Repatriating ashes from Zagreb to Beijing
Tomislav Princivali, Organisation Manager of Funeral Hrvojka – Princivali Repatriation Assistance, explains how his firm helped a Chinese family arrange for the cremation and return of their loved one’s remains.
Losing a loved one is an incredibly difficult experience, made even more challenging when dealing with the logistics of funeral arrangements – especially in a foreign country. In this case study, we will explore an unexpected and sudden death on the Croatian island of Vis, located in the Adriatic Sea; the transportation of human remains to a hospital in Split for autopsy; the process of cremation in a crematorium in Zagreb; and sending the ashes home to the person’s family in Beijing, China.
The call-out
When a loved one passes away in a foreign country, it is crucial to have a clear understanding of the local funeral procedures and regulations. In this case, the first contact we got was from a Chinese insurance company, who wanted to know the procedure and the price of an urn or coffin repatriation. After sending them all the necessary information, they informed us that the case was open for private agreement with the family.
Unfortunately, we were not in direct contact with the family – everything went through the insurance firm, who were not allowed to give us contacts.
Arranging the cremation
After a few days, an email arrived from the deceased’s family, requesting a quote for the cremation of their loved one, alongside all the necessary documentation The family requested that we present our reviews along with the price quote, and we sent them a link to our Google reviews, along with the written quote.
Soon after that, they accepted everything and we started preparing the documentation in Split, as well as booking the cremation appointment in Zagreb.
After we received the medical documents and applied for the death certificate, we explained to the family that we would not need a transport permit or laissez-passer to send the urn to China.
We organised the viewing of the body in Split, and the last greeting before the trip to crematorium. We agreed with the family that we would meet again in Zagreb, upon the arrival of the body at the crematorium.
The family was very grateful to us because we organised the viewing of the body at Zagreb crematorium before the very beginning of cremation, in line with their cultural traditions.
Sending the ashes home
The family appreciated our service, because we managed to acquire all necessary death certificates from the Chinese embassy in Zagreb in just two days. This included the full legalisation of the document, with an apostille stamp, with Chinese translations of all documents.
The lack of the delays meant that they didn’t need to change their flights – which allowed them to return to China, report the death, and place a claim with the insurance company to have the repatriation costs reimbursed.
After a couple of weeks, we received a new review in Chinese, and we were so grateful. It’s nice when we can help someone in difficult times – when we can make difficult days easier for someone, and when we touch someone’s soul. That’s why we continue to deal with this sort of call every day.
April 2024
Issue
In this issue we focus on the evacuation of people from war zones; the repatriation of human remains after a disaster; how assistance providers can work more effectively with local healthcare providers; and the benefits of subcontracting to local firms.
Editorial Team
The Editorial Team updates the ITIJ website daily, and works on features for the print edition. With expert industry knowledge and years of experience in writing about complex travel insurance issues, the Editorial Team is ready to investigate and report on the topics that matter most to ITIJ's readers.
