At a glance
- Name of travel document
- ligpas, i.e. laissez-passer for the deceased
- Issuer
- supervisory and advisory unit of the Danish Patient Safety Authority
- Prior administrative decision
- decision of the burial authority that the death has been reported
- Routine document collection
- No separate handling fee. Fees charged by authorities or other institutions are paid according to their actual invoice.
- After official documents are complete
- arrival at the agreed address within 48 hours
Who issues ligpas in Denmark?
Styrelsen for Patientsikkerhed states that the ligpas for international transport is issued by its Tilsyn og Rådgivning units. The case is directed towards the appropriate regional unit. It is a health administrative decision, not a municipality's death certificate or burial authority's confirmation. Each of these documents has its function in the chain.
The Danish regulation from 1983 uses the names ligpas, laissez-passer for a corpse and laissez-passer mortuaire. The document is issued in Danish and English or in Danish and French. There are special simplifications for Nordic routes, but they do not apply to Serbia and other destinations in the region.
A ligpas accompanies the deceased during international transport. Under the Danish rules, an urn is exempt from this document, which confirms that transporting a body and transporting ashes are separate procedures.
Which attachments does the health administration check?
The first attachment is the medical data from the death certificate, including digitally recorded data on infectious diseases. If the entry is exceptionally not done electronically, the doctor can fill in the prescribed data on a copy of page 2 of the medical death certificate, adding their professional identification, readable name, signature, workplace and telephone number.
The second attachment is the decision of the burial authority on the request for burial or cremation, as proof that the death has been reported. The Danish Ministry explains that the request is sent to the competent parish and that its decision arrives by digital mail.
Then a signed request for international transport with a description of the coffin and a certificate of soldering of the zinc coffin are submitted. If an aircraft is used, an embalming certificate is also required under the conditions published by the administration. Documents are sent securely electronically or submitted to the appropriate unit.
What does the Danish regulation prescribe for a coffin?
The regulation requires a material impermeable to moisture and an absorbent layer. It specifies an outer wooden coffin with a carefully soldered inner zinc coffin, or a single wooden coffin lined with zinc. For air transport, there are additional conditions associated with pressure changes. These are prescribed technical characteristics, not a marketing description of the equipment.
Special rules for Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden allow a different regime if the carrier does not require a stricter standard, but the coffin must still be closed and strong enough.
The circular links the doctor's certificate, the death report and the funeral director's statement in more detail with the issuance of the ligpas. If the deceased was buried earlier, the exhumation documentation also appears. Therefore, the status of the case is determined before the attachment list is drawn up.
When will the Danish ligpas be legalised?
Styrelsen for Patientsikkerhed states that a ligpas requires legalisation when it is used in or through countries not covered by agreements on the simplified repatriation of the deceased. Legalisation is managed by the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. That rule requires checking the entire route, not just the final address.
It should not be claimed in advance that legalisation is always necessary or always unnecessary. The status of the international agreement and the requirements of the country of destination are checked on the day of the procedure.
What is the difference between Serbia, BiH, Croatia and Montenegro?
Serbia requires a Serbian sprovodnica from its competent diplomatic-consular mission together with the prescribed original documents. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the request is chosen according to the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Republic of Srpska or the Brčko District.
The Danish ligpas enters each destination file as the starting document, but the follow-up differs. The correct burial destination, identification and health information are linked to the rule of the specific country and the corresponding consular representation.
Possible land routes from Denmark continue through Germany towards Central and Southeastern Europe. A sea connection can change the initial sequence of transit countries. These are logistical possibilities, not a publicly promised route; documents are prepared only when the actual direction is determined.
What is important to submit for a case in Denmark?
The place of death, the name of the institution, an identification document, the status of the application to the burial authority and the country with the city of burial are required.
We collect routine documents without a separate handling fee. In a routine case, arrival at the address within 48 hours is planned once the Danish ligpas has been issued, the destination document has been completed and the deceased has been released. The authority's deadline for a special medical or investigative procedure cannot be replaced by an internal promise. Fees charged by authorities or other institutions are paid according to their actual invoice.
Process for this case
- Step 1 of 5
Danish death report
The medical data and the decision of the burial authority form the basis for an international request.
- Step 2 of 5
Coffin evidence
The signed form and the corresponding certificates show the fulfilment of the technical conditions.
- Step 3 of 5
Issuance of ligpas
The competent regional health unit issues the travel document.
- Step 4 of 5
Destination consular document
The destination country’s consular document is obtained for the precise destination country and burial place.
- Step 5 of 5
International handover
The originals accompany the deceased to a predetermined recipient.
Sources and review date
The official sources listed below were reviewed for the statements on this page. Responsibilities and forms can change, so the current version published by the relevant authority remains decisive.
- Styrelsen for Patientsikkerhed – official guidance — Styrelsen for Patientsikkerhed · reviewed
- Styrelsen for Patientsikkerhed – official guidance — Styrelsen for Patientsikkerhed · reviewed
- Retsinformation – official guidance — Retsinformation · reviewed
- By-, Land- og Kirkeministeriet – official guidance — By-, Land- og Kirkeministeriet · reviewed
- Retsinformation – official guidance — Retsinformation · reviewed
- Council of Europe – official guidance — Council of Europe · reviewed
- European Commission — DG MOVE – official guidance — European Commission — DG MOVE · reviewed
- Ministarstvo spoljnih poslova Republike Srbije – official guidance — Ministarstvo spoljnih poslova Republike Srbije · reviewed
- Ministarstvo vanjskih poslova Bosne i Hercegovine – official guidance — Ministarstvo vanjskih poslova Bosne i Hercegovine · reviewed
- Ministarstvo vanjskih i europskih poslova – official guidance — Ministarstvo vanjskih i europskih poslova · reviewed
- Vlada Crne Gore – official guidance — Vlada Crne Gore · reviewed
Frequently asked questions
Who issues the ligpas for the deceased in Denmark?
It is issued by the Tilsyn og Rådgivning units of the Danish Patient Safety Authority (Styrelsen for Patientsikkerhed).
Is the decision of the burial authority the same as the ligpas?
It is not. The decision confirms the death report and is one of the attachments on the basis of which the health administration issues the ligpas.
Which medical information is particularly important for the Danish application?
The administration requests information from the medical death certificate on whether the deceased had an infectious disease.
Do the same coffin conditions apply to the Nordic direction and Serbia?
Not necessarily. The Danish regulation has special exceptions for the four Nordic countries, which do not automatically apply to Serbia.
When is ligpas legalisation required?
When the route includes a country outside the agreement on simplified transport, according to the current assessment of the Danish administration and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Is a ligpas required for an urn leaving Denmark?
Danish instructions say that a ligpas is not required for transporting ashes in an urn; then other documents apply.
What does the delivery time from Denmark depend on?
For a regular case, it depends on the release of the deceased, a completed ligpas, a destination document and a confirmed recipient.