At a glance
- Main international document
- passaporto mortuario when the convention regime is applied
- For other destinations
- Comune outward authorisation and the destination state’s Nulla Osta
- Local jurisdiction
- Comune of the location where the death occurred or the place where the deceased person is located
- collection of routine documents
- No separate handling fee. Fees charged by authorities or other institutions are paid according to their actual invoice.
- Straightforward case
- Arrival at the confirmed address within 48 hours
When is the passaporto mortuario issued in Italy?
The officially published criteria of the City of Milan distinguish between two international regimes. When the country of destination is in the regime of the Berlin Convention of 1937, the passaporto mortuario is used. For another country, a permit for transport abroad is issued, and the case includes a Nulla Osta for entry issued by the representative office of the country of destination.
The Comune of the location where the death occurred has jurisdiction. Where the deceased person was buried earlier, the case is handled by the Comune where the deceased person is located. The request is based on the registry and health evidence, the record of the closing of the coffin and the destination-country document. If the public prosecution is involved in the case, its special approval is also required before the international continuation.
What does Nulla Osta mean in this procedure?
Nulla Osta literally confirms that there is no administrative obstacle for a certain action. In the Milan instructions for destinations outside the convention regime, it is a confirmation from the competent consulate or embassy that the country of destination allows the entry of the deceased person. It should not be confused with a death certificate, a medical report or an Italian exit permit: each document confirms a different part of the legal chain.
For Serbia, the conditions of entry are proven by an official instrument from the diplomatic and consular representation of Serbia. The Serbian ministry is asking for original documents, including an Italian document that allows international exit. For Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Montenegro, their consular lists apply. The correct name of the certificate is always checked against the receiving country, not the language of the family.
Why is an Italian Comune more important than a region?
The region provides the geographical and health framework, but the civil-registration record and international approval start with the competent Comune. Milan publishes its own procedure and list of attachments; another Comune may use a different submission form or channel even though it applies the same state framework. This is why the Milan address is not used for departures from Rome, Turin or Naples, simply because the Milan portal is more detailed.
The exact location can be a hospital, Comune-level mortuary, home or other place recorded by a public authority. If the death is natural, the course is different from the case with an autopsy or with previously buried remains. Where exhumation is required, jurisdiction passes to the place where the deceased person is located, and not necessarily to the Comune of the original death. Such a case has a separate legal and time frame.
How is repatriation from Italy connected to the Balkans?
Departures from northern Italy are naturally connected to Slovenia, and then to Croatia or further to other countries of the region. Central and southern departures first pass through the Italian network to the northeast. The European TEN-T system includes roads, urban hubs, ports and multimodal connections, so a different combination of transport can be considered at more distant points of departure if it is legally and operationally justified.
Transit countries make up the geographical framework: Slovenia and Croatia are crucial for the land direction towards the Western Balkans, while the final continuation determines the final receiving place. Documents must be prepared for the actual destination before departure. A shorter line on the map cannot replace public documents or confirmation that the destination location can receive the deceased person.
Which Italian cities are covered?
Transportation is organised from Milan, Rome, Turin, Bologna, Verona and Naples. Milan publishes detailed instructions, but another city is not under the jurisdiction of the Milan Comune simply because it uses the same state framework. For each point of departure, the actual Comune, institution and any health or judicial authority that disposes of the submitted records are determined.
The initial details are the deceased person’s passport, the full name of the Italian institution, the Comune of death, the intended burial city and a contact telephone number. We respond within 10 minutes. In a straightforward case, routine records are normally compiled within 24 hours, with arrival at the agreed address planned within 48 hours. If a public authority requires a post-mortem examination, a court decision or additional medical evidence, its timetable takes precedence.
Process for this case
- Step 1 of 5
Identify the competent Comune
The location of death or, for previously buried remains, their present location identifies the competent Comune.
- Step 2 of 5
Registry and health proofs
Civil registration and medical evidence precede international approval.
- Step 3 of 5
Choice of legal regime
The Comune determines whether a passaporto mortuario or another exit decision is issued.
- Step 4 of 5
Confirmation of the country of destination
The Nulla Osta confirms that entry into the chosen country is permitted.
- Step 5 of 5
Handover at destination
The deceased person arrives at the address consistently stated in the agreement and the submitted records.
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.
- Comune di Milano – official guidance — Comune di Milano · 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
- European Commission — DG MOVE – official guidance — European Commission — DG MOVE · reviewed
Frequently asked questions
Is a passaporto mortuario issued for every departure from Italy?
No. The official Milan instruction distinguishes countries in the convention regime from other destinations for which a different exit decision is issued.
Who issues the Italian permit for international transport?
The case is handled by the Comune of the location where the death occurred, i.e. the Comune where the deceased person is located if the burial has already taken place.
When is a Nulla Osta from the destination state required?
The Milan portal lists it for countries outside the applied convention regime as confirmation by the representative office that there are no obstacles to entry.
What is added when the funeral is in Serbia?
In addition to the Italian originals, a Serbian sprovodnica is required, which is issued by the competent diplomatic and consular representation after checking the prescribed evidence.
Does an earlier burial change Italian jurisdiction?
Yes. Where there are previously buried remains, the Comune in whose territory the deceased person is located is responsible, and exhumation has a special procedure.
Is the Comune di Milano competent for death in Rome?
It is not. Jurisdiction belongs to the Comune of the location where the death occurred or the Comune on whose territory the deceased person is located.
When does the deadline of up to 48 hours from Italy apply?
The timeframe applies to a straightforward case in which the Comune, health and destination-country documents are complete. A separate decision by a public authority can change that timetable.