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CIS and Eastern EuropeRepatriation to Belarus and repatriation to Germany
Because flight connections between the EU and Belarus are severely restricted, a coffin today almost always travels by road – via one of the few open border crossings from Poland, Lithuania or Latvia. We plan the route, papers and border formalities for you.
Rudolf Nordheimer and team – in German, Russian or English.
Belarus at a glance
- Transport route
- By road in a funeral transport vehicle; flights only limited, via third countries
- Border crossings
- Only certain crossings from Poland, Lithuania and Latvia are open, including Terespol–Brest (German Federal Foreign Office, as of October 2026)
- Certificates
- Apostille – Belarus is a party to the Hague Apostille Convention
- Agreements
- Neither the Berlin Agreement of 1937 nor the Council of Europe Agreement of 1973 applies between Germany and Belarus
- Representation in Germany
- Embassy in Berlin, Consulate General in Munich (Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg), honorary consulates in Cottbus and Hamburg
- German mission in Belarus
- German Embassy Minsk (body passport, urn certificate)
Repatriation of the deceased from Germany to Belarus
The European Council has advised airlines to avoid Belarusian airspace, and Belarusian aircraft are not permitted to land in the EU. Flight connections are only available to a limited extent via third countries. For repatriation in a coffin to Belarus we therefore travel by road. According to the German Federal Foreign Office, only certain crossings are currently open to passenger traffic, including Terespol–Brest and Bobrowniki–Berestovitsa on the Polish border; all crossings to Ukraine are closed (as of October 2026). Closures at short notice are possible, so we check the crossing on the day of departure.
Belarus is a member of the Eurasian Economic Union. For the import of a coffin or an urn, the Union's Customs Code (Art. 260) requires the death certificate or a medical certificate of death, together with a certificate from the funeral director confirming that the soldered zinc-lined coffin contains no foreign objects. We have the German death certificate apostilled; this is done by the authority of the federal state in which the certificate was issued.
The family in Belarus usually engages a local funeral director for the burial, for example the state funeral service. We hand over the coffin wherever the family wishes and agree the arrival time and paperwork in advance.
- German death certificate with apostilleApostille issued by the competent state authority, not by the embassy
- Body passportFrom the competent German authority at the place of death
- Soldering certificate for the zinc-lined coffinWith confirmation that it contains no foreign objects (EAEU customs)
- Passport of the deceasedOriginal or copy for the border and the authorities
Death in Belarus – repatriation to Germany
If a relative dies in Belarus, the Belarusian civil registry office issues the death certificate, which must then be apostilled. In addition, an epidemiological certificate is required stating that the cause of death was not an infectious disease and that there is no objection to the body leaving the country, as well as a certificate from a licensed funeral director confirming that the coffin has been soldered. The German Embassy in Minsk expressly advises against placing personal belongings in the coffin.
One particular point: a transit permit is required for a coffin to pass through Poland. It is issued by the consular section of the Polish Embassy in Minsk or by the Polish consulates in Brest or Grodno. This permit is not required for urns.
The German Embassy in Minsk issues the body passport (Leichenpass) or the urn certificate once all documents are available – these also include the relatives’ written instruction to a German funeral director and the order confirmation from the Belarusian funeral director. The embassy does not provide interpreters or escorts; it recommends a funeral director with Russian-speaking staff. We handle this coordination in Russian and German.
- Belarusian death certificate with apostilleFrom the civil registry office in Belarus
- Epidemiological certificateNo infectious disease, no objection to export (not required for urns)
- Polish transit permitFor coffins; from the Polish consular section in Minsk, Brest or Grodno
- Body passport or urn certificateFrom the German Embassy Minsk
Good to know: funeral customs and particularities in Belarus
Most families have an Orthodox background. Memorial services (panikhida) are held on the 9th and 40th day after death. Radaunica, the day of remembrance of the dead on the ninth day after Orthodox Easter, is a statutory public holiday in Belarus; on this day many families visit the graves.
Important for dual nationals: Belarus regards persons holding both Belarusian and German citizenship exclusively as Belarusian citizens. Relatives travelling to the funeral must in this case enter and leave the country on a Belarusian passport. According to the German Federal Foreign Office, German citizens can enter visa-free for up to 30 days until 31.12.2026 (as of October 2026); onward travel to Russia nevertheless requires a Russian visa.
Another particularity applies to the journey in the funeral transport vehicle: Russia and Belarus only accept their own blue motor insurance card, not the Green Card customary in the EU. If the coffin is to continue via Belarus to Russia, third-country nationals may only use six designated crossings on the Belarusian–Russian border. We take these points into account when planning the route.
Urn transfer to Belarus
An urn transfer to Belarus is considerably simpler than coffin transport: an urn needs no transit permit to pass through Poland, and no epidemiological certificate is required. For import, Eurasian Economic Union customs require the death certificate or the medical certificate of death. For an urn from Belarus to Germany, the German Embassy in Minsk issues an urn certificate; this requires the apostilled death certificate, the crematorium’s export certificate, the passport and the instruction to a German funeral director stating the address of the cemetery.
More about urn transferFixed price for repatriation to Belarus
Tell us where the deceased is now. We check what Belarus requires and send you a written fixed price – free of charge and without obligation.
- Free and without obligation
- Written fixed price, no extra charges later
- Your data stays with us
- Request
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- Urgency
- Immediately
- Contact
- Phone call
Your enquiry goes directly to Rudolf Nordheimer. You will receive a written fixed price.
Frequently asked questions about Belarus
Your question isn’t here? Call us – we will answer right away.
All questionsWhich border crossings into Belarus are open for a repatriation?
According to the German Federal Foreign Office (as of October 2026), the crossings open on the Polish border include Terespol–Brest, Kuźnica–Bruzgi (cars only) and Bobrowniki–Berestovitsa, plus two crossings to Lithuania and one to Latvia. Further closures are possible at any time. We check the crossing before departure.
Is a permit from Poland needed for a coffin from Belarus?
Yes. For a coffin to pass through Poland, a transit permit is required from the Polish consular section in Minsk or the consulates in Brest or Grodno. This does not apply to urns.
Does the Belarusian death certificate have to be apostilled?
Yes. The German Embassy in Minsk requires an apostilled death certificate for the body passport and the urn certificate. Germany and Belarus are both parties to the Hague Apostille Convention.
Does the German Embassy in Minsk provide an interpreter in the event of a death?
No. The embassy issues the body passport and urn certificate but does not provide interpreters or escorts. It recommends engaging a funeral director with Russian-speaking staff.
Can a dual national with a German passport travel to Belarus for the funeral?
Belarus treats dual nationals exclusively as Belarusian citizens; entry and exit must be made on a valid Belarusian passport. Consular protection by the German Embassy may then be refused.
Sources: German Embassy Minsk: Death · German Federal Foreign Office: Belarus – travel and safety advice (as of 08.10.2026) · German Federal Foreign Office: Missions of Belarus in Germany · Consular Department of the Russian MFA: Art. 260 EAEU Customs Code – coffins and urns across the customs border · HCCH: Status table Apostille Convention · German Federal Foreign Office: Status list of the 1937 Berlin Agreement on the transport of corpses · Wikipedia: Public holidays in Belarus (Radaunica) · Wikipedia: Panikhida (Orthodox memorial days)
Information provided without guarantee, as of 10/2026. Requirements of authorities and airlines change; we check them for each case.
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Day and night, including weekends. One call is all it takes to get the repatriation under way.