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Foreign transfer
Foreign nationals who pass away in Switzerland are often repatriated to their home countries. A coffin is transported either by a professional funeral vehicle or by air. The cost of transportation to the airport in Switzerland, as well as the cost of transporting the coffin from the airport in the home country to the place of burial, are included in the air transport costs. An international coffin must comply with international regulations and the requirements of the country of arrival. If necessary, the respective embassy or consulate issues the required authorization and certifies the documents issued by the cantonal authorities, such as: medical death certificate, international death certificate, body passport, and sealing report.
It is also possible to have a cremation in Switzerland and have the urn transported back to the home country. The urn can be shipped via the postal service or transported privately. Your funeral home or the relevant embassy or consulate can provide information on whether private transport is permitted. The necessary documents are issued by the cantonal authorities, customs authorities, the crematorium, and, depending on the country, the receiving municipality or city.
Your funeral home or the funeral office will assist you with the arrangements and repatriation.
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What is a sealing of a coffin?
Any coffin to be transferred abroad must be sealed. Sealing means the airtight closing of the coffin (zinc insert) in the presence of an official. This ensures that apart from the deceased and his personal belongings, there is nothing else in the coffin. Likewise, odor emissions from the coffin are prevented.
Can a coffin be transported on an airplane?
Coffins may be transported by air. Ask a funeral director in your area. He will find out about the possible destinations that are close to the destination.
What is the procedure for a foreign transfer?
Contact a funeral service near you. This person will help you with the organization of the foreign transfer or, if you wish, organize the whole transfer. If possible, bring the death certificate, passport, alien’s identity card and the family record book of the deceased. Likewise, the exact destination abroad should be known.
Can a coffin be taken abroad?
A coffin can be taken abroad. This is also referred to as a foreign transfer.
A coffin can be transferred or transported by hearse or by air.
For this purpose, the coffin must meet certain specifications, regarding condition (e.g. wood thickness, zinc inlay, etc.).
The coffin must be hermetically sealed for the official transfer.
Various countries of destination additionally require the preservation resp. Embalming of the deceased person.
Likewise, various documents and formalities (death certificate, extract from the death register, confirmation of soldering, mortuary passport, translation, etc.) are required for the transfer of a deceased person.
For the certification of the death of a foreign national, documents from the country of origin are usually necessary.
Find a funeral service near you HERE that can help you arrange the documents and transfer.
Can an urn be transported on an airplane?
Urns may be transported by air.
Check with the appropriate airline for specifications.
For the transfer of urns, at least an extract from the death register and a customs confirmation from the competent crematorium is required. In individual countries, a transport release from the recipient municipality is required.
May urns be taken abroad?
Urns may be taken abroad.
However, it is not allowed in every country to transport the urn by land, privately. Check with the appropriate embassy.
For the transfer of urns, at least an extract from the death register and a customs confirmation from the competent crematorium is required. In individual countries, a transport release is required from the receiving community.
What are the costs of a transfer abroad?
The costs for transfers abroad are very different and depend on various factors:
Quality of the coffin, embalming, distance of transfer by hearse or plane, distance to and from the airport, type of documents required, fees, etc.
Find a funeral service near you HERE that will offer you a cost effective option.
What is repatriation?
Repatriation is the return of deceased persons to their country of origin.
Foreign nationals are often repatriated to their home country in the event of a death. Thus from Switzerland to abroad. This can be determined during one’s lifetime with a funeral provision.
Likewise, persons from Switzerland, in the event of death abroad (e.g. on vacation or during a business trip, after a car accident, accident or illness) are repatriated to Switzerland.
Travel insurance is often purchased to cover the cost of repatriation in the event of illness, accident or death.