Repatriation from Switzerland to another country

It is the central document for transporting a deceased person across a border: it travels with the coffin and confirms that the transport is admissible and meets health requirements. Crucially for your timeline, it is issued only after the exhumation has been authorised and carried out.

For international transport a sealed coffin with a zinc lining is generally required. A coffin that has spent years in the ground no longer meets that standard. It must be on site on the day of the opening – ordering it afterwards would mean opening the grave a second time.

It is the destination country's recognition of the Swiss documents. Requirements differ sharply: some consulates legalise originals only, some demand certified translations, some work with fixed appointment windows. Only the consulate concerned can give you the binding list.

The Swiss side depends on the municipality, the international side on the destination's consulate. Run in parallel rather than one after the other, these steps overlap substantially – that is where most of the difference between weeks and months is made.

Considerably: no zinc-lined coffin, and weight and volume that bear no comparison. It still is not document-free, though – the requirements depend on the destination country.

Yes. In Switzerland a grave may only be opened with official authorisation. The decision rests with the Gemeinde – the municipality that owns the cemetery, not your municipality of residence. Each one applies its own cemetery regulations.

As a rule the closest surviving relatives, or whoever holds the right of use to the grave. Relatives of the same degree are treated equally: if there are three children, the authority will normally want all three signatures, not a majority.

That depends almost entirely on the municipality. Some decide within a few weeks, others take considerably longer – particularly if an assessment by the Kantonsarzt (cantonal medical officer) is required, or if not every relative can be reached quickly.

For the work at the grave itself, experience puts the figure at roughly CHF 3,000 to 4,000 for a coffin. That covers two trained staff, travel both ways, cleaning and all expenses. Municipal fees, a new coffin and – for transport abroad – documents and freight come on top.

Yes, if you wish. We arrange the appointment for a quiet time at the cemetery and set up screening. Choosing not to attend is equally valid, and it is what most families decide; we then document the work for you.