Ashes transport guide
Bringing ashes home from Serbia
You have ashes in Serbia and need to bring them home. This page covers what Serbia requires before they can leave.
Quick reference
3-10 days to arrange
What does Serbia require before ashes can leave?
Departure airports: BEG (Nikola Tesla Airport, Belgrade)
Carriers serving the UK: Air Serbia; Wizz Air; Ryanair
Authority that must release the case: Maticna knjiga (Births, Deaths and Marriages Register), local municipality; Ministry of Health of the Republic of Serbia; Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Belgrade; MUP (Ministry of Interior); Javno Tuzilastvo (Public Prosecutor's Office)
The rules that apply on any route, and what you may do with ashes once home, are covered in bringing ashes into the UK.
What are the airline rules for carrying ashes?
What does Serbia require to export ashes?
Cremation availability
Cremation may be restricted or unavailable in Serbia due to religious or legal reasons. If you are dealing with ashes from a previous cremation held elsewhere, the export rules may differ. Contact us for guidance specific to your situation.
What affects the cost?
Carrying ashes home yourself is the least expensive way to bring someone back from Serbia, and for many families it costs little more than the return flight they are already taking. We do not publish a figure, because what you pay depends on the case.
| What changes the cost | Why |
|---|---|
| Whether the cremation has already taken place | Arranging it locally adds funeral director and crematorium involvement |
| Where the death happened | Distance to the nearest crematorium changes local transfer |
| Carrying versus shipping | Hand luggage costs nothing extra; a specialist courier is a separate arrangement |
| Documentation Serbia requires | Export permits and translation, where they apply |
Send us the details of your situation and we will give you a figure, with no obligation.
What else is worth knowing about Serbia?
Serbia is a Strasbourg Convention signatory (Council of Europe member); this simplifies death certificate acceptance compared to non-signatory countries; Air Serbia operates direct flights from Belgrade BEG to London Heathrow, making cargo routing straightforward; Serbian documentation is in Serbian (Cyrillic script); certified English translation required for all UK-bound documents; Serbia is not an EU member; UK families do not benefit from EU regulations on cross-border repatriation; Deaths in popular ski resorts (Kopaonik, Zlatibor) are typically handled by local police before transfer to Belgrade if complex
medium
Full repatriation guide
Complete guide: repatriation from Serbia
Official support
British Embassy in Serbia: contacts and what consular staff can do
Need guidance?
We can help with ashes transport
We deal with Maticna knjiga (Births, Deaths and Marriages Register), local municipality; Ministry of Health of the Republic of Serbia; Institute of Forensic Medicine, University of Belgrade; MUP (Ministry of Interior); Javno Tuzilastvo (Public Prosecutor's Office) and the local crematorium directly.
Send an enquiryFurther guidance
Sources: FCDO: death abroad · FCDO travel advice · Repatriation from Serbia
More on ashes and cremation abroad
Bringing ashes home from Serbia
Tell us where the ashes are now and where home is. We will explain what is needed and send you a quote. We send ashes home to the UK, Ireland or any other country.