Funeral matters: wishes, rights and documents · France / Switzerland
International body transport: itinerary and permissions
International transport of a body requires the full itinerary and the location of relevant operations, including coffin closure. France’s outward and inward routes differ from Swiss cantonal arrangements and applicable international agreements. Link each permission to its authority, stage and validity conditions, then assemble death and health documents. Carrier requirements and destination acceptance need separate confirmation. Civil-status transcription and succession papers do not themselves authorise the physical transfer.
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Where and when do coffin closure and transport stages occur?
France: R2213-22 connects outward competence to the coffin-closure location. Switzerland: retain closure and intermediate-operation records for the actual route; residence alone does not establish the issuing authority for every permission.
Read the referencesYour file concerns “International body transport: itinerary and permissions”. Does it concern France or Switzerland? Share the document for origin and destination and the decision you need to prepare.
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Which origin, transit and destination countries form the itinerary?
France: identify origin, every transit country and final destination. Switzerland: record the Geneva-linked itinerary equally precisely; destination permission does not automatically establish authority to cross each intervening state.
Code général des collectivités territoriales : opérations funéraires : R2213-22, R2213-23Transport of a deceased personGeneva LCim K1 65 : 3BGeneva RCim K1 65.01 : 20, 19
Funeral-transfer itinerary and permission map
Synthetic example: fictional records. Funeral-transfer itinerary and permission map.
Synthetic example: fictional records · Funeral-transfer itinerary and permission map
- Jurisdiction
- France
- Origin and destination
- Origin O1, destination D1, transit T1
- Closure and stages
- Place C1, stages E1
- Authorities and agreements
- Authorities A1, framework I1
- Evidence and carrier
- Death act S1, health documents M1, carrier R1
France: R2213-22 concerns outward transport permission from the prefect for the department of coffin closure; it does not assign the closure decision itself. Switzerland: identify the cantonal transport pass and other operation documents separately; foreign departure permission does not establish every Swiss condition.
Where and when do coffin closure and transport stages occur?
France: R2213-22 connects outward competence to the coffin-closure location. Switzerland: retain closure and intermediate-operation records for the actual route; residence alone does not establish the issuing authority for every permission.
Code général des collectivités territoriales : opérations funéraires : R2213-22, R2213-23Transport of a deceased personGeneva LCim K1 65 : 3BGeneva RCim K1 65.01 : 20, 19
Preparation reference: Funeral-transfer itinerary and permission map
| Preparation question | Point to verify |
|---|---|
| Which origin, transit and destination countries form the itinerary? | France: identify origin, every transit country and final destination. Switzerland: record the Geneva-linked itinerary equally precisely; destination permission does not automatically establish authority to cross each intervening state. |
| Where and when do coffin closure and transport stages occur? | France: R2213-22 connects outward competence to the coffin-closure location. Switzerland: retain closure and intermediate-operation records for the actual route; residence alone does not establish the issuing authority for every permission. |
| Which outward, inward or cantonal permissions apply? | France: distinguish outward, inward and transit branches under R2213-22 and R2213-23 with treaty reservations. Switzerland: Geneva Article 20 has its own laissez-passer route; one document does not demonstrate all foreign permissions. |
| What international agreement changes the required documents? | France: verify the actual international arrangement, parties and transport category. Switzerland: Geneva’s references to federal and international rules do not themselves establish every treaty condition; no common regime is inferred from neighbouring countries. |
Code général des collectivités territoriales : opérations funéraires : R2213-22, R2213-23Transport of a deceased personGeneva LCim K1 65 : 3BGeneva RCim K1 65.01 : 20, 19
Which outward, inward or cantonal permissions apply?
France: distinguish outward, inward and transit branches under R2213-22 and R2213-23 with treaty reservations. Switzerland: Geneva Article 20 has its own laissez-passer route; one document does not demonstrate all foreign permissions.
Code général des collectivités territoriales : opérations funéraires : R2213-22, R2213-23Transport of a deceased personGeneva LCim K1 65 : 3BGeneva RCim K1 65.01 : 20, 19
What international agreement changes the required documents?
France: verify the actual international arrangement, parties and transport category. Switzerland: Geneva’s references to federal and international rules do not themselves establish every treaty condition; no common regime is inferred from neighbouring countries.
Code général des collectivités territoriales : opérations funéraires : R2213-22, R2213-23Transport of a deceased personGeneva LCim K1 65 : 3BGeneva RCim K1 65.01 : 20, 19
Which official provision helps explain this situation?
International transport of a body requires the full itinerary and the location of relevant operations, including coffin closure. France’s outward and inward routes differ from Swiss cantonal arrangements and applicable international agreements. Link each permission to its authority, stage and validity conditions, then assemble death and health documents. Carrier requirements and destination acceptance need separate confirmation. Civil-status transcription and succession papers do not themselves authorise the physical transfer.
Which death act and health documents accompany the body?
France: connect death and sanitary documents to the actual person and journey. Switzerland: preserve equivalent document references and status; this general record does not require disclosure or interpretation of detailed medical findings.
Code général des collectivités territoriales : opérations funéraires : R2213-22, R2213-23Transport of a deceased personGeneva LCim K1 65 : 3BGeneva RCim K1 65.01 : 20, 19
What carrier and destination requirements need confirmation?
France: confirm carrier and destination requirements with supporting evidence. Switzerland: identify the relevant vehicle and operator conditions likewise; booking transport does not prove compliance, and the tool gives no physical transport instructions.
Code général des collectivités territoriales : opérations funéraires : R2213-22, R2213-23Transport of a deceased personGeneva LCim K1 65 : 3BGeneva RCim K1 65.01 : 20, 19
How do each permission, authority and validity condition reconcile?
France: map each permission to issuer, route, conditions and date. Switzerland: distinguish cantonal and foreign acts in the same map; an unsigned draft is not an issued permission for another transit stage.
Code général des collectivités territoriales : opérations funéraires : R2213-22, R2213-23Transport of a deceased personGeneva LCim K1 65 : 3BGeneva RCim K1 65.01 : 20, 19
Why do civil-status and succession papers not themselves authorise transport?
France: death registration and succession documents do not themselves authorise physical transport. Switzerland: keep transport, exhumation and civil-status recording separate; completing one does not demonstrate every permission for the others.
Code général des collectivités territoriales : opérations funéraires : R2213-22, R2213-23Transport of a deceased personGeneva LCim K1 65 : 3BGeneva RCim K1 65.01 : 20, 19
Which official references should you consult?
- Code général des collectivités territoriales : opérations funéraires : R2213-22, R2213-23www.legifrance.gouv.fr
- Transport of a deceased personwww.service-public.gouv.fr
- Geneva LCim K1 65 : 3Bsilgeneve.ch
- Geneva RCim K1 65.01 : 20, 19silgeneve.ch
Texts cited last checked: 3 November 2026
What other questions arise in this file?
Where and when do coffin closure and transport stages occur?
France: R2213-22 connects outward competence to the coffin-closure location. Switzerland: retain closure and intermediate-operation records for the actual route; residence alone does not establish the issuing authority for every permission.
Code général des collectivités territoriales : opérations funéraires : R2213-22, R2213-23Transport of a deceased personGeneva LCim K1 65 : 3BGeneva RCim K1 65.01 : 20, 19
What international agreement changes the required documents?
France: verify the actual international arrangement, parties and transport category. Switzerland: Geneva’s references to federal and international rules do not themselves establish every treaty condition; no common regime is inferred from neighbouring countries.
Code général des collectivités territoriales : opérations funéraires : R2213-22, R2213-23Transport of a deceased personGeneva LCim K1 65 : 3BGeneva RCim K1 65.01 : 20, 19
What carrier and destination requirements need confirmation?
France: confirm carrier and destination requirements with supporting evidence. Switzerland: identify the relevant vehicle and operator conditions likewise; booking transport does not prove compliance, and the tool gives no physical transport instructions.
Code général des collectivités territoriales : opérations funéraires : R2213-22, R2213-23Transport of a deceased personGeneva LCim K1 65 : 3BGeneva RCim K1 65.01 : 20, 19
Why do civil-status and succession papers not themselves authorise transport?
France: death registration and succession documents do not themselves authorise physical transport. Switzerland: keep transport, exhumation and civil-status recording separate; completing one does not demonstrate every permission for the others.
Code général des collectivités territoriales : opérations funéraires : R2213-22, R2213-23Transport of a deceased personGeneva LCim K1 65 : 3BGeneva RCim K1 65.01 : 20, 19