Home/Countries/Croatia
EuropeRepatriation to Croatia and repatriation to Germany
For burial in Croatia, the Croatian state requires a permit from its mission abroad – but not for an urn. Conversely, we receive enquiries from families whose relatives have died on holiday on the Croatian coast.
Rudolf Nordheimer and team – in German, Russian or English.
Croatia at a glance
- Transport route
- By road in a funeral transport vehicle via Austria and Slovenia
- Permit for Croatia
- Permission for transfer and burial from the Croatian embassy or a consulate general; not required for urns
- Certificates
- No apostille for civil status documents within the EU (Regulation (EU) 2016/1191); international extract of the death record available
- Agreements
- Croatia is party neither to the Berlin Agreement of 1937 nor to the Council of Europe Agreement of 1973; Germany has not ratified the latter in any case
- Representation in Germany
- Croatian Embassy in Berlin; consulates general in Düsseldorf, Frankfurt am Main, Hamburg, Munich and Stuttgart
- German mission in Croatia
- German Embassy in Zagreb, plus honorary consuls
Repatriation from Germany to Croatia
At the end of 2025, around 413,000 Croatian nationals were living in Germany. If a relative is to be buried in Croatia, the Croatian embassy or one of the consulates general issues a permit for the transfer and burial. The application can be made by the family or by the funeral home they have engaged. For families in North Rhine-Westphalia, the Consulate General in Düsseldorf is responsible; for Hesse, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland, the Consulate General in Frankfurt am Main.
The Croatian Ministry of Foreign Affairs lists, among other things: proof of Croatian citizenship (passport, identity card or Domovnica) or – if the deceased was not a Croatian citizen – a written statement from the cemetery in Croatia, as well as the death certificate with translation, the medical certificate of death, a certificate confirming the absence of infectious diseases, details of the receiving funeral home in Croatia and the place of burial, and the transport details. Under EU Regulation 2016/1191, an apostille on the German death certificate is not required.
The route runs by road via Austria and Slovenia to Croatia – to Zagreb, Slavonia, Istria or Dalmatia, depending on the destination. We compile the documents, submit the application to the competent consulate and agree the handover date with the funeral director at the destination.
- Permit from the Croatian consulatePermission for transfer and burial in Croatia
- Death certificate with translationGerman civil registry office; the multilingual EU form makes translation easier
- Medical certificate of deathplus a certificate that there was no infectious disease
- Body passportTransport permit from the competent German authority
- Proof of citizenship or cemetery statementPassport, identity card or Domovnica, or confirmation from the cemetery
Death on holiday in Croatia – repatriation to Germany
If someone dies in Croatia, the death is registered at the local civil registry office; this is usually done by the local funeral home. This requires, among other things, an ID document, details of the parents and marital status, and the home address. The death certificate (Smrtni list) is issued; on request, an international extract (Međunarodni smrtni list) with multilingual entries is available. The cause of death is not stated on the death certificate but in the death report from the hospital or pathologist (Izjava o smrti).
If the cause of death is unknown, sudden, unnatural or violent, an autopsy may be ordered. To export the body, the funeral director needs the death certificate, the release of the body by the competent forensic pathologist, the deceased's passport and further documents. Embalming is not mandatory in Croatia but can be requested – particularly for a repatriation.
First check whether there is travel insurance, international health insurance or a travel assistance policy, as some insurers organise the repatriation themselves. The German Embassy in Zagreb is the point of contact for German nationals in an emergency. On request, we take care of the collection in Croatia and the transfer all the way to the cemetery in Germany. The German civil registry office can subsequently register the death in Germany.
- Smrtni list / Međunarodni smrtni listCroatian death certificate, international multilingual version
- Izjava o smrtiDeath report with cause of death from the hospital or pathology department
- Release of the bodyPermission for transfer from the competent forensic pathologist
- Passport or identity cardof the deceased
Good to know: cremation only in Zagreb, and burial in Croatia
According to the British Foreign Office, cremations in Croatia are only possible in Zagreb. Anyone who dies on holiday in Dalmatia or Istria and is to be cremated must therefore first be transferred to Zagreb – or the cremation takes place in Germany after repatriation. Which option makes more sense depends on the place of death and the family's wishes; we calculate both routes.
During an autopsy in Croatia, small tissue samples may be taken without the family's consent; any organs removed are usually returned before release. Relatives do not usually receive the autopsy report automatically. For a burial in Croatia, we apply for the permit early so that the family, the parish and the cemetery can plan the date.
Urn transfer to Croatia
According to the Croatian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, no permit from a Croatian mission abroad is required to transfer an urn to Croatia; however, the urn must be accompanied by the cremation certificate. For transit through Croatia – for example on the way to Bosnia and Herzegovina or Montenegro – the permit of the destination country is sufficient. Anyone taking an urn from Croatia themselves needs the death certificate and the cremation certificate and, when travelling by air, should inform the airline in advance.
More about urn transferFixed price for repatriation to Croatia
Tell us where the deceased is now. We check what Croatia 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
- –
- Urgency
- Immediately
- Contact
- Phone call
Your enquiry goes directly to Rudolf Nordheimer. You will receive a written fixed price.
Frequently asked questions about Croatia
Your question isn’t here? Call us – we will answer right away.
All questionsDo you need a permit to repatriate the deceased to Croatia?
Yes, for a coffin the Croatian embassy or a consulate general issues a permit for transfer and burial. This requires, among other things, the death certificate with translation, medical certificates and details of the place of burial. No permit is needed for an urn.
Which Croatian consulate is responsible for me?
That depends on the federal state: there are Croatian consulates general in Düsseldorf, Frankfurt am Main, Hamburg, Munich and Stuttgart, plus the embassy in Berlin. Düsseldorf is responsible for North Rhine-Westphalia. We clarify which office is responsible for you.
What is the difference between the Smrtni list and the Međunarodni smrtni list?
The Smrtni list is the Croatian death certificate. The Međunarodni smrtni list is the international extract with multilingual entries, including English. For German authorities, the international version is usually more practical.
Can someone who died on holiday in Croatia be cremated there?
Yes, but according to the British Foreign Office there are crematoria only in Zagreb. If the death occurred on the coast, repatriation in a coffin to Germany with cremation here is often the simpler solution. We discuss both options with you.
Does the Croatian death certificate need to be authenticated in Germany?
An apostille is not required: under EU Regulation 2016/1191, civil status documents exchanged between EU states are exempt. With the certificate, the German civil registry office can subsequently register the death.
Sources: Ministarstvo vanjskih i europskih poslova RH: Transit permit for the remains of the deceased · German Federal Foreign Office: Croatian missions in Germany · German Embassy Zagreb · German Federal Foreign Office: Status list of the International Agreement on the Conveyance of Corpses (Berlin 1937) · Verdragenbank (Netherlands): Overeenkomst inzake het vervoer van lijken (Council of Europe 1973) – contracting parties · German Embassy Athens: Information sheet on the apostille (Regulation (EU) 2016/1191) · GOV.UK (FCDO): When someone dies in Croatia (February 2026) · Destatis: Foreign population by citizenship (as of 31.12.2025)
Information provided without guarantee, as of 10/2026. Requirements of authorities and airlines change; we check them for each case.
We are here for you now
Day and night, including weekends. One call is all it takes to get the repatriation under way.