Repatriation from Greece: what families should know

Day one: Athens, Thessaloniki or an island

In the first hours, relatives need answers to three things: where the body is at this moment (a hospital mortuary, the forensic medicine service or somewhere else), whether the police are involved, and which person in Greece you trust to speak to Greek offices for you. That may be a colleague from work, a neighbour or someone from the diaspora. As soon as these facts are known, our Greek partner can start. Until it is clear when the coffin will leave, it is best not to announce a funeral date in Tbilisi.

Registration at the municipal lixiarchio

In Greece the death is registered by the civil registry office (ληξιαρχείο, the lixiarchio) of the municipality where the person died. Normally the Greek funeral office does this, using a medical certificate from the hospital or from a doctor. The result is a death record (ληξιαρχική πράξη θανάτου), which usually also gives the cause, provided it has been established by the date of issue. Everything else is built on this record: it receives the apostille, the transport permit relies on it, and in the end the Georgian certificate is issued from it as well.

Forensic examination and how long it takes

If a death was unexpected, violent or unclear, the Greek authorities order a post-mortem examination. Even so, the body is often handed back once the main part of the examination is complete, while the full written report can take several months or longer to appear. Waiting for that report therefore does not, as a rule, delay the journey to Georgia, but you will need it later for insurance or legal claims. Ask whoever is helping you locally to write down the file reference and which institution is dealing with it.

Greek funeral office: what it does

The Greek funeral office (γραφείο τελετών) carries out nearly all of the local work for a transfer abroad. It collects the body from the mortuary, registers the death, organises embalming, prepares the sealed coffin, applies for the health permit and reserves cargo space. From the family it needs the passport of the deceased or a copy, proof of kinship and a signed power of attorney. Price and scope are best negotiated with the Greek side through the receiving funeral home in Tbilisi acting for the family; that way sealing and transport do not appear on two invoices.

Georgian embassy in Athens and consulate in Thessaloniki

Georgia is represented in Greece by an embassy in Athens and a consulate general in Thessaloniki. The relatives or the Greek office should report the death to them so that the consulate can confirm the citizenship and identity of the deceased. If no passport can be found, the consulate helps establish identity from Georgian databases. Which additional consular certificate, if any, the Georgian side asks for when a body is brought in should be confirmed directly with the consulate; look up addresses and opening hours on the Georgian Foreign Ministry website, because they change from time to time.

Permit to transport the body abroad

As described on the Greek government portal, the permit to transport a body abroad (Άδεια μεταφοράς νεκρών στο εξωτερικό) comes under the Ministry of Health, and the application is made to the regional public health directorate or at a citizens' service centre (ΚΕΠ). There is no fee for this service. The documents required include:

• the identity card or passport of the deceased;
• an extract from the death record or, before registration, the medical death certificate;
• an embalming certificate issued by a pathologist, forensic doctor, surgeon or medical institution;
• where a representative acts, a power of attorney with a certified signature.

The procedure is designed for the closest relatives of the deceased, which is why the Greek office normally files everything in the family's name under a power of attorney.

Greece and the 1973 Strasbourg Agreement

Greece ratified the European agreement signed in Strasbourg in 1973 in 1983, and it has applied there since that year. The agreement lays down uniform standards for the coffin and for the laissez-passer that goes with it, and the Greek permit is issued within that framework. Georgia, however, has not joined it, so its simplifications do not automatically extend to transfers to our country, and Georgian requirements have to be met separately. On the plus side, Greek papers come in a standard format, and in transit through other countries they rarely raise extra questions.

Apostille from the decentralised administration

Greece and Georgia each belong to the Hague Apostille Convention of 1961. On Greek civil status records the apostille is issued by the decentralised administration (Αποκεντρωμένη Διοίκηση); in Attica, for example, that is the Decentralised Administration of Attica. Some documents issued via the gov.gr platform can also receive an electronic apostille, but for a repatriation a paper original is the safer choice. Ask the Greek office to take several copies of the death record and to apostille one of them specifically for Georgia, so the paper for the House of Justice is ready by the time you need it.

Translation from Greek

Greek certificates go to Georgian offices together with a translation, and this step is often remembered only at the last minute. There are fewer Greek-to-Georgian translators in Georgia than English or Russian ones, so order the translation early, before the coffin arrives. The translation is certified by a notary, and it is this set of three, the Greek record, the apostille and the certified translation, that the House of Justice (officially the Public Service Hall) needs in order to issue a Georgian death certificate. If you also need the document for a bank or for an inheritance case, ask how many certified copies to order.

Embalming and the sealed coffin

Embalming is compulsory for the Greek permit, and its certificate is part of the file. The body is placed in an airtight inner metal case, which is soldered shut and set inside an outer wooden coffin. The airline demands this packaging, and it also guarantees sanitary safety. One detail that matters to families: if you hope for an open-coffin farewell once your relative is back in Georgia, tell the office early, so that embalming and the preparation of the deceased are done with that aim in mind and clothing is chosen locally.

Timing: the days the Greek side needs

According to the guidance on Greece published by the UK government, local formalities usually take eight to ten days. The Greek stage can last longer than a week, especially if an examination is involved or the dates fall on official holidays when offices are shut. Arranging the flight adds a few more days to that. We advise fixing the funeral date only after the cargo flight is confirmed and you have the waybill number in hand.

From an island to Athens

If a person died on Crete, Rhodes or a small island, the route gains an extra leg. First the body has to reach an airport with international cargo, most often Athens, by ferry or a domestic flight. That means additional transport, sometimes an extra night in refrigeration, and dependence on the weather: in winter ferries may not sail at all. In the estimate this stretch should appear as a separate line, so the family knows exactly what it is paying for.

Flying to Georgia

From a Greek airport the coffin travels as air freight: on a direct flight where one exists, or with a change in another country. For a connection, the office checks that the carrier takes such cargo and that the transfer can be done within one day. All originals travel with the coffin in a separate envelope. On the day of arrival, the Georgian funeral home receives the coffin in the Tbilisi airport cargo area. A family member can fly in the same day on a passenger flight, although the Greek side does not require an escort.

Cremation in Greece

Cremation has been legal in Greece since 2006, but the country's first crematorium opened only in 2019, in Ritsona north of Athens, after long resistance from the Church. This option may therefore suit someone who died near Attica, while from remote regions simply getting the body there costs money. Ashes can be flown home, though that too involves expense. Before deciding, a family should also weigh tradition. To learn how an urn is received on the Georgian side, see our Cremation page.

Burial in Greece: why families hesitate

Some relatives consider burying their loved one locally because it seems cheaper. Bear one Greek practice in mind: at a number of cemeteries the remains are exhumed three years after burial and moved to the cemetery ossuary. The family then has to decide everything again, and sometimes ends up transporting the remains to Georgia later after all. Before agreeing to a local burial, find out which rule applies at that particular cemetery and how many years the grave stays at the family's disposal.

Who covers the costs

To meet the transport costs, look at three sources. First, a travel or other insurance policy, whose assistance service should be brought in as early as possible. Second, the employer, especially if the death occurred while working. Third, a procedure set up by the Georgian state, under which relatives of a Georgian national who passed away abroad can, subject to certain conditions, get back the actual transport costs. Applications are accepted by the Foreign Ministry or a consulate. Keep every receipt and the funeral office's itemised invoice, since those are exactly what will be requested.

Days of waiting in Georgia

While the Greek stage runs, relatives in Tbilisi or the regions prepare the cemetery, the church and the kelekhi, the memorial meal held after a Georgian funeral, and they receive mourners. Collecting the coffin at the airport involves customs formalities, which the receiving funeral home's broker handles; then a hearse takes the deceased home, to a church or to the regions. If the funeral will take place far from Tbilisi, have a look at our live streaming service. After the burial the Greek record is lodged with the House of Justice, the family receives a Georgian certificate and can move on to inheritance matters.

Working alongside Greek colleagues

In Athens and Thessaloniki we cooperate with funeral offices that have already handled Georgian cases and know which certificate will be useful in Georgia. Our coordinator speaks with the Greek colleague on the family's behalf, keeps track of the permit and apostille, books the flight and organises the reception. Complete repatriation from EU countries, Greece among them, costs from 5,500 GEL. If the diaspora has already dealt with the Greek part, we can take on just the arrival at Tbilisi airport together with customs clearance, from 600 GEL.

Frequently asked questions