Home/Countries/Poland
EuropeRepatriation of the deceased to Poland and back to Germany
Anyone wishing to repatriate a deceased person to Poland needs two Polish documents before departure: the permit from the authority at the place of burial and a certificate from the Polish consulate in Germany. We coordinate both and drive the route in the funeral transport vehicle – working with partner funeral directors in Poland.
Rudolf Nordheimer and team – in German, Russian or English.
Poland at a glance
- Transport route
- By road, in a funeral transport vehicle; e.g. Berlin–Warsaw about 570 km, Cologne–Warsaw about 1,100 km
- Polish permits
- Pozwolenie from the Starosta or city mayor at the place of burial + consular certificate (zaświadczenie konsula)
- Certificates
- No apostille: EU Regulation 2016/1191; multilingual CIEC death certificate recommended
- Agreements
- Neither the Berlin Agreement of 1937 nor the Council of Europe Agreement of 1973; both states are parties to CIEC Convention No. 16
- Representation in Germany
- Embassy in Berlin, Consulates General in Hamburg, Cologne, Munich
- Local partners
- Partner funeral directors in Poland
From Germany to Poland: procedure and permits
For every repatriation from abroad, Poland requires a permit from the Polish authority in whose district the burial is to take place: the Starosta (district head) or the Prezydent miasta (city mayor). The application can be made by relatives or by an appointed funeral director. According to the Polish government portal, a decision should normally be made within three days. The legal basis is the Polish Act on Cemeteries and the Burial of the Dead of 1959 (ustawa o cmentarzach i chowaniu zmarłych) and its implementing regulations.
With this permit, the competent Polish consulate in Germany issues the certificate for bringing in the remains (zaświadczenie na sprowadzenie zwłok lub prochów). The responsible mission is the one whose consular district includes the place of death: the embassy in Berlin or the Consulates General in Hamburg, Cologne or Munich. Originals must be presented. According to the consulate, German documents do not need to be translated into Polish for this. According to the consulate, the certificate is usually issued immediately, at the latest within three days.
The journey is by road. Berlin to Warsaw is about 570 kilometres, Cologne about 1,100 kilometres. Poland and Germany are both in the Schengen Area. Nevertheless, there may at times be checks at the German-Polish border. All originals therefore travel in the vehicle. On site, our partner funeral director in Poland can, on request, coordinate with the cemetery and the parish.
- Pozwolenie starosty / prezydenta miastaPermit from the Polish authority at the future place of burial
- Zaświadczenie konsulaCertificate from the competent Polish consulate in Germany, issued on the basis of the permit
- Death certificateGerman death certificate or extract from the register of deaths, in the original; multilingual version recommended
- Body passportPermit to transport the body, issued by the German local public order office
- Power of attorneyIn the original, if the funeral director submits the application to the consulate
Death in Poland: repatriation to Germany
If a relative dies in Poland, the doctor issues the medical certificate of death (karta zgonu). The local civil registry office (Urząd Stanu Cywilnego, USC for short) registers the death and issues the death certificate (akt zgonu). The German Embassy in Warsaw advises applying for a certificate on the international, multilingual form. It can be used in Germany without translation. Subsequent registration with the German civil registry office is then usually not necessary.
Transport to Germany requires the consent of the locally responsible health authority, Sanepid (Państwowy Powiatowy Inspektor Sanitarny). Usually the death certificate, the karta zgonu and a confirmation from the German municipality or cemetery administration that it will accept the deceased are submitted. After an accident, a release from the public prosecutor (prokuratura) may be required. According to the embassy, a body passport (Leichenpass) from the German mission is usually not needed; the Polish documents are generally sufficient.
The German Embassy in Warsaw, the Consulates General in Wrocław, Kraków and Gdańsk and the consulate in Opole can help if a German body passport is nevertheless required in an individual case. We arrange appointments with Sanepid, collect the deceased with our partner in Poland and bring them to the funeral director or cemetery in Germany.
- Akt zgonu (death certificate)From the Urząd Stanu Cywilnego, preferably on the international form
- Karta zgonuMedical certificate of death stating the cause of death
- Sanepid consentHealth authority permit for transport to Germany
- Release by the prokuraturaOnly in the event of an accident or unexplained cause of death
- Confirmation of acceptanceConfirmation from the German municipality or cemetery administration
Good to know: funeral customs and particularities in Poland
In Poland, the Catholic Church shapes many funerals. Families often wish for a requiem Mass in their home parish and a burial in the family grave. All Saints' Day (Wszystkich Świętych) on 1 November is a public holiday. Many families visit their relatives' graves then, including from Germany. Anyone planning a repatriation shortly before this date should expect busy roads and high demand for cemetery appointments.
According to Destatis, around 840,000 Polish nationals were living in Germany at the end of 2025, plus many Germans with Polish roots. Many wish to be buried in their place of origin. Important: the permit is granted by the Starosta at the place of burial, not at the last place of residence in Poland. If the cemetery has not yet been decided, the whole procedure is delayed. If the deceased died of certain infectious diseases, Polish law in some cases only permits repatriation after two years.
Urn transfer to Poland
For an urn, too, Poland requires the permit from the Starosta at the place of interment and the certificate from the Polish consulate. Instead of the body passport, you present the cremation certificate from the German crematorium to the consulate. According to Polish consulates, the urn may be transported by any dignified means of transport, for example in your own car or in hand luggage. For flights, the airline's rules also apply. We obtain the documents and either hand the urn over to you with complete paperwork or bring it ourselves to the family or the cemetery in Poland.
More about urn transferFixed price for repatriation to Poland
Tell us where the deceased is now. We check what Poland 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 Poland
Your question isn’t here? Call us – we will answer right away.
All questionsWho grants the permit for repatriation to Poland?
The Starosta or the city mayor (Prezydent miasta) at the place of the planned burial. With this permit, the competent Polish consulate in Germany issues the import certificate. The application can be made by relatives or the appointed funeral director.
Which Polish consulate is responsible for my case?
The responsible mission is the one whose consular district includes the place of death in Germany: the embassy in Berlin or the Consulates General in Hamburg, Cologne or Munich. We submit the application there on your behalf if you give us power of attorney.
Do German documents need to be translated or apostilled for Poland?
According to the Polish consulate, no translation is required for the consular certificate. Under EU Regulation 2016/1191, an apostille is not needed for death certificates between EU states. For later dealings with authorities in Poland, we recommend the multilingual death certificate.
My father died on holiday in Poland. How will he be brought to Germany?
The civil registry office (USC) issues the death certificate and the health authority Sanepid approves the transport. A German body passport is usually not required. We organise the collection with our partner in Poland and the journey to the cemetery in Germany.
May I take the urn to Poland myself by car?
In principle, yes. This also requires the Starosta's permit and the certificate from the Polish consulate. Carry these, together with the death certificate and cremation certificate, in the original – especially for possible border checks.
Sources: Polish Embassy Berlin (gov.pl): Zaświadczenie na sprowadzenie zwłok lub prochów do kraju · powroty.gov.pl: Sprowadzanie ciała osoby zmarłej poza granicami kraju · Polish Consulate Dublin (gov.pl): Sprowadzenie do Polski prochów · German Embassy Warsaw: Zgony i przewóz zwłok z Polski do Niemiec · German Federal Foreign Office: Polish missions in Germany · CIEC: Convention No. 16 (multilingual extracts), status list · Destatis: Foreign population by nationality
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.