Riga City Funeral Service
Information service 24/7
The deceased is prepared by staff at the morgue where they are held — in Riga these are hospital morgues. The family does not have to deal with the morgue directly: tell us which hospital the death occurred in and we will arrange the rest. Call +371 2208 4540 — we are on duty around the clock.
This page explains what preparation involves, what the family needs to bring, how long the morgue keeps the body and how the cost is made up.
The range of services is set by the morgue itself, but the core steps are the same across Riga's hospitals.
| Procedure | What it is for |
|---|---|
| Washing and hygienic treatment | Basic preparation, always carried out |
| Dressing | In the clothing brought by the family, before the coffin |
| Placing in the coffin | Before the farewell or before leaving the morgue |
| Refrigerated storage | Until the day of the funeral, as agreed with the morgue |
| Embalming | When several days pass before the funeral, or repatriation is planned |
| Cosmetic treatment | At the family's request, if the farewell is with an open coffin |
If the farewell will be with a closed coffin, some of these are unnecessary — we say so plainly rather than offering what is not needed.
The clothing can be handed to us and we will take it to the morgue along with the documents. Which morgue holds the deceased follows from the hospital; all the morgues of Riga, with addresses and opening hours:
The storage period is agreed with the particular morgue. Usually this presents no difficulty: funerals in Riga take place within three to five days, which falls within the normal period. It is extended when relatives are travelling from abroad, when an examination is required or when repatriation is planned — in those cases we notify the morgue straight away.
The date depends on more than the morgue: the cemetery supervisor or the crematorium must also be booked, and the death certificate must be in hand. The paperwork is set out on documents for a funeral.
The price is set by the morgue of the hospital where the deceased is held — each morgue has its own tariff, and this is not a funeral home charge. We find out the rates of that particular morgue and state the amount before any work begins, so the family knows the full bill in advance rather than after the funeral.
Our own part — transport, delivering the clothing, arranging and collecting — is included in the funeral plans. What the plans contain is set out on funeral costs.
All essential services for cremation
Optimal set of goods and services for cremation
Extended cremation set with farewell in the hall
All essential services for burial
Optimal set of goods and services for burial
Extended burial set with farewell in the hall
In some cases an examination precedes preparation. Where the cause of death is unclear but there are no signs of violence, the hospital's pathology department carries out a post-mortem examination. Where a violent death is reasonably suspected, the doctor notifies the State Police and the deceased is taken to the State Centre for Forensic Medical Examination; the examination itself is ordered by the official in charge of the proceedings.
For the family this has one practical consequence: the date of the farewell is governed by the examination, and it cannot be fixed until the body is released. We establish the status, stay in contact with the institution and give you a real date as soon as there is one, rather than promising one on spec.
After your call we establish which morgue holds the deceased and contact it ourselves. We agree the scope of preparation and the date, deliver the clothing, arrange the time of collection and fit it to the farewell ceremony. If the farewell is to be held at the morgue itself, we book the time in the hall — see farewell at the morgue.
The family does not have to travel to the morgue repeatedly or negotiate with hospital administration: we handle the arrangements, and the family is left with the decisions about the farewell.
