How to ship the body or ashes of the deceased from Russia to Germany
It is a myth that shipping a body or an urn to Germany is impossible
However this misbelief is widespread over the Internet. Whether it is just ignorance, or rather repatriation providers’ efforts to bid up is not quite clear, however it does not matter if fact. What is important:
- It is possible to ship a body from Russia to Germany;
- It is absolutely legal.
However, the rules for repatriating a body from the Russian Federation to the Federal Republic of Germany have certain particularities. Let us review the rules for shipping the body to Germany in detail.
Shipping the deceased to Germany: specifics
- Repatriation of a body to Germany may only be performed by a German funeral home licensed for shipping the remains and international operations.
In accordance with the German legislation, only a certified funeral home operating in the Federal Republic of Germany has a right to ship a body internationally.
International terms related to posthumous repatriation
In order to facilitate communication with the official authorities make sure you use the universally accepted procedure names. Frequently used terms for international body shipping are:
- Laissez-passer (for a corpse / urn / ashes)
- Repatriation of deceased
- Transport (transportation) of dead body / human remains
- Body repatriation
The accepted term for repatriation of the ashes is shipping cremains.
The terms related to repatriation of a body or the ashes used in documents at German embassies and consulates around the world:
- Laissez-passer for a corpse
- Certificate for shipping cremains
Shipping a Body to Germany
To arrange transportation of the body from the Russian Federation to Germany you’ll need the following:
- Certificate for shipping a coffin with a body – Laissez-Passer for a Corpse
-
To obtain this certificate, you have to contact the nearest German Embassy or Consulate General and submit
- Documents listed below;
- Arrangement with a certified German funeral home.
Documents for obtaining a certificate for shipping a coffin with a body to Germany from Russia
| # | Document | Where to get it |
| 1 | Duly apostilled translation of death certificate | Notarial office |
| 2 | Shipping permit | Municipal services office |
| 3 | Certificate confirming that the deceased person did not suffer from a contagious or infectious disease | Rospotrebnadzor (SES) |
| 4 | Passport of the deceased person, or its notarized copy | You can make a certified copy at any notary office. |
| 5 |
Fee for the issuance of the certificate (25 Euros) |
Embassy or Consulate General of Germany The fee is paid in rubles at the current rate |
According to the legislation of the Russian Federation, for obtaining a confirming that the deceased person did not suffer from a contagious or infectious disease, and body shipping permit, some additional documents have to be submitted. You can collect this document package by yourself, in which case it can take from 3 to 7 days or even more to have them issued and carry out all required communication with the Russian public services.
Documents for obtaining a Laissez-Passer for a Corpse from a German funeral home
- Certificate confirming that the Funeral Home has a valid license and may operate internationally;
- Embalming certificate;
- Confirmation on the use of a zinc coffin (sealing certificate);
- Confirmation of an available plot;
- Air Waybill.
Shipping of cremains to Germany
Shipping of remains in an urn to Germany is a much simpler than bringing a body in a coffin.
Repatriation of ashes requires permission from the German Embassy, Certificate for Shipping Cremains.
- The German funeral home does not need to be involved in transportation;
- The German funeral home must however be the recipient of the urn on its arrival in Germany.
Documents for shipping of a cinerary urn from Russia to Germany
To obtain a shipping certificate for the ashes at the Embassy, the following documents have to be submitted:
| # | Document | Where to get it |
| 1 | Duly apostilled translation of death certificate | Notarial office |
| 2 | Certificate that confirms cremation and no unauthorized contents inside the urn; | Crematorium where the body was cremated |
| 3 | Passport of the deceased person, or its notarized copy | You can make a certified copy at any notary office. |
| 4 |
Fee for the issuance of the certificate (25 Euros) |
Embassy or Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany The fee is paid in rubles at the current rate |
The details of urn shipment (by air, train, or road), reception, and subsequent burial have to be arranged with the German funeral home in advance.
Note! An important prerequisite is that the urn must not be shielded from X-rays. Otherwise the screening might cause problems, and the urn will fail to clear the customs.
The German Embassy reminds:
Although Embassies and Consulates of the Federal Republic of Germany issue documents required for shipping a body to Germany they do not provide assistance in collecting documents or arranging of either the transportation itself, or the burial. These procedures must be carried out independently or with the help from qualified funeral service professionals.
Useful contacts:
1. Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in the Russian Federation
Website: www.moskau.diplo.de
Social Networks:
facebook.com
twitter.com
instagram.com
Address:
Uliza Mosfilmowskaja
56 119285 Moscow
Russia
Telephone: (+7) 495 937 95 00
FAX: (+7) 499 783 08 75
Email: emb@mosk.diplo.de
2. Information portal about Germany deutschland.de
Website: https://www.deutschland.de/en
3. Information portal of the Russian Germans (Russian-German house in Moscow)
Website: https://rusdeutsch.ru/
Website: http://www.drh-moskau.ru/
Social Networks:
Address: 119435 Moscow, st. Malaya Pirogovskaya, 5
Telephone: (+7) 499 246 90 90
How to transport the deceased to Germany – Free consultation from Ritual.ru
Before you start arranging the body shipping to Germany from Russia we recommend that you get a free consultation at Ritual.ru on our hot line: +7 (495) 181-98-09.
Ritual.ru will help repatriate the body to Germany
With our long-term experience in providing repatriation services and Ritual.ru’s status of the state funeral service we can quickly and safely prepare the document package and ship the deceased person's body to Germany.
Call our 24x7 multichannel hot line +7 (495) 100-3-100 to make a contract for shipping to Germany.
What kind of help Ritual.ru offers in shipping a deceased person to Germany
- Provide shipping container, zinc coffin, funeral accessories;
- Seal transport container, issue certificate of coffin sealing and no unauthorized contents inside;
- Arrange transportation of the body to the morgue and have it prepared for repatriation (embalming, cosmetic treatment);
- Get a full package of documents required for transportation: papers from the morgue, SES, embassy / consulate, notary, air carrier, etc.;
- Arrange a hearse vehicle to take the body to the airport's cargo terminal;
- Hand over the shipping container to the cargo service and take care of the paperwork;
- Ritual.ru employee will escort the body and hand over the cargo and the documents to the recipient.
- Ritual.ru will help you choose a certified German funeral home and make a contract with them as quickly as possible;
- Ritual.ru will collect the document package required to obtain a Laissez-Passer for a Corpse at the German Embassy in the shortest possible time;
- Ritual.ru will help arrange body cremation in the Russian Federation: we’ll gather all the required documents, and also help you choose a suitable urn shipment as well as hand it over to you.
You can purchase a zinc coffin and funeral accessories in Moscow at Ritual.ru multifunctional funeral center (ritual items store) located at ul. Kasatkina, 11, p. 13.
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