Funeral repatriation route guide
Repatriation from Albania to Greece
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Repatriation from Albania to Greece: what to expect
Albanian nationals form Greece's largest immigrant community, with over 400,000 residents working across construction, agriculture, hospitality, and service sectors throughout mainland Greece and the islands. Albania and Greece share a land border, and Albanians have migrated to Greece in large numbers since the early 1990s. The Albanian diaspora in Greece is well established, and the Greece to Albania repatriation corridor is one of the highest-volume in the region. Albanian documentation requires certified Greek translation. The Greek Embassy in Tirana handles consular matters. (Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 2025.)
- Key document: Vertetika e vdekjes (death certificate from Civil Status Office)
- Documentation takes 3-7 days. Appoint a specialist on day one.
- Albania is a Hague Apostille Convention member, which simplifies document legalisation.
- Death must be registered at the Zyra e Gjendjes Civile (Civil Status Office) promptly.
- Greece Embassy in Tirana can advise on documentation. They cannot fund repatriation.
In Greece
When the body arrives in Greece
The Greek funeral director (grafeiou teletou) takes custody at Athens Eleftherios Venizelos (ATH) or Thessaloniki Macedonia (SKG) cargo terminal. A local health authority clearance is required before burial or cremation. The Lixiarcheio (civil registry) registers the death. Greece is an EU and Hague Apostille Convention member. All foreign documents not in Greek require certified Greek translation. (Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 2025.)
Consular support
Greek Embassy in Tirana can advise on documentation requirements for repatriation to Greece. Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs emergency line: +30 210 3681 000 (24 hours). The Greek Embassy cannot pay for or arrange repatriation.
The process
What happens after a death in Albania
After a death in Albania, the family should contact the local emergency services on 112 and have the death formally certified. It is then registered with the Zyra e Gjendjes Civile (Civil Status Office), and a local death certificate issued, which usually takes 3-7 days. Where a death is violent, suspicious or unexplained, the Prosecutor's Office takes jurisdiction and may order a post-mortem before the body can be released. Once the paperwork is complete, the body is embalmed, sealed in a zinc-lined coffin, and flown to Greece as air cargo, where a receiving funeral director takes custody. Most cases take 1-2 weeks from the death to arrival in Greece.
Step by step
Timeline: Albania to Greece
Immediate steps after death
Day of death. Contact the embassy or consulate of the person's own country (citizens of Greece: +30 210 3681 000).
Family or travel insurer
Death registered. Vertetika e vdekjes (death certificate from Civil Status Office) obtained.
Death must be registered with the Zyra e Gjendjes Civile (Civil Status Office). Prosecutor's Office may be involved.
Local funeral director and registry
Greece Embassy in Tirana notified
Simultaneous with Step 1. Embassy provides a list of local funeral directors.
Family or repatriation specialist
Embalming and preparation.
After body released by authorities.
Licensed local funeral director
All export documentation and permits obtained.
Allow 3-7 days. Cannot begin until death certificate issued.
Local funeral director and authorities
Air cargo to Greece
Once all documentation complete. Greece cargo terminal
Repatriation specialist and airline cargo
Greece funeral director takes custody. The receiving funeral director coordinates with local authorities.
Within 24 hours of arrival.
Receiving funeral director
Common questions
FAQs: repatriation from Albania to Greece
In a straightforward case, repatriation from Albania to Greece takes 1-2 weeks. The fastest cases complete in 7-10 days. Complex cases can take 3-6 weeks or longer.
Albania is a Hague Apostille Convention member, which simplifies document legalisation.
The core documents are: Vertetika e vdekjes (death certificate, certified English translation required), Prosecutor's clearance (for unnatural deaths), Embalming certificate, Export permit, Freedom from infection certificate. Your repatriation coordinator handles obtaining these on your behalf.
The Greece Embassy in Tirana can assist with document authentication and advise on repatriation requirements. They cannot pay for or arrange repatriation. Contact the Greece Embassy in Tirana as soon as possible after the death.
Violent, suspicious, or unexplained deaths require a post-mortem, which adds time. The body cannot be released until the authorities authorise it.
The Greek funeral director takes custody at Athens Eleftherios Venizelos (ATH) or Thessaloniki (SKG) cargo terminal. Local health authority clearance is required before burial or cremation. The Lixiarcheio registers the death. All foreign documents require certified Greek translation. The receiving funeral director coordinates with local authorities.
Cremation in Albania is available. Bringing the ashes home to Greece is an option. You will need the death certificate, cremation certificate, and export documentation.
Related guides
More repatriation guidance
We are here to help. Send us the details, any time
If your loved one has died in Albania, please do not face this alone. Send us the details and we will explain what happens next and prepare a quote for bringing them home to Greece.
Reviewed by the Repatriate Service editorial team. Information sourced from official government and embassy guidance and professional repatriation experience. Facts last checked September 2026; page updated .
Sources: Official guidance on a death in Albania (gov.uk) · Albania repatriation guide · Frequently asked questions