Applying for an exhumation: who decides, and what a complete file contains

Many families call us assuming an exhumation is a service you book, like a removal firm. It is not. An exhumation permit in Switzerland is something you apply for: opening a grave requires official authorisation, and the authority that grants it is neither the canton nor the Confederation but the municipality. Understanding that on day one saves weeks.

Who may apply

The closest surviving relatives, or the holder of the right of use to the grave, are in principle entitled to apply. That circle is not defined identically everywhere: some municipal regulations set it out precisely, others simply refer to “relatives”.

One point deserves stating plainly on day one: the person who files is not necessarily the only one whose agreement is needed. Where several children, for example, are equally concerned, the authority will generally want all of them to consent. A family divided on the principle itself does not have an admissible file, however good the paperwork.

Which authority decides

The decision belongs to the municipality on whose territory the cemetery lies. In practice your contact is the cemetery administration, the burials office or, in smaller municipalities, the Gemeindeverwaltung (municipal administration) itself.

So it is not the family's municipality of residence that decides, nor the deceased person's last one: it is the cemetery's. The distinction sounds obvious once stated, but it regularly sends families to the wrong counter.

The canton comes in for certain constellations, in particular through the cantonal medical officer, and sometimes sets a general framework. The concrete decision stays municipal.

What the municipality examines

The authority generally checks three things.

The reason. It must be understandable and serious. Bringing a family together in one grave, a permanent relocation, a burial wished for in the country of origin – these are grounds that practice frequently accepts.

The consents. The entitled relatives must agree, in writing. This is the point on which the greatest number of files fail.

The health dimension. Depending on the canton, the timing of the burial and the circumstances, an assessment by the cantonal or district medical officer may be required.

On top of that comes the rest period: opening before it expires demands a stronger argument than opening afterwards.

What a complete file contains

Requirements vary between municipalities, but a file that does not come back for completion generally contains:

• precise identification of the grave – cemetery, section, row, number;
• the identity of the deceased person and the date of burial;
• a statement of the reason, phrased simply but concretely;
• signed consent declarations from the entitled relatives;
• the intended destination – a new grave in Switzerland, or transfer abroad;
• evidence that the destination plot is available and accepted by the receiving municipality.

That last point is the one most often forgotten. A municipality is reluctant to authorise an opening without knowing where the person will be laid afterwards. Clarifying the destination before filing saves a full round trip.

When the medical officer gets involved

Involvement of a cantonal or district medical officer is not automatic. It becomes likely when the opening is requested before the rest period expires, when the burial is recent, or when particular circumstances surround the death.

This step lengthens the procedure, sometimes by several weeks. It is not an obstacle in itself: it is an assessment, and it usually results in conditions for carrying out the work – time of year, protective measures, method – rather than a refusal.

How long it takes

The honest answer is that it depends almost entirely on the municipality. Some decide within a few weeks. Others take considerably longer, particularly where a medical assessment is needed or not all relatives can be reached quickly.

We therefore never quote a duration before speaking to the authority concerned. After that first contact we give you a realistic range – not a figure designed to please.

If a transfer abroad is to follow, a second procedure is added with its own timelines. The two have to be planned together, otherwise you wait alternately for one and then the other.

Where files actually stall

After years of practice the finding is constant: it is almost never the substance that blocks a file, it is the form.

A relative lives abroad and does not reply. A signature is missing. The destination is not yet reserved. The cemetery name is right but the grave number is not. Each of these sends the file back, and each round trip costs weeks.

That is exactly the work we take on: assembling the documents in the right order, asking the municipality the right questions before filing, and submitting a file that does not need to come back. The preliminary check costs you nothing.