Funeral repatriation route guide
Repatriation from Georgia to Greece
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Repatriation from Georgia to Greece: what to expect
Georgian nationals form a growing community in Greece, working in construction, agriculture, and trade in Athens and Thessaloniki. Georgia and Greece have bilateral diplomatic relations, and Georgian labour migration to Southern Europe has grown consistently in recent years. Georgian documentation in the Georgian script requires certified Greek translation for Greek Lixiarcheio (civil registry) purposes. The Greek Embassy in Tbilisi handles consular matters. (Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 2025.)
- Key document: Death certificate from Civil Registry Agency (requires certified English translation)
- Documentation takes 5-10 days. Appoint a specialist on day one.
- Death must be registered with the Civil Registry Agency promptly.
- All Georgian-language documentation requires a certified English translation for Greece acceptance.
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 Tbilisi 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 Georgia
After a death in Georgia, the family should contact the local emergency services on 112 and have the death formally certified. It is then registered with the Civil Registry Agency, and a local death certificate issued, which usually takes 5-10 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: Georgia 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. Death certificate from Civil Registry Agency (requires certified English translation) obtained.
Death must be registered with the Civil Registry Agency. Prosecutor's Office may be involved.
Local funeral director and registry
Greece Embassy in Tbilisi 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 5-10 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 Georgia to Greece
In a straightforward case, repatriation from Georgia to Greece takes 1-2 weeks. The fastest cases complete in 7-10 days. Complex cases can take 3-6 weeks or longer.
Death must be registered with the Civil Registry Agency promptly.
The core documents are: Death certificate from Civil Registry Agency (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 Tbilisi can assist with document authentication and advise on repatriation requirements. They cannot pay for or arrange repatriation. Contact the Greece Embassy in Tbilisi 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 Georgia is available. Bringing the ashes home to Greece is an option alongside full body repatriation.
Related guides
More repatriation guidance
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If your loved one has died in Georgia, 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 Georgia (gov.uk) · Georgia repatriation guide · Frequently asked questions