Consular Funeral Services and Required Documents

Following a death abroad, coordination between healthcare providers, local authorities, the consulate, the airline, and customs authorities is required to repatriate the deceased to Turkey.

What Are Consular Funeral Services?

Consular funeral services are intended to support the family throughout these official procedures and ensure that the necessary steps are completed in the correct order. For more details about the consular stages of the process, please visit the Consular Funeral Procedures page.

For an overview of services related to transporting a deceased person between countries, please visit the International Funeral Repatriation page.

What Is Death Registration?

Death registration is the process of recording the death of a Turkish citizen who died abroad in Turkey’s civil registry.

Death registration and a funeral transit permit are not the same procedure. If the deceased is to be repatriated to Turkey, permits and documents for international transportation may be required in addition to death registration.

What Is a Funeral Transit Permit?

A funeral transit permit is one of the official documents issued to allow the deceased to be transported from one country to another.

Depending on the country, this document may be referred to as a “mortuary passport,” “Leichenpass,” “laissez-passer,” or by a similar term. It is prepared together with documents confirming that the deceased may be transported in compliance with legal and public health requirements.

What Is Form C?

Form C is an international extract from the death record. It is a multilingual official document containing essential information about the death.

In some countries, it is obtained from the local civil registry or municipal authorities; in others, it is issued by the relevant registration authority. The original document, a translation, or additional certification may be required depending on the country’s procedures.

Which Documents Are Submitted to the Consulate?

Although the exact list of documents varies by consular mission, the following may be required:

• The deceased person’s Turkish identity card
• The deceased person’s passport
• The applicant’s identification document
• The local death certificate
• The international extract from the death record (Form C)
• The medical certificate of death
• A certificate confirming the absence of an infectious disease
• An autopsy report or judicial authorization documents
• A funeral transportation or transit permit
• Flight details for transporting the deceased
• Details of the person who will receive the deceased in Turkey
• An information form prepared by the funeral transportation company

Resources provided by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey list the funeral transit permit application as a separate consular procedure for individuals who will be buried in Turkey. The current and definitive list of required documents should be obtained from the consular mission in the country where the death occurred.

For more information about flight reservations, cargo acceptance, and transportation requirements, please visit the Funeral Transportation by Air page.

Can a Funeral Company Handle Consular Procedures?

Subject to the rules of the relevant consular mission and the authorization granted, a funeral transportation company may handle certain document, notification, flight, and coordination procedures on behalf of the family.

Some consular missions require an in-person application, while some countries may allow a funeral company to submit it. Authorization and appointment requirements should therefore be confirmed before applying.

Do the Documents Require Translation or an Apostille?

Depending on the country in which the document was issued, its language, and the agreements between the two countries, a translation, notarization, apostille, or authentication by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs may be required.

Missing or incorrect documents may delay the flight reservation. It is therefore important to prepare the documents in accordance with the requirements of both the consulate and the operating airline.

Professional Support During the Consular Process

Günal Funeral Services states that, depending on the scope of service, it can handle consular notifications, death certificates, transportation permits, flight arrangements, and airport reception in Turkey.

For 24/7 information about consular funeral services, please call +90 553 888 25 15.