Exhumation & repatriation
If the deceased is to be laid to rest in their country of origin, two procedures must be combined: the municipality's permit to open the grave and the papers for crossing the border. We bring the two together.
What this is about
Many families reach this decision only years after the funeral. Relatives have moved away, the next generation lives elsewhere, or the wish has taken hold that the deceased should after all rest in their country of origin. The grave in Switzerland then has to be reopened and the coffin taken across the border.
These are two separate procedures that must fit together in time. The opening of the grave is a matter for the municipality whose cemetery it lies in; it decides according to its own cemetery regulations and, depending on the canton, requires a public health assessment. The transport requires a laissez-passer, frequently a consular legalisation, and an approved transport coffin with a zinc lining.
Anyone who organises the two parts separately often loses weeks: the permit is in hand, but the consulate requires a document that is only issued after the opening — or the other way round. We therefore plan the sequence jointly from the outset. Where a grave is to be moved within Switzerland with no international element, the cemetery administration of your municipality is the right first port of call; it will tell you which regulations apply.
Process
We first examine both at once: whether the opening of the grave can be authorised under your municipality's cemetery regulations, and what entry conditions the destination country imposes. Some countries require documents that dictate the sequence in Switzerland. This conversation is free.
We file the application with the competent municipality, attach the declarations of consent of the closest relatives and obtain — where prescribed — the opinion of the cantonal or district medical officer. In parallel we prepare the laissez-passer and the consular legalisation, so that no waiting time arises after the opening.
The opening takes place on the agreed date in coordination with the cemetery administration, as a rule outside visiting hours and with screening in place. The remains are transferred to the approved transport coffin. Relatives may be present if they wish; it is equally reasonable not to be.
We book the freight, register the consignment with the airline or road carrier and hand over the complete file. On request we coordinate the takeover by the funeral home on site, so that the interment in the destination country follows without a break.
In detail
The bottleneck is not the opening of the grave but the order of the documents. The laissez-passer is only issued after the opening, individual consulates legalise originals only and work to their own deadlines, and some destination countries additionally require a confirmation that has to be obtained from the canton. When that chain is planned in advance, no weeks are lost. This is why we clarify the destination and origin countries before a date for the opening is even sought.
Questions & answers
The Swiss part depends on the municipality, the second part on the destination country and its consulate. Some municipalities decide within a few weeks, others need considerably longer, particularly where a medical assessment is required or not all relatives are immediately reachable. After the initial clarification we give you a realistic range for both parts together rather than a figure you would like to hear.
As a rule the laissez-passer, the death certificate, the municipality's permit to open the grave and a confirmation regarding the approved transport coffin. Many destination countries additionally require consular legalisation, in some cases with an official translation. We clarify the exact combination with the competent consulate before a date is fixed.
We always carry out the opening of the grave with two staff and charge according to the time involved; the journeys there and back, cleaning and all expenses are included and do not appear separately on the invoice. Added to that are the municipality's fees, the transport coffin, the documents including legalisation, and the freight. Freight costs differ markedly by destination country. After the clarification we give you a range based on experience, and then a written quote.
For international transport, yes. A sealed transport coffin with a zinc lining is prescribed; after years in the ground the original coffin no longer meets that requirement. We bring the transport coffin to the appointment so that the transfer can take place directly on site.
It is possible, but it requires a comprehensible reason and the authority's consent; public health conditions are more likely in that case. The wish for an interment in the country of origin is frequently accepted in practice — but nobody can guarantee it in advance.
Yes, if you wish. We arrange the date so that the cemetery is quiet and put screening in place. Not being present is equally reasonable — many families deliberately choose not to be, and we then document the process for you.
The process is then shorter: it requires the permit of the municipality giving up the grave, the consent of the cemetery administration at the new location — and no laissez-passer. The cemetery administration of your municipality will advise you; it will tell you which regulations and fees apply. Our focus is on cases with an international element.
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