What to Do When a Citizen of Ukraine Dies in Germany: 5-Step Official Checklist

1. 1

   Medical Examination of the Body and Death Certificate in Germany (Immediate)

   First, the death must be officially pronounced in Germany by a physician through the statutory post-mortem examination (ärztliche Leichenschau) so that the official medical certificate of death (Todesbescheinigung or Totenschein, containing a confidential and a non-confidential section) can be issued [1][2]:

   • Death in a hospital, nursing home, or hospice: The treating facility arranges the medical examination and issues the Todesbescheinigung directly on site, providing initial care in its own mortuary cold room [1][2].
   • Death in a private residence, accommodation, or public place: Immediately contact the on-call medical service (ärztlicher Bereitschaftsdienst, nationwide number 116 117), emergency medical services (emergency number 112), or the family doctor's practice to perform the Leichenschau [2]. Only after the medical death certificate has been issued may a funeral director collect the deceased and transfer them to a mortuary.
   • Unexplained or unnatural cause of death: If the physician records an unexplained or unnatural manner of death (for example, in the event of a sudden death or accident), the police and public prosecutor's office (Staatsanwaltschaft) are called in. Before cremation, burial, or international repatriation to Ukraine can proceed, written clearance from the competent German public prosecutor's office must be obtained [1][3].
2. 2

   Checking Insurance, Appointing Funeral Directors, and Informing the Ukrainian Diplomatic Mission

   Before placing paid individual orders, check whether the deceased had travel health or repatriation insurance, accident insurance, or public cost coverage (for example, if receiving social benefits in Germany under SGB II, SGB XII, or AsylbLG, which may cover a standard local funeral under § 74 SGB XII):

   • Coordination between funeral directors in Germany and Ukraine: Complying with the relevant German state burial laws (Landesbestattungsgesetze) and Germany's compulsory cemetery requirement (Friedhofszwang), appoint a licensed funeral home in Germany (Bestattungsunternehmen) that coordinates repatriation with a municipal or licensed funeral service in Ukraine (ритуальна служба - municipal funeral enterprise or licensed funeral service) [2][3].
   • Neutral professional association: Clarvia provides directories solely for orientation and does not recommend, endorse, or rank individual providers. You can find a licensed funeral director in Germany (for local burials and international repatriations to Ukraine) through the German professional association, the Federal Association of German Funeral Directors (Bundesverband Deutscher Bestatter e.V., phone +49 211 16008-10, 24-hour emergency helpline +49 211 16008-86, email [email protected]) [2].
   • Contacting Ukrainian diplomatic missions in Germany: Notify the competent foreign mission of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine (Департамент консульської служби МЗС України): the Embassy of Ukraine in the Federal Republic of Germany (Botschaft der Ukraine in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, Albrechtstraße 26, 10117 Berlin, main switchboard +49 30 28 88 71 28, consular section +49 30 28 88 71 70, email [email protected]) [3][5] or the locally competent Consulate General (for example, the Consulate General of Ukraine in Frankfurt am Main - Generalkonsulat der Ukraine in Frankfurt am Main, phone +49 69 29 72 09 20, email [email protected], as well as the Consulates General in Hamburg, Düsseldorf, and Munich) [4]. The deceased's original Ukrainian passport is presented to the Ukrainian mission to record the death annotation (cancellation mark) and update the consular registers [3][4].
3. 3

   Civil Registration in Germany, Hague Apostille, and Recognition in Ukraine

   All deaths occurring on German territory must be registered by the German civil registry office (Standesamt) of the place of death; Ukrainian consulates in Germany do not issue separate Ukrainian death certificates for persons who die in Germany [3][4]:

   • Reporting to the German civil registry office (no later than the third working day): Under § 28 of the German Civil Status Act (Personenstandsgesetz - PStG), the death must be reported to the Standesamt of the place of death in Germany no later than the third working day following the death [1]. You must submit the medical death certificate (Todesbescheinigung), the deceased's Ukrainian passport, and Ukrainian civil status records (birth certificate and, where applicable, marriage or divorce certificate with a certified German translation) [1][3]. If the Standesamt cannot immediately issue the final death certificate due to missing documents, it issues a certificate of deferred registration (Bescheinigung über die Zurückstellung der Beurkundung eines Sterbefalls), which is sufficient for burial or repatriation (however, the final Sterbeurkunde is required for subsequent pension and inheritance proceedings) [3][4].
   • Mandatory Hague Apostille and certified translation for Ukraine: Although the German Standesamt can issue multilingual extracts on Form C (1976 Vienna CIEC Convention), Ukraine is not a party to the Vienna CIEC Convention. For the German death certificate (Sterbeurkunde or Auszug aus dem Sterbeeintrag) to be legally valid at the border and before all authorities in Ukraine, it must be legalized with a Hague Apostille from the competent German state authority (depending on the federal state: Regierungspräsidium, Bezirksregierung, Polizeipräsidium, or Landesverwaltungsamt) and subsequently translated into Ukrainian by a sworn translator or notarially certified [3][4].
   • Ukrainian civil status registers (DRACS / ДРАЦС): Whereas for a death occurring inside Ukraine registration takes place within 3 days at a Department of State Registration of Civil Status Acts (відділ державної реєстрації актів цивільного стану - ДРАЦС of the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine, via an Administrative Service Centre ЦНАП or the Дія portal) to obtain a Ukrainian death certificate (свідоцтво про смерть) and registry extract (витяг з Державного реєстру актів цивільного стану громадян про смерть) [6][7], a German death certificate bearing an Apostille and a certified Ukrainian translation is directly recognized in Ukraine by the bodies of the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine (Ministerium der Justiz der Ukraine), notaries, and the Pension Fund [3][6].
4. 4

   Choosing Between International Repatriation to Ukraine and Burial in Germany

   Depending on the family's decision, the appointed funeral director coordinates one of two options:

   • Option A - International repatriation of the body or urn to Ukraine:
     • Repatriating a body in a soldered zinc coffin: The funeral director applies to the competent German authority at the place of death (Ordnungsamt, Gesundheitsamt, or Standesamt) for the mortuary passport (Leichenpass) (under the 1937 International Berlin Agreement and state burial law), which must also receive an Apostille and a certified Ukrainian translation for presentation in Ukraine [3][4]. In addition, a medical certificate confirming freedom from contagious disease (meeting the sanitary clearance requirements of the Ukrainian authority Держпродспоживслужба), proper encasement in a hermetically soldered zinc-lined coffin (оцинкована герметична труна), and a funeral director's certificate for customs authorities confirming that the coffin contains no unauthorized items are required [3][4].
     • Repatriating an urn (капсула з прахом) after cremation in Germany: Due to Germany's compulsory cemetery requirement (Friedhofszwang), the sealed ash capsule is released through the appointed funeral director [2][3]. Entry into Ukraine requires the German death certificate with an Apostille, the cremation certificate issued by the German crematorium (Einäscherungsbescheinigung), and the customs declaration confirming that the urn contains no foreign objects (Erklärung zur Vorlage der Zollbehörde), each accompanied by a certified Ukrainian translation [3][4].
   • Option B - Burial or cremation in Germany: If the funeral takes place in Germany, statutory waiting periods (generally at least 48 hours after death), the mandatory second medical post-mortem examination (zweite Leichenschau) prior to cremation, and compulsory cemetery burial (Friedhofszwang) under the applicable German state burial law apply [2].
5. 5

   Pensions, Funeral Grant, Social Benefits, and Probate in Ukraine and Germany

   Using the German death certificate bearing an Apostille and certified Ukrainian translation (along with original German certificates for German authorities), complete the following steps:

   • Procedures in Ukraine:
     • Pension Fund of Ukraine (Пенсійний фонд України - ПФУ): If the deceased was entitled to a pension or socially insured in Ukraine, the persons who arranged the funeral can apply at any service centre of the Pension Fund of Ukraine or online via the PFU web portal or the Ukrainian state portal Diia (Staatliches Portal Diia) for the Ukrainian funeral grant (допомога на поховання) (equal to two months' pension for civilian pensioners, or three months' pension for military pensioners) as well as any unpaid pension arrears [7]. Dependent family members who are unable to work can also apply there for a Ukrainian survivor's pension (пенсія у зв'язку з втратою годувальника) [7].
     • Opening succession proceedings before a Ukrainian notary (6-month deadline): For assets or real estate located in Ukraine, heirs must open the succession file (відкриття спадкової справи) and declare acceptance or renunciation of the inheritance within a strict statutory deadline of 6 months from the date of death before a state or private Ukrainian notary (Нотаріальна палата України / Спадковий реєстр supervised by the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine - Ministerium der Justiz der Ukraine) [6].
   • Procedures in Germany:
     • German statutory pension insurance and the death quarter (Sterbevierteljahr): If the deceased held German pension entitlements, report the death to the German statutory pension insurance body (Deutsche Rentenversicherung, toll-free service number 0800 1000 4800 within Germany or +49 30 865 0 from abroad) to check eligibility for a widow's, widower's, or orphan's pension [8], and immediately notify the pension payment service (Renten Service der Deutschen Post, phone +49 221 569 2777), where surviving spouses can apply within 30 days of death for the three-month transition advance payment (Sterbevierteljahr) [8][9].
     • Health insurance, benefit offices, and German probate court: Notify the German statutory health insurance fund (Gesetzliche Krankenversicherung - GKV), banks, and, where applicable, the Jobcenter, Sozialamt, or Foreigners' Authority (Ausländerbehörde). If the deceased's last habitual residence or assets were located in Germany, the local probate court at the district court (Nachlassgericht beim Amtsgericht) is responsible for locating wills registered in the official Central Register of Wills (Zentrales Testamentsregister der Bundesnotarkammer, phone 0800 3550700), issuing a German Certificate of Inheritance (Erbschein), and recording any renunciation of inheritance under German law (within 6 weeks if residing in Germany, or 6 months if residing abroad) [10].

Official Authorities & Verified Contacts

Official Sources Checked by Clarvia

1. [1]
   German Civil Status Act (Personenstandsgesetz - PStG) § 28 Reporting a death to the civil registry office — Bundesministerium der Justiz (Gesetze im Internet)
2. [2]
   Contact and immediate bereavement assistance - Federal Association of German Funeral Directors (Bundesverband Deutscher Bestatter e.V.) — Bundesverband Deutscher Bestatter e.V.
3. [3]
   What to do in the event of the death of a Ukrainian citizen in Germany (death certificate, Apostille, and repatriation) — Botschaft der Ukraine in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland (germany.mfa.gov.ua)
4. [4]
   What to do in the event of the death of a Ukrainian citizen in Germany - Consular guidance — Generalkonsulat der Ukraine in Frankfurt am Main (frankfurt.mfa.gov.ua)
5. [5]
   Consular matters and contacts - Embassy of Ukraine in the Federal Republic of Germany — Botschaft der Ukraine in der Bundesrepublik Deutschland (germany.mfa.gov.ua)
6. [6]
   Procedure for obtaining an extract from the State Register of Civil Status Acts regarding death and estate administration — Ministerium der Justiz der Ukraine (centraljust.gov.ua)
7. [7]
   Payment of funeral grant for a pensioner (Pension Fund of Ukraine - PFU) — Staatliches Portal Diia (guide.diia.gov.ua)
8. [8]
   Pensions for survivors - widow's pension, widower's pension, and orphan's pension — Deutsche Rentenversicherung
9. [9]
   Renten Service der Deutschen Post - reporting a death and applying for the death quarter (Sterbevierteljahr) — Deutsche Post AG - Renten Service
10. [10]
    Central Register of Wills (Zentrales Testamentsregister - ZTR) of the Federal Chamber of Notaries — Bundesnotarkammer / Serviceportal Bund