A dignified, fully-managed repatriation from the United Kingdom. We handle the paperwork, coordinate with the authorities in both countries, and bring your loved one home with care.
The final price reflects the combined air-and-road routing through Poland and the border formalities. We confirm a firm quote at first contact. The base covers transport to the destination; customs clearance and onward delivery are quoted separately, where available.
*Estimated from when the death is registered. Our team does everything possible to complete the repatriation sooner.
When someone dies in the UK and is to be returned to Ukraine for the funeral, the journey brings together the UK coroner's formalities, the requirements of the Ukrainian authorities, and — because of the war — an overland route into the country. Since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, Ukraine's civil airspace has been closed to all flights, so a loved one cannot be flown directly to a Ukrainian airport. We manage the full journey and the paperwork on both sides so that the family, wherever they are, never has to travel to Ukraine or deal with foreign offices in the middle of a conflict. Our repatriation hub sets out the essentials if you are just starting.
Ukraine is a member of the Hague Apostille Convention, so UK public documents are legalised with an apostille rather than through a longer consular chain, and are accompanied by a notarised Ukrainian translation. The documents then travel with the deceased across the border.
Before a deceased person can be taken out of England and Wales, the law requires that the coroner for the district be given at least four clear days' notice (the Removal of Bodies Regulations 1954). The coroner then issues an acknowledgement — the "out of England" notice — confirming there is no objection to removal, and can release the body sooner where satisfied that no further enquiries are needed. We complete this notification and obtain the acknowledgement on the family's behalf. In Scotland the equivalent authority is the procurator fiscal; in Northern Ireland, the coroner.
With the airspace closed, the deceased is flown as air cargo to a hub in a neighbouring country — most often Poland (Rzeszów, Kraków or Warsaw) — and then carried by road across a Poland–Ukraine land border, through crossings such as Korczowa–Krakovets or Medyka–Shehyni, to the destination in Ukraine. At the border the State Border Guard Service and the State Customs Service clear the sealed casket on the apostilled documents. In Ukraine the death is registered by the State civil registration service, and a local funeral service takes the deceased into its care for the burial. We coordinate the air leg, the road convoy and the border clearance as one movement.
The deceased is embalmed to international transport standard and placed in a sealed, zinc-lined metal coffin, accompanied by the apostilled death certificate and notarised translation, a health certificate confirming the death was not from a communicable disease, and a certificate confirming there are no foreign objects in the casket. Our team collects the deceased from the UK hospital, mortuary or funeral home, arranges the flight to the Polish hub and the dedicated road transfer onward, and stays in contact through each stage of the journey.
Because there is no direct flight, a repatriation to Ukraine combines an air leg to Poland with a road transfer and a land-border clearance, and typically takes around 10 to 14 days — sometimes longer. The timing depends on the four clear days' notice to the coroner, the apostille and translation of the documents, and above all the security situation, which can change at short notice and is outside anyone's control. We keep the family informed at every stage.
This estimate is counted from when the death is registered, and our team does everything possible to complete the repatriation sooner.
We confirm a firm quote at first contact, with no hidden costs. The final figure reflects the combined air-and-road routing through Poland, the border formalities, and any UK funeral-home and mortuary fees. The agreed price is settled once the arrangements are confirmed, with no deposit or advance required, before your loved one departs; we then stay with you through the journey, the final paperwork and registering the death. A UK estate, a life-insurance policy or the deceased's own arrangements may cover part of the cost, and we are glad to discuss this openly.
Repatriation to a country at war asks for experience, patience and honesty about what is possible. We handle the UK coroner's formalities, the apostille and translation, and the overland journey through Poland as one coordinated process, so that no member of the family has to travel into Ukraine, and we remain contactable 24/7. You can read more about repatriating a body from the UK in our guidance.
Last verified July 2026.
Common questions about repatriating someone who has died in the UK to their home country — the paperwork, timescales, costs, and who arranges each step.
Yes. Ukraine's civil airspace has been closed to all flights since February 2022, so a loved one cannot be flown directly into the country. Instead the deceased is flown to a hub in a neighbouring country — usually Poland — and carried by road across a Poland–Ukraine land border to the destination.
We arrange the whole overland journey, so no member of the family has to travel into Ukraine.
Ukraine is a member of the Hague Apostille Convention, so UK public documents are legalised with an apostille rather than through a longer consular chain. Each apostilled document is accompanied by a notarised Ukrainian translation.
The Ukrainian authorities also require a health certificate confirming the death was not from a communicable disease and a certificate that there are no foreign objects in the casket, both apostilled and translated. We prepare the full file on your behalf.
Before removal, the coroner must be given at least four clear days' notice and issues an "out of England" acknowledgement confirming there is no objection to removal. In Scotland this role falls to the procurator fiscal; in Northern Ireland, the coroner.
The deceased then travels embalmed in a sealed, zinc-lined metal coffin with the apostilled documents. We complete the coroner notification on your behalf.
Because there is no direct flight, the journey combines an air leg to Poland with a road transfer and a land-border clearance, and typically takes around 10 to 14 days — sometimes longer.
The timing depends on the coroner's notice, the apostille and translation of the documents, and above all the security situation, which can change at short notice. We keep the family informed at every stage.
The quoted price covers the coroner notification, the apostille and translation, embalming, a sealed zinc-lined metal coffin, the flight to the Polish hub and the dedicated road transfer across the border, with the border formalities in Ukraine. We confirm a firm quote at first contact with no hidden costs.
The agreed price is settled once the arrangements are confirmed, with no deposit or advance required, before your loved one departs; we then stay with you through the journey, the final paperwork and registering the death.
When choosing, it was hard — we'd never done anything like this before. We definitely chose the right company; their whole ethos is built around caring. From start to finish, Sebastian and his team worked tirelessly for a smooth process and took all the stress away. Our family can't thank Funero enough.
I can't speak highly enough of Sebastian and the Funero team. I'll admit I was slightly worried about using them as they were far more competitive — but their service was impeccable, with regular, timely communication that was a huge comfort at a difficult time.
Funero truly stands out — caring staff, affordable prices and excellent communication. Their team goes above and beyond to make the process smooth and respectful, making a difficult time a little easier, and affordable without ever compromising on quality or care.
I'm from Sydney and lost my brother in London. I was lucky to find Funero to help with the repatriation. Sebastian was fast, helpful and available at all times — they made the whole process easy for me. Highly recommended!
Every colleague at Funero went over and above during the repatriation of our loved one, from the first moment to the end and beyond. They spared no effort to make it happen far sooner than usual, treated our loved one with outstanding respect, and their empathy made an unbearable time feel manageable. Your loved ones will be in the best of hands.
Considering the shock and our lack of knowledge, Sebastian and Mihai were absolutely amazing with their help and guidance. It was an emotionally draining time, but they are calm, polite, empathetic and warm — from practical advice to personal effort and so much patience. We can't thank them enough.
An exceptionally professional and compassionate team. During one of the most painful moments of my life they went above and beyond, offering genuine support and care. Thanks to their kindness and dedication, the burden of losing my mother was made a little easier. I am deeply grateful for their respect, empathy and humanity.
Our loved one died on holiday in Egypt and, as a family of modest means, what felt impossible was made possible. Funero was the only company that didn't ask for money upfront, which gave us time to fundraise — and their quote was more than reasonable. They kept us informed every step, translated everything, and their reps in Egypt worked so hard for us. We can't thank them enough for bringing our loved one home.
Speak to a repatriation specialist any time, day or night — we'll guide you through every step.
