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AsiaRepatriation of the deceased to the Philippines and back to Germany
Anyone wishing to repatriate a relative to the Philippines needs a Consular Mortuary Certificate from the Philippine mission – with English-language documents. In the opposite direction, the Bureau of Quarantine and the local civil registry are the key authorities.
Rudolf Nordheimer and team – in German, Russian or English.
The Philippines at a glance
- Transport route
- Air freight; coffin as cargo in consultation with the airline, urn as cargo or in the luggage of an accompanying person
- Destination airports
- Depending on the place of burial, Manila or a regional airport such as Cebu; we agree the route and transfer with the airline
- Certificates
- No apostille in relations with Germany (German objection); on request of a German authority, Philippine PSA documents are verified by the German Embassy in Manila
- Agreements
- The Philippines is not a party to the Berlin Agreement of 1937 on the transport of corpses
- Representation in Germany
- Embassy in Berlin, Consulate General in Frankfurt am Main, honorary consulates in Pullach (Bavaria) and Stuttgart
From Germany to the Philippines: the Consular Mortuary Certificate
For every repatriation to the Philippines, the Philippine Embassy in Berlin or the Consulate General in Frankfurt am Main issues a Consular Mortuary Certificate. The mission only processes an application once all documents are complete; the scans are therefore sent in advance by email for review.
All documents must be in English or officially translated into English. The international versions of German civil status certificates are preferred. In addition to the death certificate and the medical certificate of death, the mission requires a certificate from the public health office (Gesundheitsamt) confirming that there was no infectious disease. For a coffin, a notarised certificate from the funeral director, the embalming certificate and the body passport (Leichenpass) are also required.
If the deceased was a Philippine national, the Report of Death is also required; if the death was reported late, an affidavit is additionally needed. We therefore only confirm flight details once the certificate has been issued. We submit the documents together, handle the translations and book the cargo space afterwards.
- Death certificate (international) and four Report of Death formsOriginal plus five copies; Report of Death only for Philippine nationals
- Medical certificate of deathstating the cause of death
- Certificate confirming the absence of infectious diseasese.g. from the public health office
- Embalming certificate and notarised funeral director's certificatefor coffin transport
- Body passportfrom the competent German authority
- Flight details and air waybillfor a coffin or unaccompanied urn
Death in the Philippines: repatriation to Germany
In the Philippines, a municipal health officer confirms the death. The death is registered within 30 days with the Local Civil Registrar of the place of death using the "Certificate of Death" form (Form No. 103). The certificates are issued in English. A certified copy from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) takes about one to two months in Metro Manila and two to three months in the provinces. If the cause of death of a foreign national is unclear, an autopsy is mandatory.
The result of an autopsy is usually available after two to three weeks; the body is released once the examination is complete. Important for planning: the PSA usually only issues the certified death certificate once hospital and funeral home bills have been paid. A police report is not mandatory for the repatriation, but can help with insurance matters.
For export, the Bureau of Quarantine issues a quarantine permit – at the main office in Manila's Port Area or at the nearest station. In addition, a municipal transfer permit (Municipal Transfer Permit), an embalming certificate and a fumigation certificate are required. The coffin must travel hermetically sealed in a fumigated wooden crate. As mortuaries are often not refrigerated, embalming is usually carried out immediately.
The contact on the German side is the embassy in Manila and, for the province of Cebu, also the honorary consulate in Cebu. German authorities do not recognise Philippine apostilles. If a civil registry office needs an authenticity check, it commissions the embassy; only PSA documents are verified, and the procedure usually takes several months.
- Certificate of Death (Form No. 103)registered with the Local Civil Registrar; the PSA version for German authorities
- Quarantine permit from the Bureau of QuarantinePrerequisite for shipment abroad
- Municipal Transfer Permitmunicipal permit for the transport
- Embalming and fumigation certificatefor the coffin and wooden crate
- Copy of the passportof the deceased
Good to know: farewell customs and particularities in the Philippines
In the Philippines, it is traditional for the deceased to lie in state at a wake until the burial. Families in Germany therefore often plan so that relatives in the Philippines have enough time for this farewell. Public grave plots are often only granted for five years; after that, the remains may be reinterred.
Crematoria exist mainly in Metro Manila and in some cities such as Cebu, Davao, Baguio and Bacolod. According to UK government information, a local cremation followed by an urn transfer can be prepared in two to three working days in straightforward cases. Bones can also be transferred after a reinterment; this additionally requires an exhumation certificate.
Urn transfer to the Philippines
For an urn travelling from Germany to the Philippines, the Philippine mission requires a notarised cremation certificate from the crematorium: it confirms that the cremation was carried out properly and that the hermetically sealed urn contains only the ashes of the deceased. If the urn travels with an accompanying person, their passport and flight details are submitted; otherwise the air waybill. For ashes travelling from the Philippines to Germany, the cremation certificate and the quarantine permit are required; whether the urn may be taken as hand luggage is decided by the airline.
More about urn transferFixed price for repatriation to the Philippines
Tell us where the deceased is now. We check what the Philippines 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 the Philippines
Your question isn’t here? Call us – we will answer right away.
All questionsWhat is a Consular Mortuary Certificate?
A certificate from the Philippine Embassy or the Consulate General in Frankfurt, without which no repatriation to the Philippines is possible. It requires complete, English-language documents.
Does the German death certificate need to be translated for the Philippines?
Yes, unless it is already bilingual. The Philippine Embassy requires English or an official English translation and prefers the international version of the death certificate.
Who issues the death certificate in the Philippines?
The death is registered with the Local Civil Registrar of the place of death using the Certificate of Death. For German authorities, the certified version from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) is what counts; depending on the region, it can take one to three months.
Is a Philippine apostille recognised in Germany?
No. Germany has objected to the Philippines' accession to the Apostille Convention. If necessary, the German Embassy in Manila verifies PSA documents at the request of a German authority.
What permit is needed to export a coffin from the Philippines?
Above all, the quarantine permit from the Bureau of Quarantine, the municipal transfer permit and the embalming and fumigation certificates. The coffin travels hermetically sealed in a fumigated wooden crate.
Sources: Philippine Embassy Berlin – Shipment of Remains/Urns to the Philippines · HCCH: Status table of the Apostille Convention (Philippines: objection noted) · German Federal Foreign Office – Philippine missions in Germany · German Federal Foreign Office – German missions in the Philippines · GOV.UK – Philippines bereavement guide · City Government of Tangub – Timely Registration of Death (Form No. 103)
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.