How to repatriate a deceased body from Russia to Mongolia
A citizen of Mongolia died on the territory of the Russian Federation – what to do?
Case # 1 – a deceased person had a certificate of insurance
Whether there is a certificate of insurance or not is a decisive factor in the posthumous repatriation of a deceased citizen. In most cases, it should be issued, as to obtain a visa to visit the territory of the Russian Federation is mandatory. According to the Russian migration legislation, all foreigners temporarily (which is defined as less than 183 days) staying in the country must obtain a valid health insurance card to do so. The latter is a guarantee that in case of death the relatives of the deceased will receive all the necessary assistance as soon as possible. Although, under the terms of the Agreement on the conditions of mutual travel currently in effect, citizens of Mongolia can enter the territory of Russia without issuing visa-related documents if their stay does not exceed 30 days in a row.
The certificate of insurance includes the costs of a basic set of medical services: emergency medical care, treatment of sudden illnesses or consequences of an accident, as well as repatriation to the homeland of the victim or his remains. In case of an insured event, the insurance company will undertake the payment and organization of treatment/transportation to the homeland of the deceased citizen. Therefore, upon learning about the death of your relative on Russian territory, it is necessary to inform the insurer about the incident as soon as possible.
Important! It should be noted that if, due to any reason, the cost of transporting the body of the deceased turns out to be higher than the sum insured specified in the contract, the difference will have to be paid by the relatives.
Case # 2 – if a deceased person had no certificate of insurance
In general, a situation where someone finds himself in the territory of a foreign state without a medical insurance card should be avoided by all means, as the document guarantees high-quality medical care and cover costs to return a deceased body home. If the accident occurred to be fatal, insurance will save relatives from significant expenses and bureaucratic ordeals in foreign instances. Last, but not least: the costs of transporting a body from Russia to Mongolia is can reach tens of thousands of USD. In the absence of insurance, the relatives of the deceased will have to pay these costs themselves.
Important! In case relatives do not possess sufficient funds to return the body of the deceased to their homeland, they can apply to the Mongolian Embassy for financial support. If the fact of financial insolvency is proven, the consulate will pay the cost of transporting the body of the deceased back home and burying him at the lowest affordable price.
Step 1 – contact the Consulate of Mongolia in Russia
Right after calling the insurance company (or in case the deceased has not been issued a health insurance card), the representative of the deceased should immediately contact the Mongolian consulate in Russia. You should not skip this step: the consular staff will provide you information about all the nuances and bureaucratic formalities associated with returning the body/remains of a citizen of Mongolia to the homeland. The consulate hereby will take over the interaction with the local authorities.
The consulate will provide material assistance to the poor families of deceased citizens and organize the repatriation and the funeral of the deceased if his relatives were not to be found. Detailed information on this can be found on the website of the Government of Mongolia at the link: https://www.legalinfo.mn
Step 2 – conclude a contract with a local funeral company
In the optimal case of events, repatriation of the deceased will be undertaken by the insurance company. But, if the deceased did not have a health insurance, then his relatives face a set of problems related mostly to paperwork, formal procedures necessary for transporting a dead body, etc. These bureaucratic ordeals can drag on for weeks.
For this reason, the Embassy of Mongolia recommends that citizens who find themselves in such a situation seeking the services of a local ritual company, because its specialists should be familiar with all the nuances of Russian funeral legislation, and their extensive experience will help them prepare everything for transporting the deceased to their home country as soon as possible.
Step 3 – choose a way to transport the body back to the home country
After the bulk of the initial paperwork is dealt with it is necessary to make a decision on the means by which the body will be repatriated back home. The deceased can be repatriated either in a coffin or in an urn, this will determine the cost of transportation.
There are several main ways to transport the remains of a deceased person: by plane, by train or by road. Air transportation is the fastest, most convenient, and reliable method of transportation, but also the most expensive. Transportation of the deceased by railway will save money, but it will take more time. The most economical solution for those who cannot afford plane or train tickets is a car, but it is not well suited for long distance transportation of the remains.
Step 4 – collect the documents
In order to transport the body/remains of a deceased citizen of Mongolia across the border, you will need to gather all the necessary documentation that will confirm the right to take out the so-called «cargo 200» from the country of the incident and its compliance with international transport standards. The exact list of documents is given below. Please note that all of them must be presented in two languages (Russian and Mongolian) and properly certified.
Documents confirming the citizenship of the deceased: passport, birth certificate, etc. In case of absence or loss of those documents in an accident, you should immediately contact the Embassy of Mongolia.
- Applicant's identification document.
- Stamped death certificate.
- A consular version of the death registration certificate.
- Permission for the transportation of the body/remains of the deceased from Russia to Mongolia. The first document is issued by Rospotrebnadzor, the second – at the consular section of the Mongolian Embassy in Russia.
- Cargo compiance documentation:
- Certificate of the absence of contagious diseases (from Rospotrebnadzor);
- Body sanitation and embalming certificate (from morgue or ritual company);
- Certificate of non-attachment of foreign objects to the coffin/urn (from morgue or ritual company);
- Certificate of airtight sealing of the coffin (from morgue or ritual company).
Body transportation regulations
A dead body is a very dangerous cargo that poses a threat to the health, and sometimes the life of other people. Therefore, its transportation requires certain precautions.
The coffin with the body of the deceased must have a zinc liner and be hermetically sealed/packed in a sealed zinc container. To prevent mechanical damage and leakage of the coffin from the outside, it must be protected by a wooden transport box. The regulations also state that urn with the ashes should not be shielded from X-rays. Also, the container with the body or urn with the ashes must not have extraneous attachments.
Ritual.ru – assistance in repatriation of a deceased to Mongolia
Vast experience, knowledge, resources, and status of the state funeral service allow Ritual.ru to quickly and efficiently organize posthumous repatriation from Russia to Mongolia. In order to arrange transportation of a deceased citizen of Mongolia, call the Ritual.ru call center at +7 (495) 100-3-100 .
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