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To bring a body back to the UK, start with the British embassy or consulate in the country where the person died, or call the FCDO in London on 020 7008 5000, which answers 24 hours a day. If there was travel insurance, ring the insurer next — before appointing a funeral director — because insurers may have a list of approved funeral directors they expect you to use.
The body can only leave once local procedures are complete. You'll need a certified English translation of the death certificate and permission to remove the body from a coroner or equivalent in that country. When the body arrives, the register office where the funeral will take place gives you a "certificate of no liability to register", and a cremation also needs a coroner's certificate.
Learning that someone you love has died abroad is distressing at any time. Arranging to bring them home — often in another language, across time zones, and while you are still taking in the news — is a lot to carry. This guide sets out who to contact, in what order, and what the paperwork actually involves, so you know what to expect.
If you are still in the first hours and haven't yet spoken to anyone, start with what to do when someone dies abroad.
1. The British embassy or consulate, or the FCDO. If you're abroad, contact the nearest British embassy or consulate. From the UK, call the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) on 020 7008 5000 — the line is open 24 hours.
2. The travel insurer, if there was a policy. Call before you appoint a funeral director yourself. Insurers may have a list of approved funeral directors, so check what the policy needs before you commit to any costs.
3. A funeral director — either the one the insurer appoints, or one you choose yourself if there's no insurance. You'll usually need one in the country of death and one in the UK, and many firms that specialise in repatriation work with partners abroad.
According to the FCDO's own guidance, consular staff can give you advice on:
They cannot:
Note: The consulate is a guide, not a service provider. It can tell you how things work locally, but the arrangements — and the costs — fall to the family or the insurer.
The exact paperwork depends on the country, but to bring a body back to England or Wales GOV.UK says you need:
The funeral directors handling the transfer will also deal with documents the airline and the country of death require. These often include a certificate confirming the person did not die of an infectious disease, and evidence that the body has been prepared for transport. Requirements vary, so ask the funeral director what they need from you.
If the death certificate needs to be used for official purposes in the UK later — for example by banks or the probate registry — see legalising a foreign death certificate.
Register office. Take the death certificate to the register office in the area where the funeral will take place. The registrar will give you a certificate of no liability to register — the death was registered abroad, so it isn't registered again here. Give this to the funeral director so the funeral can go ahead. If you're arranging the funeral without a funeral director, give the certificate back to the registrar within 96 hours of the funeral.
Coroner. You must tell a coroner in England or Wales if the cause of death was unknown, violent or unnatural. A coroner will usually hold an inquest in those cases, even though the person died abroad. See when a death goes to the coroner and what happens at an inquest.
Cremation. If the person is to be cremated, you also need a certificate from the coroner — form "Cremation 6". Allow time for this when you set a date.
Scotland and Northern Ireland have different procedures; check with the local registrar or procurator fiscal (Scotland) or coroner (Northern Ireland).
The body can only be released once all local procedures are complete, and the FCDO notes that these can take time. A death that's being investigated locally, or one that needs a post-mortem, will usually take longer.
There's no standard price. The cost depends on the country, the distance, the airline's charges, what local preparation is required, and how complex the paperwork is. Funeral directors who specialise in repatriation commonly quote several thousand pounds, and more for long-haul journeys — and that is before the cost of the funeral itself in the UK.
To keep control of the cost:
If the family is on a low income, the DWP's Funeral Expenses Payment can help with some funeral costs, though it has its own rules about deaths and funerals outside the UK — check before you rely on it.
The FCDO says travel insurance may cover medical, repatriation, legal, interpretation and translation costs. Without insurance, the family must appoint and pay for the funeral director.
When you call the insurer:
Claims can be refused for reasons such as an undisclosed pre-existing condition, an activity the policy excluded, or travel against FCDO advice — travelling somewhere the FCDO advised against can invalidate some policies. If a claim is refused, ask for the reason in writing.
Credit card benefits, packaged bank accounts and employers' policies sometimes include travel cover too, so it's worth checking.
If the death was sudden, unexplained or the result of a crime or accident, the local police or courts may investigate before releasing the body. This can take weeks, and sometimes much longer.
During this time:
Some insurance policies cover extra accommodation or travel for family members while repatriation is delayed — ask the insurer.
It depends on the country and on whether the local authorities need to investigate. The body can only be released once local procedures are complete, which the FCDO notes can take time. Ask the funeral director for an estimate once they've spoken to their partner abroad.
No. The FCDO cannot pay for repatriation, burial, cremation or legal costs. The cost falls to travel insurance if there was a policy, or otherwise to the family. Repatriation costs may be payable from the person's estate, in the same way as funeral costs.
Many policies do, and the FCDO lists repatriation among the costs insurance may cover. Call the insurer before appointing a funeral director, and check for exclusions such as undisclosed medical conditions or travel against FCDO advice.
Not in the usual way. The death is registered in the country where it happened. When the body arrives, the register office where the funeral will be issues a certificate of no liability to register. You may also be able to register the death with the UK authorities through the FCDO, which gives you a UK record of it — the consulate can explain how.
Yes, and many families choose this. Ask the funeral director about the paperwork the country and the airline require for carrying or sending ashes. See rules on scattering ashes for what you can do with them in the UK.
The steps are the same, but timing matters more. See repatriation and Muslim burial.