Residency and citizenship are two separate questions
In the first call we separate two things that are almost always conflated: whether the deceased was an Israeli citizen, and whether they were a resident of Israel. A person can be one without the other.
That distinction runs through the whole case: which burial society you deal with, which documents are required, and who carries the cost. It also shapes what the authorities will ask for later, which is why we establish it before committing to any timeline.
What the country of death has to issue
Whatever the residency answer, the case begins in the same place: an official death certificate from the country where the death occurred, legalisation of that certificate for use in Israel, and permission to remove the deceased from that country. Some countries also require a declaration that there was no contagious disease.
The Israeli consular permit is issued by the Israeli mission in the country of death and is needed for the deceased to be received in Israel. It is usually requested after the death certificate has been legalised, so the order of operations here is not arbitrary.
We coordinate that chain with the local parties. We are a private coordination company, not an authority — what anyone is entitled to and exactly what is required is determined by the authorities, and we work with them and tell you what they say.
Cost — why there is no single number here
The cost of the burial itself in Israel is set by parties other than us: the burial society or local authority at the burial site, and the status of the deceased with the National Insurance Institute. Every burial site prices differently, and the spread across Israel is wide.
On top of that sits the cost of the transfer from the country where the death occurred, which varies with distance, with that country requirements and with flight availability. Any figure quoted here without knowing the route would be misleading.
What we do: check the specific case with the relevant parties and come back with a quote that states what is included and what is not.
Who decides the burial place
Where a plot was purchased in advance, the question is settled. Where it was not, choosing the burial place is the family decision, and it also affects timing — some sites can set a date quickly and some cannot.
We coordinate with the burial society you choose and with the receiving party at Ben Gurion, so the family has one conversation rather than four.
This is general information, not advice on a specific case. Requirements differ between countries, between airlines and sometimes between cases. We are a private coordination company, not a government body, embassy or consulate.
Common questions on this subject
The deceased was an Israeli citizen living abroad. Is that a non-resident?
Citizenship and residency are assessed separately, and a citizen who lived outside Israel for years is not automatically a resident. Status is determined by the National Insurance Institute and not by us, which is why it is one of the first things we check, so that you do not rely on a wrong assumption.
The deceased was not an Israeli citizen. Is burial in Israel possible at all?
Burial in Israel for someone who is not a citizen is possible, and it involves approvals and coordination with the burial society at the burial site. Conditions vary by site and by the circumstances of the case, so we check with the specific party before telling you anything as certain.
How long does it take?
The deciding stage is almost always issuing the approvals in the country where the death occurred, not the flight. Where authorities are involved — police or a medical examiner — the timeline follows them rather than us. We give an estimate only after seeing what the specific route requires.
Who pays for this?
That depends on the status of the deceased with the National Insurance Institute and on whether a relevant policy exists — travel insurance, employer insurance or private health cover. Some policies cover repatriation in full. It is worth checking early, because it changes the picture.