How to Repatriate a Body from Czech Republic
How to Repatriate a Body from Czech Republic
Bringing a loved one's remains home from the Czech Republic involves coordinating between a local funeral home, the regional hygiene station, your embassy, and an international airline cargo department. The process is heavily regulated under the 1937 Berlin Convention on the Transportation of Corpses, and missing a single document can delay transit by weeks.
Step 1: Choose a Licensed Funeral Home
Your funeral home (pohřební služba) handles the physical preparation and most of the paperwork. Look for one with English-speaking staff — in Prague, several agencies specialize in international repatriation cases.
The funeral home will need Part B2 of the Death Examination Sheet and the deceased's passport to begin. Under Czech law, you have the absolute right to choose your own provider — emergency transport companies are legally prohibited from pressuring you into using their affiliated services.
Step 2: Get the Transit Permit
The Průvodní list pro přepravu lidských pozůstatků (transit permit for human remains) is the critical document. It is issued by the regional hygiene station (krajská hygienická stanice) that has jurisdiction over the place of death.
To obtain it, you need:
- The official Czech death certificate
- An embalming certificate
- A certificate confirming the death was not caused by a quarantinable infectious disease
Processing takes 1–3 business days. There is no fee beyond administrative costs.
Critical exception: If the death was caused by a highly infectious quarantinable disease, the hygiene station can override the family's wishes and mandate immediate cremation inside the Czech Republic.
Step 3: Prepare the Remains for Air Transport
International Air Transport Association (IATA) rules require:
- A hermetically sealed, zinc-lined casket with a carbon-filter pressure-release valve
- The zinc casket must be soldered shut
- The sealed casket placed inside a sturdy wooden transport outer crate
- A declaration of non-contraband accompanying the shipment
Your funeral home handles all of this. Preparation for shipment — including the specialized coffin, documentation, transit permits, and delivery to Prague Airport — costs approximately 30,000 CZK (around $1,250).
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Step 4: Book the Air Freight
International air freight for human remains runs approximately 42,000 CZK ($1,750) based on an average weight of 150 kg for the casket and shipping container. Not all airlines accept human remains cargo — your funeral home will know which carriers operate on your route.
A receiving funeral home in the destination country must be arranged to clear customs and take delivery.
Total Repatriation Costs
| Item | Estimated Cost |
|---|---|
| Embalming | ~30,000 CZK ($1,250) |
| Preparation for shipment (coffin, documents, airport delivery) | ~30,000 CZK ($1,250) |
| International air freight | ~42,000 CZK ($1,750) |
| Total (body repatriation) | ~102,000 CZK ($4,250) |
All-inclusive packages through specialized agencies — covering everything from pickup to arrival at the destination funeral home — run around 82,000 CZK ($3,430) for UK repatriation. US and Australian routes typically cost more due to distance.
Local Burial vs Repatriation
Local burial or cremation in the Czech Republic is substantially cheaper. A simple cremation without ceremony costs 15,000–30,000 CZK ($625–$1,250). A standard funeral with ceremony runs 30,000–40,000 CZK ($1,250–$1,666).
Czech cemeteries operate on a rental model — grave plots are leased for fixed periods (typically 10 years) rather than purchased permanently. If the rental is not renewed, the cemetery authority can exhume and cremate the remains.
Your Embassy's Role
Your embassy can issue a Consular Mortuary Certificate confirming compliance with the transit requirements of the receiving state. They can also help locate English-speaking funeral directors and provide lists of local attorneys if disputes arise.
The Someone Died in Czech Republic guide includes a complete contact directory for embassies, hygiene stations, and international funeral providers, along with template letters for each authority you need to contact.
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