Funeral repatriation route guide
Repatriation from Iran to Greece
For families bringing someone home to Greece. Send the details any time and we will take it from there.
Quick answer
Repatriation from Iran to Greece: what to expect
Iranian nationals form a growing diaspora in Greece, with asylum seekers and established residents concentrated in Athens. Greece and Iran maintain diplomatic relations, and many Iranians have settled in Greece through legal migration and humanitarian channels. Farsi documentation from Iran requires certified Greek translation for Greek Lixiarcheio purposes. The Greek Embassy in Tehran handles consular matters. Iran to Greece is a significant migration corridor requiring specialist document handling. (Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 2025.)
- Key document: Persian death certificate from National Organisation for Civil Registration (requires certified English translation)
- Documentation takes 14-28 days. Appoint a specialist on day one.
- All documentation is in Persian and requires certified English translation for Greece acceptance.
Step by step
Timeline: Iran 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. Persian death certificate from National Organisation for Civil Registration (requires certified English translation) obtained.
Death must be registered with the National Organisation for Civil Registration. Legal Medicine Organisation (Pezeshki Qanuni) may be involved.
Local funeral director and registry
Greece Embassy in Tehran 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 14-28 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
The process
What happens after a death in Iran
Repatriation from Iran begins at the local level: contacting the emergency services on 115, then registering the death with the National Organisation for Civil Registration and obtaining a certified local death certificate, which usually takes 14-28 days. A death that is violent, suspicious or unexplained falls under the jurisdiction of the Legal Medicine Organisation (Pezeshki Qanuni), which may require a post-mortem first. With the paperwork complete, the body is embalmed, sealed in a zinc-lined coffin, and cleared for export before being flown to Greece as air cargo. A funeral director in Greece then takes custody. The full process most often takes 3-6 weeks.
Common questions
FAQs: repatriation from Iran to Greece
In a straightforward case, repatriation from Iran to Greece takes 3-6 weeks. The fastest cases complete in 2-4 weeks. Complex cases can take 2-4 months or longer.
The core documents are: Persian death certificate (certified English translation required), Legal Medicine Organisation clearance, Exit permit from Iranian authorities, Embalming certificate, Freedom from infection certificate. Your repatriation coordinator handles obtaining these on your behalf.
The Greece Embassy in Tehran can assist with document authentication and advise on repatriation requirements. They cannot pay for or arrange repatriation. Contact the Greece Embassy in Tehran 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 is not permitted under Iranian law. Full body repatriation is the only option.
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 Tehran 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.
Related guides
More repatriation guidance
We are here to help. Send us the details, any time
If your loved one has died in Iran, 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 Iran (gov.uk) · Iran repatriation guide · Frequently asked questions