Funeral repatriation route guide
Repatriation from Egypt to Greece
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Repatriation from Egypt to Greece: what to expect
Egyptian nationals form a community in Greece, with professionals and students concentrated in Athens and Thessaloniki. Egypt and Greece have historical ties through the Mediterranean, the Coptic Christian diaspora, and longstanding commercial shipping routes. Arabic documentation from Egypt requires certified Greek translation for Greek civil registry purposes. The Greek Embassy in Cairo handles consular matters. This corridor also covers Egyptian tourists and business travellers who die in Greece. (Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 2025.)
- Key documents: Egyptian death certificate (in Arabic) and certified English translation
- Documentation takes 7-14 days in tourist areas. Longer in Cairo.
- Post-mortem required by the niyaba for all unnatural, sudden, or suspicious deaths.
- Greece Embassy in Cairo 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 Cairo 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
How repatriation from Egypt works
Contact police (122) or ambulance (123). All deaths of foreign nationals require police attendance. Contact the Death registered at the local health office. In tourist areas such as Hurghada and Sharm el-Sheikh, the process is generally simpler than in Cairo.
Step by step
Timeline: Egypt 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 at local health office or civil registry
In tourist areas, 3-5 days. Cairo and non-tourist areas take longer.
Local funeral director and registry
Greece Embassy in Cairo notified
Simultaneous with Step 1. Embassy provides a list of local funeral directors.
Family or repatriation specialist
Embalming and preparation
Embalming required for international repatriation. Quality variable outside Cairo.
Licensed local funeral director
Export documentation completed: MOFA stamp, all permits obtained
Allow 7-14 days in tourist areas. Cannot begin until niyaba releases body.
Local funeral director and authorities
Air cargo from Cairo International Airport
Once all documentation complete and cleared.
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 Egypt to Greece
In a straightforward tourist-area case, repatriation from Egypt to Greece takes 7-14 days. Most cases take 14-28 days once the niyaba investigation is factored in. Complex cases or deaths outside tourist zones can take 6-12 weeks.
The core documents are: Egyptian death certificate (in Arabic), certified English translation, MOFA attestation stamp, Embalming certificate, Freedom from infection certificate, Police clearance, and Passport of the deceased.
The Greece Embassy in Cairo can assist with document authentication and advise on repatriation requirements. They cannot pay for or arrange repatriation. Contact the Greece Embassy in Cairo as soon as possible after the death.
The niyaba (Egyptian public prosecutor) orders a post-mortem for all unnatural, sudden, violent, or suspicious deaths. This applies routinely to foreign national deaths. It adds time: typically 2-6 weeks. The body cannot be released until the niyaba issues authorisation.
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.
Egypt has no cremation facilities. All repatriations from Egypt are full body repatriations. Cremation in Egypt is not available regardless of religion or preference.
Related guides
More repatriation guidance
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If your loved one has died in Egypt, 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 Egypt (gov.uk) · Egypt repatriation guide · Frequently asked questions