How to Repatriate a Body from Greece
How to Repatriate a Body from Greece
Repatriating remains from Greece to the US, UK, or Australia requires four specific documents, coordination between local and receiving funeral homes, and airline cargo booking. The process typically takes seven to ten days from death to departure, longer if a forensic autopsy is ordered. Here is the complete procedure.
The Four Required Documents
Greek health and transport authorities will not release remains for international shipment without all four:
Consular mortuary certificate — issued by your embassy after verifying the deceased's identity and passport. The US Embassy issues this through American Citizen Services; the British Consulate handles it through Consular Assistance.
Authenticated local death certificate — the blue-stamped Greek Death Certificate (Lixiarkhikí Práxi Thanátou) from the municipal Lixiarchio, with a certified translation and Apostille stamp for Hague Convention countries.
Funeral director affidavit — a formal declaration from the licensed Greek funeral home confirming that the casket contains only the remains of the named individual.
Transit permit from local health authorities — issued by the regional health directorate, authorizing the cross-border transport of human remains.
Preparation of Remains
Greek funeral directors handle the physical preparation. For international repatriation, the body must be embalmed and placed in a zinc-lined transit coffin that meets International Air Transport Association (IATA) standards. The zinc lining is hermetically sealed to prevent fluid leakage during transport, and the outer wooden casket must meet airline cargo specifications for weight and dimensions.
Standard airline freight allows remains up to 150 kg including the casket. Overweight shipments require special cargo arrangements and additional fees.
Realistic Costs
| Route | Typical Cost | What's Included |
|---|---|---|
| Greece to USA | €4,000–€4,500 | Embalming, zinc-lined transit coffin, sanitary permits, air freight up to 150 kg |
| Greece to UK | €4,000–€4,500 | Same as above |
| Greece to Australia | €5,000–€6,000 | Longer routing, additional transit documentation |
| From a remote island | Add €1,500–€2,000 | Ferry transport to Athens or Rhodes for autopsy and preparation |
| Cremated ashes only | €2,500–€2,800 (mainland) | Cremation at Ritsona, non-metallic urn, export customs clearance, air freight |
Island deaths add significant cost and time. Most small islands lack forensic pathologists and cold storage. The body must be transported via commercial ferry to Athens, Crete, or Rhodes for autopsy. During peak tourist season (June–September), high passenger volumes routinely add five to ten days and €1,500 or more.
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Cremation as an Alternative
If the family prefers cremation, Greece has exactly one operational crematorium, in Ritsona, Evia — approximately 80 km from Athens. The cremation fee itself is around €665, but total costs including transport, refrigeration, and documentation run €800–€1,600 from the mainland, or up to €2,500 from remote islands.
The funeral director must present either a written statement signed by the deceased during their lifetime, or a formal solemn declaration (Ypeúthyni Dílosi) signed by the closest next of kin confirming cremation was the deceased's explicit wish.
Shipping cremated ashes is significantly simpler and cheaper than full-body repatriation. Ashes travel in a non-metallic urn with export customs clearance, typically via air cargo or hand-carried by a family member (check airline policies).
Timeline: What to Expect
| Step | Typical Duration |
|---|---|
| Medical death report | 1–4 hours (hospital); 24–72 hours (autopsy) |
| Death registration at Lixiarchio | 1–2 business days |
| Consular Report of Death Abroad (CRDA) | 4–8 weeks for final document (interim letter available sooner) |
| Embalming and casket preparation | 1–2 days |
| Transit permit and health clearance | 2–3 days |
| Total from death to departure | 7–10 days (no autopsy); 2–4 weeks (with autopsy) |
If the public prosecutor orders a forensic autopsy, the complete autopsy report routinely takes months to finalize and is sent directly to the court, not the family. However, interim death certification is usually sufficient to proceed with repatriation while the full report is pending.
Coordinating Between Funeral Homes
Your Greek funeral director handles the departure side: embalming, transit coffin, Greek documentation, and airport cargo handoff. The receiving funeral home in your home country handles customs clearance, local transport, and final disposition. Establish direct contact between the two funeral directors early — miscommunication between them is the most common cause of delay.
Your travel or expat insurer may coordinate this entire process through their international assistance network. Contact them first if you have active coverage.
The Greece Expat Death Administration Guide includes a detailed repatriation logistics checklist covering all four required documents, cost estimates by corridor, and a coordination template for working with Greek and receiving funeral directors.
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