Posthumous body repatriation from Russia to the Czech republic

A person cannot predict his death as it is always a sad and unexpected event. Sometimes it happens with family, in one's own bed, or, in a hospital. But it also happens that the person died, for example, on a business or tourist trip, or wished to be buried in the home country priorly.

In such cases, one has to resort to posthumous repatriation - the return of the body (or remains) to the home country. That can be a long and complicated process with many nuances to know about and questions to solve. Here are a few tips to help you organize the repatriation of the body of a Czech citizen in case of his death in Russia.

A Czech citizen died in Russia - step-by-step instructions

1. It is very important to report the death of a Czech citizen to the Consulate of the Czech Embassy without delay.

The Consulate will not provide financial support to families of deceased abroad, but can help you with some important issues:

• It has access to lists of Czech citizens, which means it can quickly establish the identity and citizenship of the deceased;
• It will contact the family and relatives of the deceased to inform them about his death;
• It will advise on all issues related to the repatriation of the body to the Czech Republic, inform you about the requirements, restrictions, and documents required;
• It will take the property of the deceased for safekeeping to transfer it to the family;
• Some of the documents required for repatriation are prepared at the consulate;
• The consulate will send a certified copy of the consular death certificate to the family of the deceased.

2. Contact your insurance company.

Alongside contacting the Consulate of the Czech Republic, you should contact the insurance company as soon as possible. All foreigners temporarily arriving in Russia are required to have a valid insurance policy. If a citizen of another country, including the Czech Republic, does not have this document, then the presence of this person on the territory of the Russian Federation is considered illegal. Insurance assures that a foreigner will receive the necessary assistance if he or she finds himself or herself in a difficult situation while away from the homeland.

If the insured dies, the insurance company will assume all financial and organizational obligations regarding the repatriation of the body to the home country or burial in another country. Representatives of the insurance company will inform in detail relatives or legal representatives of the deceased about the necessary procedures in this case.

3. Choose the method of transporting the remains of the deceased.

The remains can be transported in two ways: as a body in a galvanized coffin or an urn with ashes. Depending on the chosen method, the specifics of transportation and the package of documents are different.

Transporting a body in a coffin

Sometimes it is desirable to transport a body in its entirety because of aesthetic or religious beliefs. In this case, it is important to understand that a dead body is a dangerous cargo that poses a health hazard. To transport it, some protective measures must be taken. It is important to slow down the decomposition processes and the appearance of cadaveric odor. A hermetically sealed galvanized coffin or coffin with a zinc liner can be used for this purpose. In addition, the body can be embalmed. This procedure is optional, but it will make it much easier to bring the body into the Czech Republic. If for some reason embalming cannot be done, you need to get a document confirming that the deceased person has no infectious diseases at the consular morgue or a third-party funeral agency. Without this document, the unembalmed body cannot be brought into the Czech Republic.

Transportation of cremated remains

Transporting an urn with ashes is easier and safer than transporting a coffin with a body. However, even here the cargo must meet certain standards. First of all, the urn should be made of material that allows X-rays to pass through. This is necessary so that customs officials can verify that there are no extraneous objects in the urn.

4. Collect the necessary documents.

This step can be quite lengthy, so get started as early as possible. The package of required documents includes:

There may be changes in the list of documents. Due to the unstable epidemiological situation, additional documents may be required. It is best to check the complete list with the Consular Section of the Czech Embassy.

Phone number of the Czech Embassy Consular Department in Moscow: +7 (495) 276-07-15.

5. Choose an airline to transport the remains

According to the ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization), the rules and rates for the transportation of remains are set by the specific air carrier. This information probably cannot be found on the airline's website, so it is better to call a representative office. Most Russian airlines allow transportation of a coffin or an urn in the luggage compartment only and one should be prepared for that. Some European airlines allow transportation of an urn with ashes as hand luggage.

6. Meet the body upon arrival at the airport of destination

Organizing a burial in your home country is a lengthy process, so it is best to begin as early as possible. It is better if preparations for the funeral go together with body repatriation. You need to do many things: buy ritual items, choose a site where remains will be buried, prepare a funeral ceremony. In addition, transportation of the body from the airport to the place of farewell and burial should be arranged.

Ritual.ru - assistance in posthumous repatriation to the Czech Republic

Ritual.ru has many years of experience in conducting funerals of varying complexity and organizing posthumous repatriation to many countries around the world. Ritual.ru also has the status of a specialized city funeral service, which allows our specialists to prepare everything necessary for the repatriation of remains as quickly as possible. Call our multichannel phone number <!--askaron.include phone.php --> and you will get detailed and clear advice which will help you to organize such a difficult process as repatriation of remains of deceased Czech nationals to their homeland. The phone number is available 24 hours a day.

See Also

• Repatriation of deceased from Russia to Georgia
• Body repatriation insurance
• Repatriation of the body from Russia to Vietnam