What Should You Do If You Decide to Handle All the Formalities on Your Own?

1. You must apply for permission from the starost (district governor) or the mayor of the town in Poland where the deceased will be buried. This decision is issued within three days and is exempt from administrative fees.
2. Apply to the Civil Registry Office in your place of residence for the issuance of a Polish death certificate. This is based on a written report of the death abroad and the original foreign death certificate (with a note confirming the death was not caused by a contagious disease). These documents must be translated by a certified (sworn) translator.
3. Send the decision of the starost or mayor (preferably by fax) to the appropriate Polish consulate in the country from which the body is to be transported. Based on this, the Polish consul will issue a certificate authorizing the transport of the body or ashes, for which a fee is charged according to the Consular Fee Schedule.

In addition to the starost’s/mayor’s permission, you must present the following original documents:

For transporting a body:

• death certificate
• medical certificate stating the death was not related to a contagious disease
• certificate from the funeral home handling the transportation, confirming compliance with standards for transporting human remains
• possibly a coroner’s permit for the body to be transported

For transporting ashes:

• death certificate
• cremation certificate
• certificate from the funeral home confirming the urn is made of metal and contains only the ashes of the deceased.

The urn must be placed in a sealed wooden box.

1. Transporting a body by sea or air: This involves additional costs for ferry or airline transport (in the case of air transport, be sure to check which airlines allow coffin transport — some only permit urns). Once the remains arrive in Poland, you’ll need to arrange further transportation. In Poland, transporting a body via train, airplane, or ship always requires a permit issued within 3 days by the State District Sanitary Inspector responsible for the place from which the body or remains are being transported. This is done on a written request from the person legally entitled to arrange the burial. If transporting by road, a permit is only required if the distance exceeds 60 km. Long-distance body transport must be carried out using specially designated vehicles — i.e., hearses. It is recommended to hire a funeral home to handle this part, as they can also take care of the final farewell ceremony.
2. Within 12 months of the funeral, apply for a funeral allowance at the Polish Social Insurance Institution (ZUS).
3. Also, remember to check whether your spouse had an account in an Open Pension Fund (OFE). Any funds accumulated there can be used to cover the costs of transporting the body and the funeral itself.