Repatriation to the country of origin

Many families have the deceased repatriated to the country of origin, most often to Turkey. The procedure is well established, but it takes a few days and, without a fund, costs several thousand euro. Here is the process for Hamburg.

How it works

1. Engage a funeral director. A Muslim funeral director with experience in repatriations takes care of everything further. All Hamburg funeral directors on our list offer repatriations.
2. Death certificate from the Standesamt (registry office). Ideally the international, multilingual version.
3. Apply for the Leichenpass (mortuary passport). Responsible for the whole of Hamburg is the Bezirksamt Wandsbek (district office), Robert-Schuman-Brücke 8, 22041 Hamburg, phone +49 40 42881-3483, Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 8:30 to 12:00. Required are the death certificate, the confidential part of the medical death certificate and the coffining declaration from the funeral director. Fee €31; as a rule, the passport is ready on the next working day. The application can also be made online with BundID.
4. Coffin with zinc lining. For air transport, airlines and destination countries require an airtight, soldered zinc coffin inside a wooden coffin. The ritual washing takes place beforehand in Hamburg; the burial in the shroud then takes place in the destination country.
5. Consulate. Depending on the country, the consulate confirms the documents. The Turkish Consulate General in Hamburg is located at Tesdorpfstraße 18, 20148 Hamburg. The funeral director knows the procedure.
6. Flight. The funeral director books the freight, usually from Hamburg or Frankfurt. A relative may accompany the deceased. In the destination country, a partner funeral director or the community takes over.

Costs

Without a fund, repatriation to Turkey from Hamburg costs around €1,500 to €2,700 according to funeral directors, depending on the price of the flight, cooling and embalming. Added to this are the Leichenpass (€31), death certificates and the burial in the destination country.

With a fund: members of the DITIB burial fund, the VIKZ death fund or the UKBA (IGMG) usually pay nothing for the repatriation. The fund covers transport, formalities and often a flight ticket for an accompanying person. The grave and burial in the destination country are usually not included. Membership must exist before the death. All funds with contact details under Associations and funds.

Or in Hamburg after all?

More and more families choose burial in Hamburg. The reasons: the burial can take place within a few days, the grave is within reach, and the conditions are now religiously acceptable: burial without a coffin, alignment towards Mecca, a washing house at the cemetery, and permanent rest of the remains through the state treaty. The cemeteries with Islamic burial sections are listed under Cemeteries in Hamburg.