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AsiaRepatriation to Vietnam and repatriation to Germany
Repatriation to Vietnam requires an entry permit from the Vietnamese embassy – and, before that, the consent of the People's Committee in the home town. We guide families in Germany through both steps and also organise repatriation if someone has died in Vietnam.
Rudolf Nordheimer and team – in German, Russian or English.
Vietnam at a glance
- Transport route
- Air freight; a coffin may only travel as cargo, while an urn may also travel in hand or checked baggage with Vietnam Airlines
- Flight connection
- Depending on the flight schedule, non-stop or with a connection to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City
- Destination airports
- Hanoi (HAN) for the north, Ho Chi Minh City (SGN) for the south
- Certificates
- Legalisation: Vietnam's accession to the Apostille Convention has applied since 11.09.2026, but to our knowledge not in relation to Germany due to a German objection
- Agreements
- Vietnam is not a party to the Berlin Agreement of 1937 on the transport of corpses
- Representation in Germany
- Embassy in Berlin (nationwide), Consulate General in Frankfurt am Main (for NRW, Hesse, Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, among others)
From Germany to Vietnam: entry permit and home community
According to the German Federal Foreign Office, more than 200,000 Vietnamese people live in Germany. If a family member is to be buried in their homeland, Vietnam requires an entry permit for the body, the bones or the ashes (Giấy phép nhập cảnh thi hài, hài cốt, tro cốt). It is applied for at the Vietnamese mission.
The most important step takes place in Vietnam itself: a relative there has form 02/NG-LS confirmed by the People's Committee (Ủy ban nhân dân) of the commune, the urban ward or the cemetery administration. Only with this consent, application 01/NG-LS, copies of ID documents, the death certificate, a flight booking and – for a coffin – an official health and quarantine certificate from Germany is the application complete. Those entitled to apply are mainly Vietnamese nationals and overseas Vietnamese with close relatives in Vietnam.
At the same time, we apply for the death certificate and body passport (Leichenpass) in Germany and book the cargo space. Depending on the flight schedule, there are non-stop or connecting flights to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. To our knowledge, German documents still require consular legalisation for Vietnamese authorities, because Germany has objected to Vietnam's accession to the Apostille Convention; we clarify the current procedure with the mission in advance.
- Application 01/NG-LSApplication for an entry permit at the Vietnamese mission
- Form 02/NG-LS with consentconfirmed by the People's Committee or the cemetery administration at the place of burial
- German death certificatefrom the civil registry office; legalised for Vietnamese authorities
- Health and quarantine certificatefrom the competent German authority, required for coffin transport
- Cremation certificateinstead of the quarantine certificate if an urn is transferred
- Flight bookingProof of booked transport to Vietnam
Death in Vietnam: repatriation to Germany
If a relative dies in Vietnam, the police decide whether an autopsy is necessary – especially if the cause of death is unclear, sudden or violent. The death is registered by the People's Committee of the urban ward (Ủy ban nhân dân phường); this is usually handled by a local funeral home. The death certificate (Giấy chứng tử) is in Vietnamese, takes about a week – longer around holidays such as Tết – and does not state the cause of death.
Export requires permission from the quarantine, customs and immigration authorities. Documents to be submitted include the death certificate, the passport, an international medical quarantine certificate and a certificate of preservation of the body. As a rule, hospitals embalm the deceased. The local formalities usually take about a week.
On the German side, the embassy in Hanoi is responsible for the north down to Huế, and the Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City for the south and the central provinces including Đà Nẵng. Vietnamese documents for German authorities are first pre-certified by the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and then legalised by the German mission.
- Giấy chứng tửVietnamese death certificate from the People's Committee, without the cause of death
- Medical certificate of death or autopsy reportBasis for registration
- International medical quarantine certificatefor the export of the coffin
- Certificate of preservationconfirms embalming for air transport
- Passport of the deceasedrequired for the export permit
Good to know: burial and particularities in Vietnam
For many Vietnamese families, burial in their home town has special significance. That is precisely why Vietnam makes the entry of a coffin or urn conditional on the consent of the local community or cemetery there. Allow time for this step and clarify early on who will obtain the signature in Vietnam.
The family is free to decide whether to transfer the coffin or, after cremation, the urn. In the event of a death in Vietnam, the authorities only release the body once the family's wishes have been set out in writing and the mission of the home country has been involved. We clarify with the embassy or Consulate General which declaration the German mission requires for this.
In addition to coffins and urns, the Vietnamese procedure also covers the transfer of bones (hài cốt), for example after a reburial. In this case the entry permit additionally requires an exhumation certificate and a health and quarantine certificate from the competent authority abroad. For families in North Rhine-Westphalia, Hesse, Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland, the Consulate General in Frankfurt am Main is responsible; the embassy in Berlin serves the whole of Germany. We tell you in advance where your application will be submitted and whether the decision can be returned by registered post.
Urn transfer to Vietnam
With Vietnam Airlines, an urn may travel in hand or checked baggage, whereas a body may only travel as freight; on connecting flights, the rules of each airline involved also apply. Anyone taking the urn from Vietnam themselves needs the death certificate, the cremation certificate and the quarantine certificate and should inform the airline in advance. Ashes may not be sent from Vietnam by post or courier. For an urn from Germany to Vietnam, the entry permit requires the cremation certificate instead of the quarantine certificate.
More about urn transferFixed price for repatriation to Vietnam
Tell us where the deceased is now. We will check what Vietnam 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 Vietnam
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All questionsWhich permit is needed for repatriation to Vietnam?
An entry permit for the body, bones or ashes, issued by the Vietnamese mission. The prerequisite is the consent of the People's Committee or the cemetery administration at the place of burial on form 02/NG-LS.
Who has to obtain the People's Committee signature in Vietnam?
A relative in Vietnam submits the form to the commune, the urban ward or the cemetery administration and sends the confirmed version to Germany. We provide you with the form and check it before submission.
Does the apostille apply to documents between Germany and Vietnam?
To our knowledge, no. Although Vietnam has been a contracting state since 11 September 2026, Germany has objected to its accession. Documents are therefore legalised by the consulate until further notice; we check the current situation before each repatriation.
How long does repatriation from Vietnam to Germany take?
The death certificate takes about a week, and the other local formalities also take around a week. An autopsy or holidays such as Tết can prolong the process.
Are there direct flights for the coffin to Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City?
Depending on the flight schedule, there are non-stop and connecting flights from Germany to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. We check which of them accept the coffin as freight when booking; the destination airport depends on the place of burial.
Sources: Embassy of the SR of Vietnam, Berlin – Hướng dẫn thủ tục cấp giấy phép nhập cảnh thi hài (2026) · German Federal Foreign Office – Vietnamese missions in Germany · German Federal Foreign Office – German missions in Vietnam · German Federal Foreign Office – Vietnam: bilateral relations · GOV.UK – When someone dies in Vietnam · Vietnam Airlines – Ashes and human remains in baggage · GvW Graf von Westphalen – Implementation of the Apostille Convention by Vietnam (10.08.2026) · Brandenburg Higher Regional Court – Vietnam information sheet (legalisation, as of 01/2024)
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.