Coverage
What to expect, region by region.
Documentation follows broadly the same path everywhere — see how it works for that. Transport is where geography changes the plan: air or ground across Europe, and air everywhere else.
✓ Air & ground available
Europe
Europe’s shared borders and airport density make it the one region where ground transport is a genuine, often faster, alternative to flying — so we plan every European case both ways before choosing.
Air transport in Europe
- Direct or single-connection flights from most major airports, with cargo booking usually confirmed within 24–48 hours of documentation clearing
- EU member-to-member moves benefit from harmonised customs rules, which shortens export and import clearance in most cases
- Non-EU European countries — the UK, Switzerland, Norway, the Balkans — follow the same core document set with a standard customs declaration added
- The default choice for island nations and peninsular routes where no practical land route exists
Ground transport in Europe
- Practical for most routes under roughly 1,500 km, or a single overnight drive — often the primary option between neighbouring countries
- A transit permit is filed for every country the route crosses, not only origin and destination — a Sofia-to-Amsterdam case, for example, may cross three or four borders
- Within the EU and Schengen area, road checks are lighter, but a mortuary transit permit is still required regardless of open-border travel rules
- Refrigerated hearse transport is used on any leg over roughly 8 hours, to hold the same preparation standard for the full journey
Western Europe
France, Germany, Benelux, Switzerland, Austria — shared borders make ground the common default
Air / Ground
Nordic countries
Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland — ground within the land-connected corridor, air elsewhere
Air / Ground
Southern Europe
Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece — ground between adjoining countries, air to and from the islands
Air / Ground
Eastern Europe & the Balkans
Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia and neighbours — dense shared borders make ground very common
Air / Ground
British Isles & Ireland
Island geography rules out cross-border ground transport; internal ground moves still apply within each island
Air only
Air only
Outside Europe
We don’t offer cross-border ground transport outside Europe — every case moves by air, including between neighbouring countries, to keep customs and preparation standards consistent over long distances. What varies by region is connection routing and processing time.
Africa
Regional hubs, wider timelines
- Cases typically route through a regional hub — Nairobi, Lagos, Cairo, or Johannesburg — before the long-haul leg to destination
- Import and export clearance timing varies more than in Europe, so documentation lead time is planned generously
- Embalming standards and IATA-compliant containers can be limited outside major cities; we coordinate ahead to the nearest capable partner
Asia
Long-haul via major hubs
- Dubai, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Istanbul commonly serve as connection points for the onward long-haul leg
- Some countries require an additional health or quarantine clearance beyond the standard non-contagious disease certificate
- Consular processing time differs widely by country — from same-day to over a week
Americas
Direct where possible
- Direct long-haul options are common between major hubs — New York, Miami, Toronto, São Paulo, Mexico City; smaller cities usually connect through one of these
- Cross-border land moves aren’t offered here, even between neighbouring countries — every case flies, for consistent customs handling
- U.S. and Canadian customs generally clear quickly once consular documentation is complete
Australia & Oceania
Island geography, single long legs
- Limited flight frequency to smaller Pacific nations can add several days compared with mainland routes
- Every route is an island-nation process on both ends — there’s no land border option to fall back on
- Single long-haul legs are typical (Sydney–Los Angeles, for example), so containers are matched to the longest leg on the route