How do I bring a relative's body back to Australia after they died in Israel?

When an Australian relative dies while visiting or living in Israel, the family is suddenly managing a cross-border logistics problem during the worst week of their lives, often across an eight-hour time difference. The good news is that the route is well worn and the rules are clear. Repatriating remains from Israel to Australia runs through a licensed Israeli funeral transport company, the Ministry of Health, which issues the export permit, and the Australian Embassy in Israel. With the right documents the sealed coffin can be on a flight within a week to ten days.

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Detailed Explanation

The first step is to appoint a licensed Israeli repatriation company. These firms hold the approvals from the Ministry of Health that private families cannot obtain directly, and they coordinate every moving part: collection from the hospital or Abu Kabir forensic institute if an autopsy was ordered, embalming, sealing the coffin, and booking the airfreight. Under Israeli public-health rules, a body leaving the country must travel in a hermetically sealed, zinc-lined coffin, and the Ministry of Health inspects and certifies that sealing before issuing the export permit. No airline will accept the remains without that permit.

The document set is what controls the timeline. You will need an Israeli death certificate (teudat petira) from the local registry, a medical certificate of the cause of death, an embalming certificate, a certificate that the deceased did not die of a notifiable contagious disease, and the sealing certificate from the Ministry of Health. The Australian Embassy then issues the consular documentation Australia requires to register the death and admit the remains. If a coroner in Israel is involved, because the death was sudden or unattended, the release can take longer while the Abu Kabir institute completes its work. Families coordinating from Australia usually appoint the Israeli company by power of attorney and send certified copies of the deceased's passport by courier, since the next of kin rarely needs to be physically present in Israel.

On arrival in Australia, the remains clear customs and biosecurity, and the death is registered with the relevant state Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages. An Australian funeral director receives the coffin at the airport. Because the Israeli death certificate is in Hebrew, you will need a certified translation and, for many Australian state processes, an apostille. Our guide on obtaining an Israeli death certificate from abroad explains how the family collects extra certified copies, which you will want for probate and the airline file as well as the burial.

In Practice: A body exported from Israel must travel in a sealed zinc-lined coffin certified by the Ministry of Health, which issues the export permit only after inspection, a step that typically adds 1 to 2 working days. A licensed Israeli transport company assembles the teudat petira from the local registry and the medical certificates, and the Australian Embassy in Israel completes the consular file. Allow 5 to 10 days door to door, and budget NIS 25,000 to NIS 60,000 including embalming, the coffin, permits and El Al or other airfreight to an Australian capital city.

Key Considerations

• Use a licensed Israeli repatriation company, since only it can obtain the Ministry of Health export permit.
• A coroner or Abu Kabir autopsy can delay release by days or weeks and is outside the family's control.
• Order several certified copies of the Israeli death certificate at once for the airline, customs and probate.
• Jewish burial customs mean many families choose to bury in Israel instead; weigh that before committing to airfreight.
• Travel insurance often covers repatriation costs, so check the deceased's policy before paying out of pocket.

When to Consult a Lawyer

This question typically requires professional legal advice when:

• The death was sudden or unattended and an Israeli coroner has opened a file that is holding the release.
• There is a dispute among family members over burial in Israel versus repatriation to Australia.
• The deceased left Israeli assets, and you need the death certificate and succession steps handled together.

A lawyer in Israel can liaise with the Ministry of Health, the hospital and the transport company on your behalf so the family does not have to manage it remotely.

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Speak With an Israeli Attorney

We assist Australian families with the legal and documentary side of repatriating a relative from Israel, from securing certified death certificates to coordinating release where a coroner is involved.

Contact us for a confidential initial consultation.