
• sign a shipping contract with the chosen air carrier;
• hand over the remains to the carrier for transportation (you are required to arrive at the airport 4-5 hours before departure)

List of documents for remains transportation from Russian Federation to Tajikistan

All documents required for the post-mortem repatriation must be translated into Tajik and certified by the Apostille. We recommend to clarify the exact list of documents at the consulate.

• You can collect the documents independently. It may take up to 1-2 weeks.
• A funeral home will do it within up to 3 business days.

Rules of remains importation into Tajikistan

• The body must be in a zinc container or coffin with a zinc liner, which is packed in a wooden transport box.
• When transporting ashes, the urn should be transparent to X-rays.
• The container with the body or the ashes must be sealed and have no unauthorized contents.

Choosing an airline to transport the remains to Tajikistan

In case you need to repatriate the body to Tajikistan, we to use the national airlines Tajik Air and Somon Air who are required to deliver the coffin with the body from Russia to Tajikistan free of charge. If necessary, you can choose another airline.

According to Russian Ministry of Transport decree 82 dated 28.06.2007, and ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization), the airline itself determines the body carriage rules.

The Russian airlines allow to carry the body or the ashes only in the luggage compartment.

Carriers from other countries may allow you to carry the ashes in your hand luggage.

Make sure that you check the details on the rules and applicable fares from the chosen airline representatives – this information may often not be publicly available.

The cost of remains transporting to Tajikistan

The cost depends on weight of remains, coffin & carrier rates.

It is always cheaper to ship ashes than a body.

Many airlines require an attendant on board the aircraft. This applies to both the body and the ashes. A relative of the deceased person or a funeral home representative can be such an attendant. The attendant must have a flight ticket. Some airlines have special rates for shipping remains and attending persons' tickets.

Make sure you check the rates at each specific airline.

Useful links

Gosuslugi

Russian Federation Public Services Portal. Here you can find how to get various documents required to arrange remains transportation.

Website: https://www.gosuslugi.ru

Rospotrebnadzor

Russian Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing

Address: Vadkovsky Pereulok, 18, building 5 & 7

Moscow, 127994

Phone: +7 (499) 973-26-90

Website: http://www.rospotrebnadzor.ru

Embassy of Tajikistan in Russia

Address: Granatny Lane, building 13

Moscow, 123001

Phone: + 7 (495) 690-4186

Fax: + 7 (495) 691-8998

E-mail: tajembmoscow@mfa.tj

Сайт: https://www.tajembassy.ru/

Website: http://www.uzembassy.ru/

Consular Section of Tajikistan Embassy in Russia

Address: Skaterny lane, building 19

Moscow, 123001

Phone: + 7 (495) 690-5736 | + 7 (495) 690-5281

Fax: + 7 (499) 230-0479

Working hours: Monday — Friday, 09.00 — 17.00, 14.00 — 18.00

Consular service operators answer calls by phone from 14:00 to 16:00

Cell phone: + 7 (985) 740-0212 (for emergency calls)

E-mail: consulate@tajembassy.ru

Consular sections of the Tajikistan Embassy in Russia

Link: https://www.tajembassy.ru/ru/

Link: https://www.tajembassy.ru/ru/

Consular Services of the Tajikistan Embassy in Russia

Link: https://www.tajembassy.ru/ru/

The Migration Service under the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan

Link:http://migration.tj/

РОО «НУР» (Diaspora of the peoples of the Pamirs)

Address: Ugreshskaya str., 2/33

Moscow, 115088

Phone: + 7 (495) 504-4180

Working hours: Monday—Friday, 09.00 — 18.00

E-mail: info@roonoor.ru

Website: roonoor.ru

Ritual.ru – will help you in the post-mortem repatriation to Tajikistan

With our vast experience, knowledge, resources, and status of the official state funeral service Ritual.ru can quickly arrange post-mortem repatriation to Tajikistan. To arrange shipping the deceased Tajikistan citizen back home call Ritual.ru hot line +7 (495) 100-3-100 .

See Also

• How To Bring The Body Of The Deceased Russian Citizen Back Home - procedure step by step
• Transportation of the deceased person's body from Russia to Israel
• Repatriation of the body from Russia to France