Repatriation of human remains

Non-cremated remains

The body must be placed in a double casket. The inner one must be firm and entirely airtight, and made of sheet metal (lead or zinc). Absorbent material, such as sawdust, must be placed on the bottom of the inner casket. The body must be soaked in a sublimate solution of 1% strength.

The casket must be packed in a wooden coffin, which may again be packed to be protected from eventual damage, or maybe covered with canvas or tarpaulin so that the nature of its contents are not revealed. Strong handles must be bolted on the outer packaging. The funeral director should provide a certificate attesting that the above procedure has been followed. Transporting objects or flowers with human remains is strongly prohibited.

In order to get a permit (laissez-passer) to repatriate a corpse please complete an application form online (first you need to register an account). At the end of the process the applicant should also upload the following documents to the online platform:  

  • Death certificate/interim death certificate;
  • Copy of Hungarian ID card/passport of the deceased;
  • „Out of England order”
  • Confirmation from the Hungarian cemetery of the receipt of the body
  • Copy of the ID/passport and employment confirmation letter of the person who will be attending the appointment on behalf of the company
  • Embalming certificate
  • Certificate from the UK health authorities / hospital that the body is free of infectious and contagious disease and may be transported safely
  • A letter authorising the company to act on the behalf of the person providing the authorisation, and the ID/passport copy of that person
  • In case the cause of death was COVID an additional declaration from the transporting company is also requested

Once the online form is completed and the documents are uploaded, please follow the instructions and send the application electronically to the consulate. Appointments can be booked via email at konz.lon@mfa.gov.hu Please note that sending the application form electronically is not enough to start the procedure. The procedure starts with the submission of the application in person at the consulate. For this, you need to print out the form after completed online and bring it with you along with the original documents previously uploaded to the system (see above instructions).

The permit is subject to  fee the amount of which you can find HERE.

Cremated remains

There are no special requirements for the shipment of cremains into Hungary, however, the funeral urns must be sealed. If the cremains are sent by mail, the package containing the urn should be addressed to the recipient or to the cemetery. It is recommended that a copy of the certificate of death be enclosed with the shipment.

Urns can also be brought into Hungary as carry-on luggage. In this case no additional permits or licenses are required from the diplomatic or consular missions of Hungary, but we strongly advise you to contact the airlines in advance to clarify the possible requirements.