PERMISSION FOR REPATRIATION OF A DECEASED BODY

 

Cremated remains

The best way to repatriate ashes is to take them personally. If that is not possible, we suggest to contact a funeral director to assist you, since most courier and postal services don’t repatriate ashes (or only under certain restrictions and guidelines).

There are no special requirements for the shipment of cremated remains into Hungary, however, the funeral urns must be sealed and the package containing the urn should be addressed to the recipient or to the cemetery. It is recommended that a copy of the certificate of death be enclosed with the shipment.

You can also transport ashes by air as cargo or travel with them on the plane as carry-on or checked-in baggage. No additional permits or licenses are required from the diplomatic or consular missions of Hungary, but we strongly advise you to contact the airlines in advance to clarify the possible requirements as each airline has its own policies when it comes to transporting cremated ashes. (Some airlines do require advance notice to accept ashes, others require special labelling of the urn and documentation such as the death and cremation certificates may be required.) Please note that usually the container holding the ashes must be made of scannable material to provide a clear view of the contents during security checks).

Non-cremated remains

The deceased must be placed in a double casket. The inner one must be firm and entirely airtight, and made of sheet metal (lead or zinc). Absorbent material, such as sawdust, must be placed on the bottom of the inner casket. The body must be soaked in a sublimate solution of 1% strength.

The casket must be packed in a wooden coffin, which may again be packed to be protected from eventual damage, or maybe covered with canvas or tarpaulin so that the nature of its contents is not revealed. Strong handles must be bolted on the outer packaging. The funeral director should provide a certificate attesting that the above procedure has been followed. Transporting objects or flowers with human remains is strongly prohibited.

In order to receive the permission of the Consulate for the transportation of the body of the deceased, the following documents are required:

  • Death Certificate (in Scotland: ’Extract of an entry in a register of deaths’)        
  • Certificate of the funeral director (containing information on the preparation of the body and the casket)
  • Letter of receipt issued by a cemetery in Hungary
  • Itinerary, means of transportation, name of the entry point into Hungary (also including departure, destination, license plate of the car, name of the driver/number of flight and name of airlines)
  • ‘Freedom from Infection Certificate’ (issued by attending doctors)
  • Furth of Scotland Certificate for Fiscal cases (issued by the Procurator Fiscal)
  • If the cause of death was COVID-19, an additional declaration from the transporting company is also requested.

The application may only be submitted in person. Appointments are required and can be scheduled online.  Once the application and all documents listed above are ready to submit, please book an appointment for "Certificate for repatriation of deceased"

The issuance of the permit is subject to a consular fee. Please note that we are a cashless office, card payment only!

Provided that the application is complete, the permit is issued right away.