Exhumation after twenty years: what is still possible

An exhumation after 20 years is one of the most common requests we receive. Many families carry the plan for years without voicing it, convinced that time has closed every door. Almost always the opposite is true. The main administrative obstacle to an exhumation is the rest period – and once it has expired, that obstacle is gone.

Why the question comes up so often

Twenty years is roughly how long it takes for a family to move. The children have left the region, sometimes the country. The cemetery where a parent lies is now three hours away, and nobody visits. Or the next generation wants to bring several family members together in one place.

It is also the point at which the municipality sends a letter announcing the end of the period. That letter triggers a lot of calls: it forces the family to decide, often within a limited window.

Why it is often easier, not harder

Before the rest period expires, any opening is an exception. You need a solid reason, the authority looks closely, and an assessment by the cantonal medical officer is considerably more likely.

After expiry that requirement falls away. The grave has served its purpose, the municipality is contemplating clearance anyway, and a relocation request slots into a process that is already under way. The argument you have to make becomes much lighter.

There is still a permit to obtain and consents to gather, of course: the procedure is not automatic. But it starts from a far better position.

What is still found in the grave

This is the question families hesitate to ask, and we would rather answer it plainly than leave imagination to do the work.

After some twenty years the coffin has generally broken down. What remains depends heavily on the soil: light, well-drained ground has different effects from heavy or wet ground. In the great majority of cases the skeletal remains are there, and that is precisely what a relocation concerns.

We always work behind screening, outside visiting hours, and we document the work for the family. Relatives who wish to be present may be; those who prefer not to be are equally right, and that is the more common choice.

If the grave has already been cleared

Here we have to be honest: once the municipality has carried out the clearance, nobody can reliably tell individual remains apart. Depending on its practice, the municipality has moved them to an ossuary or a collective grave.

This is the one situation where we tell families frankly that the door is closed. It is also the reason a municipal letter announcing clearance deserves a prompt answer rather than a postponement.

How a late relocation runs

The sequence does not differ fundamentally from an ordinary exhumation, but every step is lighter.

We first check the exact status of the grave and the expiry date with the cemetery administration. We then file the application with the municipality, with the consents of the entitled relatives and the intended destination. Once the municipality authorises it, we open the grave on an agreed date and then carry out the reburial – in Switzerland, or with the corresponding documents if a transfer abroad is planned.

Given the age, a smaller coffin often suffices, which simplifies both handling and transport.

What it means for the family

Many families fear “disturbing” something and postpone the decision year after year. Our experience is that the more common regret is not having acted, but having waited until the grave was cleared.

If the question is on your mind, one call is enough to find out where you stand. We check the status of the grave and the applicable period free of charge, and tell you honestly what is still possible – including when the answer is no.