Repatriation to Italy from Switzerland — coffin and urn

For a repatriation from Switzerland to Italy, the key document is the Swiss laissez-passer (mortuary passport). Italy never joined the 1973 Strasbourg Agreement, but Switzerland and Italy are both parties to the International Arrangement concerning the Conveyance of Corpses signed in Berlin in 1937. That arrangement governs the transport of the coffin. On the Italian side, the destination municipality (comune) must also give its consent. An urn follows a separate, simpler route through the Italian consulate.

This guide explains which documents come first, what the coffin must meet and what to consider for an urn. Where rules differ between Swiss cantons or Italian regions, we say so plainly.

Berlin 1937, not Strasbourg: which agreement applies

Between most European countries, the transport of the deceased is governed by the Strasbourg Agreement of 1973. Switzerland is a party; Italy is not. That does not mean there is no common rule: both countries are parties to the International Arrangement concerning the Conveyance of Corpses, concluded in Berlin in 1937 (in Swiss law SR 0.818.61). Italy has been bound since 1938, Switzerland since 1940.

The Arrangement requires a mortuary passport for every transport, issued by the authority responsible for the place of death. Destination and transit countries may not demand any document other than this passport, apart from the usual transport papers. Italy's mortuary police regulation (DPR 285/1990, Art. 27) also refers to the Arrangement for these transports.

Documents for the coffin — in this order

The documents build on one another. Knowing the order saves days.

• Medical death certificate, issued by the doctor who confirms the death.
• Registration with the civil registry office and an extract from the register of deaths — the Berlin Arrangement requires it as the basis for the mortuary passport.
• Coffining and sealing by an authorised funeral firm, with a written record.
• Mortuary passport from the responsible cantonal authority. Each canton designates its own office; in several cantons it is the civil registry office. More in our guide The mortuary passport.
• “Nulla osta all’introduzione della salma” — the consent of the Italian destination municipality. According to the Italian Consulate General in Zurich, the funeral firm requests it directly from the competent comune; the transport may only take place afterwards.

The coffin: what the Arrangement requires

The Berlin Arrangement prescribes a double coffin: an airtight, soldered metal inner coffin with an absorbent layer at the bottom, fixed firmly inside a wooden coffin at least three centimetres thick, screwed shut and secured with metal bands. In practice this is the zinc-lined coffin we use for repatriations anyway — details in our guide The zinc coffin.

Italian regulations contain their own, more detailed specifications for zinc and wood. According to their wording, they apply to cases outside the Berlin Arrangement. For a transport from Switzerland, the Arrangement's requirement is therefore decisive.

Because the coffin travels sealed, an open-coffin farewell in Italy is usually not possible. If the family wishes to see their loved one, we arrange this in Switzerland before the coffin is closed.

Repatriating an urn to Italy

The Berlin Arrangement does not apply to ashes; it expressly excludes them. No mortuary passport is therefore needed. Italy instead requires a consular authorisation.

At the Consulate General in Zurich the procedure is as follows: a family member attends the consular assistance office with the original death certificate and the original cremation certificate. The consulate issues the “autorizzazione consolare per l’introduzione dell’urna cineraria in Italia”. It is shown at customs and then handed to the municipality where the urn will be kept — in the cemetery or, where permitted, at home. The consulate does not state fees or processing times; we clarify them case by case.

We repatriate the urn in person and with dignity — by car or by air, as the family wishes. The full process is described in our guide Urn transfer abroad.

Road or air

Northern Italy is a few hours' drive from Switzerland. For Milan, Turin, Bergamo or Lombardy and Piedmont more generally, the road regularly beats air on both time and cost.

For southern Italy, Sicily and Sardinia the calculation reverses: a flight followed by a short transfer to the home town is usually faster. We price both options for your destination and tell you openly which we recommend.

Registering the death in Italy

The death of an Italian citizen abroad must be registered in Italy. For people who hold only Italian citizenship, the Swiss civil registry authorities send the international death certificate to the consulate automatically; the consulate forwards it to the municipality where the person was last registered in the AIRE register of Italians abroad.

For dual Swiss–Italian citizens this does not happen automatically: the family submits an original extract from the register of deaths (international form) to the consulate themselves; copies are not accepted. We tell you how many copies to order from the civil registry office right away.

Costs

Our repatriation package starts at CHF 3,000. Transport comes on top — by road according to distance, by air according to weight — plus the official fees in Switzerland, which vary from canton to canton. You receive a written breakdown with every item listed separately. Funeral costs in Italy are not included.

The Consulate General in Zurich points out that some Italian regions and municipalities contribute to the cost of repatriating the deceased. Whether and how much is decided by each authority — ask the municipality or region. An overview of all cost items: Repatriation costs.