Repatriation
Three nearby countries, three ways of doing things.
Italy, Spain and Portugal are among the classic destinations for repatriations from Switzerland — a direct consequence of several generations of immigration.
Spain and Portugal are, like Switzerland, parties to the Strasbourg Agreement on the conveyance of corpses. Italy is not; between Switzerland and Italy the older Berlin Arrangement of 1937 applies — details in our guide Repatriation to Italy. The differences sit in the detail.
All three know the Swiss procedure well and their consulates generally work quickly.
Italy — the most frequent and the most straightforward. By road, northern Italy is reachable within the day; Sicily or Sardinia, however, mean a ferry or a flight, which changes the calculation.
Spain — the autonomous communities apply their own burial rules. It pays to name the destination municipality from the outset; some require prior local authorisation.
Portugal — a well-practised procedure, but the distances are long. For the north of the country the road remains feasible; for Lisbon or the Algarve, air usually wins.
We compare three things: total end-to-end duration, full cost, and the burial slots available on site.
Below roughly 1,500 kilometres the road almost always wins: no air freight and no airport formalities. Beyond that, air becomes sensible again.
Cemetery availability and whether a family plot already exists. In all three countries the burial slot constrains the timetable far more often than the transport does.
Northern Italy: two to four days. Spain and Portugal: four to seven days depending on the region and the mode of transport.
As everywhere, the consulate's reply sets the date. We give you a range at the first conversation and a date as soon as the consulate has answered.
Questions & answers
For a flight, yes. For Italy, the Berlin Arrangement of 1937 requires a soldered metal inner coffin in every case. For Spain and Portugal by road, the requirements depend on the route and the cause of death; we check them for each case.
Yes, to Sicily, Sardinia, the Balearics or Madeira. The journey then combines road and ferry, or a flight with a connection; we arrange the whole chain.
Yes. We coordinate the bookings so that your arrival coincides with the handover of the coffin.
The local funeral firm. We contact them before departure, agree the handover and can request their quote for you.