For the purposes of the text, the transfer of a corpse shall be deemed to be the international transfer of human remains from the State of departure to the State of destination.

The country of departure is the one from which the transport started, in the case of the exhumed remains, it is the one where the burial took place.

The State of destination is that in which the body is to be buried or cremated after transport.

The above does not apply to international ash transport.

The Embassy of the country of origin of the deceased is informed about the death of its citizen will immediately try to collect as much information as possible about the deceased and the circumstances of his/her death.

With the consent of the closest relatives, the Embassy will assist in the repatriation process of the body and will assist in obtaining the required certificates.

Each corpse must, during transport, be accompanied by specific documents, as follows:

- Original Death Certificate (issued by a Medical Officer of the Competent Authority in the country of death, who has confirmed the death).

- Certificate of Causes of Death by a Death Investigator and Certificate of Transportation of the Dead Abroad (Removal Order) by the Police Authorities, in cases where an autopsy has been required on the body.
* Some countries of destination require documents to be Apostilled.

The indicative cost of preparation and packaging of the corpse, as well as the issuance of the necessary certificates amounts to approximately 1700 euro.
Air transportation costs are not included. The expenses are borne by the relatives of the deceased.


Customs procedures relating to the importation/exportation of human remains (corpse) by air

Import
Upon arrival of the aircraft in the Republic of Cyprus, the human remains (corpses) is unloaded in the temporary storage facilities and is cleared from customs on presentation of the delivery order and airwaybill on consent of the Health Services.
Export
The export of Human remains (corpses) from the Republic of Cyprus by air is allowed on presentation of the airwaybill and the death certificate duly authenticated by the Health Services.