Minimum package: death certificate with apostille or consular legalisation, non-contagious sanitary certificate, embalming certificate, zinc coffin sealing certificate, packing list, body export permit, customs declaration, air waybill or CMR, copy of the deceased's passport. Plus the applicant's passport and power of attorney. A total of 9-11 documents; exact composition depends on the country of death and airline requirements. We assemble the full package turnkey within 1-3 business days.

Without the death certificate no airline will accept cargo 200 and customs will not release the body. If death occurred under unclear circumstances an autopsy and coroner's report are required, taking 5-14 days. During that time the body is stored in the morgue — free for the first 3 days in some countries, paid thereafter. We prepare the remaining documents (sanitary, customs, translations) in parallel, so the body can be shipped immediately once the certificate is issued, without extra delay.

It depends on the country. If the country of death is a party to the 1961 Hague Convention (all EU, USA, Turkey, Israel, UAE, Russia, Kazakhstan), an apostille is sufficient — a simplified stamp obtained within 1-3 days at the Ministry of Justice or MFA. For non-Hague countries (Egypt, Vietnam, Libya, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, many African states) full consular legalisation is required via the MFA of the country of death plus the Belarusian consulate — 3-10 days. Belarus accepts both. We determine the correct route for each country.

Most documents we process remotely: the applicant in Belarus signs a notarised power of attorney for our representative in the country of death, and we collect the death certificate, apostille, sanitary certificate and customs papers on the ground. Physical presence of relatives abroad is not required, saving money on flights and valuable time. In rare cases (Saudi Arabia, Iran) the consulate requires the applicant's personal visit, but such countries are the minority.

Yes, mandatory. All foreign documents (death certificate, sanitary certificate, medical report, export permit) must be translated into Russian by a licensed translator in Belarus and notarised. Without this the Belarusian registry will not register the death or issue the state-format certificate, and the executive committee will not issue a burial permit. Translation takes 1 business day and costs 15-40 BYN per document. We include this service in the post-arrival package.

The repatriation applicant (usually the next of kin) pays. Apostille cost ranges from 10 to 80 EUR depending on the country: Poland about 15, Germany 25-40, Spain 40, UAE 55. Consular legalisation is more expensive: 80-250 EUR since it involves two stages (MFA plus Belarusian consulate). All these costs are included in the repatriation estimate and paid upfront together with transport services. We work on a fixed price and do not charge hidden commissions for legalisation.

After the coffin arrives in Minsk relatives receive originals of all foreign documents together with translations. First step — apply to the district civil registry at the place of burial to register the death and obtain the Belarusian state-format certificate. Second — file an application with the executive committee for a burial or cremation permit. Third — close the deceased's passport and insurance policy. Originals of foreign documents must be kept for at least 3 years for inheritance matters and potential legal disputes.

In Hague Convention countries without criminal circumstances the full document package is prepared in 1-3 business days: death certificate — 1 day, apostille — 1-2 days, sanitary certificate and customs papers in parallel. In countries requiring consular legalisation the timeline extends to 4-7 days. If an autopsy or judicial procedure is required, timelines reach 10-21 days. We work 24/7 without days off and accelerate the process through accredited partners at MFAs and embassies.