Documents required for casket or urn with ash to cross Ukrainian State Border
According to Ukrainian Legislation to cross a border of Ukraine by the casket with deceased or urn with ash the following documents are required:
Passport of a deceased person should be sent to the Embassy of Ukraine to the U.S. or Ukrainian Consulate General (the consular district is mentioned at the main page – Consular Issues) along with a notarized copy of the Certificate of Death, Apostille and translation from English to Ukrainian. Practically it means that when the Funeral Home receives Certificate of Death with Apostille and a notarized translation from English to Ukrainian it is necessary just to make copies of the mentioned documents and notarized copies.
An original Certificate of Death with Apostille and notarized translation from English to Ukrainian along with the original Document about absence of any foreign objects inside the casket or urn with ash with Apostille and notarized translation from English to Ukrainian have to accompany the casket or urn with ash to Ukraine.
The casket with body or urn with ash must be sealed-up by the Funeral Home.
Also, the above documents can be delivered to Ukraine by relatives or friends of a deceased person who will accompany the casket or urn with ash.
There are no strict requirements with respect to the urn with ash; however, the body should be transported in a metal casket.
For the air cargo transporting it is necessary to specify a cemetery in Ukraine as well as Ukrainian Funeral Home which will care about casket or the urn with ash in Ukraine. Both of them are a subject of private choice by relatives or friends of a deceased person.
For further information or comments please call at (415) 398 0240
Consular assistance in case of death
The Consulate General of Ukraine in San Francisco can provide assistance to distressed
Ukrainians who seek repatriation of deceased family members.
In the case that you obtain information about the death/perish of a Ukrainian national within the
consular district please contact our Office – [email protected].
Please be advised that we need not only the name, but also personal data of the deceased
Ukrainian such as the copy of his/her ID (if possible Ukrainian passport) or any available
information concerning his/her place of final residency in Ukraine and that of his/her relatives.
After receiving the information, the Consulate will immediately inform relatives in Ukraine or
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine so that they may establish contact with existing
family members in Ukraine (if needed). With the consent of the existing family members, we are
ready to assist in compliance with the Ukrainian law regarding repatriation of the body.
All other questions should be addressed to the funeral homes themselves.
In accordance with the Article 22 of the Law of Ukraine on funeral and burial services for
the shipment of the remains to Ukraine, the following documents must be provided:
The deceased's ID, passport or seamen document.
Authenticated death certificate (Apostilled and translated, see details below).
Non-communication disease document (applies to casket with body only)
Permission from local cemetery in Ukraine (applies to casket with body only)
The documents required by Ukrainian Legislation for a casket containing the deceased, or urn
with ashes, to cross the Ukrainian State Border include:
1. Certificate of Death with an Apostille and a notarized translation from English to
Ukrainian (the translation must also be apostilled; however, a translation of the
apostille on the notarized translation itself is not required).
2. Certificate or Affidavit from local health authorities stating that the cause of death of
the individual to be shipped to Ukraine was not a communicable disease (for casket with
body only), with an Apostille and a notarized translation from English to Ukrainian (the
translation must also be apostilled; however, a translation of the apostille on the
notarized translation itself is not required).
3. Cremation Certificate indicating the name of the deceased, date and place of the
cremation (with an apostille and a notarized translation into Ukrainian; (the translation
must also be apostilled; however, a translation of the apostille on the notarized
translation itself is not required).
4. Document about the absence of any foreign objects inside the casket or urn with ashes.
This document shall be arranged in English with an Apostille and a notarized translation
from English to Ukrainian (the translation must also be apostilled; however, a
translation of the apostille on the notarized translation itself is not required).
5. The casket or urn must be sealed by the funeral home. There are no strict
requirements with respect to the urn with ashes; however, the body should be transported
in a metal casket, made of zinc-plated steel or tinplate not more than 0,4 thick.
To obtain a letter from the Consulate (in the case a transit country’s Embassy/Consulate or
shipping company transporting the urn requires one), the following documents must be sent to
the Consulate General of Ukraine in San Francisco:
All of the above-mentioned documents (originals, will be returned)
The original passport of the deceased
Itinerary (or a clearly written route in the format “Airport, Country – Airport, Country”)
A prepaid envelope with a return address, send to:
Consulate General of Ukraine in San Francisco
530 Bush St, Suite 402, San Francisco, CA 94108
The Consulate General of Ukraine will carry out the necessary procedures with the passport and
return it for use in accompanying the casket or urn to Ukraine.
For the air cargo transportation of the casket with body it is necessary to specify a cemetery in
Ukraine as well as Ukrainian Funeral Home which will take care of the casket in Ukraine. Both
are a subject of private choice by the relatives or friends of the deceased person.