Funeral from Gaiļezers Hospital Morgue: Procedure and Advice

Riga East Clinical University Hospital “Gaiļezers” on Hipokrāta Street is one of the largest hospitals in Latvia, so families often ask how a funeral from the Gaiļezers morgue works. This article walks through what happens after a loved one dies in hospital, which documents are needed, how the body release is scheduled and where farewells and burials usually take place in this part of the city.

Riga City Funeral Service works with the Gaiļezers morgue daily: we know the release procedure and will handle the formalities for the family. Call +371 2208 4540 — advice around the clock.

What happens after a death in hospital

When a person passes away in hospital, the family does not need to rush anywhere at night — the body is moved to the hospital morgue, and the next steps follow in working order:

A detailed look at the release procedure and paperwork is in “How body release works in Riga”; for the morgue itself, see the Gaiļezers hospital morgue page.

Documents needed for the release

• the applicant's passport or ID card;
• the deceased's ID document, if the family has it;
• the medical certificate of the cause of death (prepared by the hospital);
• the death certificate (registry office; we can obtain it for you).

If we arrange the funeral, the family visits the morgue once at most — or not at all: the paperwork, the preparation of the body and the release time are agreed by phone. The full list of documents is on the documents for burial page.

Farewell and burial options near Gaiļezers

The hospital is located in Mežciems, and this part of the city offers convenient farewell and burial logistics:

• The farewell — in the morgue's farewell room (morgue farewell), a nearby farewell hall or a church; for a small circle, the ceremony can be held directly in a cemetery chapel;
• Nearest cemeteries — Biķeri, Jugla, the 1st Forest Cemetery and the 2nd Forest Cemetery: the drive from the hospital usually takes ten to twenty minutes;
• Cremation — Riga Crematorium is on the same side of the city; a funeral with cremation from Gaiļezers is logistically simple.

We serve all the surrounding neighbourhoods — practical information about funerals in Mežciems and Jugla is available on separate pages.

How we arrange a funeral from Gaiļezers

1. After your call we confirm with the morgue that the documents and preparation are in hand;
2. we book the farewell venue and the burial plot or cremation time;
3. on the funeral day the hearse and our team meet the family at the morgue release entrance;
4. the coordinator runs the rest of the ceremony — all the way to the reception.

On the day itself the family only needs documents and flowers — everything else is done by our funeral arrangement team. Call +371 2208 4540 at any time: we will explain the exact procedure for your situation and take over the formalities today.

Let us handle the Gaiļezers funeral

Frequently asked questions