How repatriation of a body from the UK works
Losing someone far from home is disorienting — and the procedures do not explain themselves. This page walks you through the whole journey, step by step, so you know what happens, who does it, and how long each part takes.
The five steps of every repatriation
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The first call — and a fixed price
You tell us what happened; we ask only what is needed: where your loved one is now, where home is, and how to reach you. On that same call you receive a fixed, final price and a clear plan. From this moment, the process is our responsibility.
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Registration and the coroner's permission
A death in the UK is first registered locally, or handled by the coroner if it was referred to them. Before a body can leave England or Wales, the coroner must be notified and give permission — the “Out of England” procedure. We prepare and submit this notice, chase it daily, and deal with the registrar, hospital and coroner's office on your behalf.
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Preparation and documents
We arrange the embalming and freedom-from-infection certificates where required, the regulation coffin certified for international transport, and the international mortuary passport (laissez-passer) that accompanies the journey. Every document is obtained and checked by us — you sign nothing you do not understand.
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Collection and the journey home
Our team collects your loved one from any hospital, hospice, coroner's facility or funeral home in the UK, in a licensed mortuary vehicle from our own fleet. The journey continues by road — or by air when the family prefers it — and you receive confirmation at departure, at the border and at arrival.
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Arrival and handover
We deliver to the address the family chooses: the family home, the church, or the local funeral director who will handle the funeral. If you need help coordinating with them, we do that too — we work with local funeral homes across Europe every week.
The documents, explained
These are the papers a repatriation from the UK typically requires. We obtain all of them — the list is here so you know what is happening, not because you have to chase anything.
- Death certificate — issued after the death is registered; where the coroner is involved, interim documents are used until the final certificate.
- Coroner's permission to remove the body — required before a body leaves England or Wales; permission normally comes through within a few days and often sooner. Scotland has its own, simpler procedure, which we also handle.
- Certificate of embalming — confirmation that the body has been professionally prepared, required by most destination countries and all airlines.
- Certificate of freedom from infection — a medical certificate confirming there is no public-health obstacle to transport.
- International mortuary passport (laissez-passer) — the document that accompanies the coffin across borders.
- Consular documents — some destination countries require consular legalisation or their own transit permits; we know each country's requirements and include the fees in your quote.
How long does the whole process take?
Two clocks run in parallel:
- The paperwork clock — registration, the coroner's permission and certificates typically take a few days; where an inquest or post-mortem is ordered, it can take longer. This is the part that determines the overall timeline, and the part we push forward daily.
- The journey clock — once documents are released and we set off, road transport to Romania takes 24–48 hours; most European destinations are reached within one to three days of departure.
If you are planning the funeral at home, our advice is simple: set the date only after we confirm the release of documents — then the journey itself is precisely predictable, and we have never left a family waiting at the church.
Who does what
| We handle | We ask of you |
|---|---|
| All documents, in both countries | The identity documents of the person who died, if you have them |
| Registrar, hospital, coroner, consulate | A contact person we can call with updates |
| Collection, preparation, regulation coffin | The destination address and the receiving funeral director, if chosen |
| The journey, with confirmations along the way | Nothing else — truly |
Frequently asked questions
The death was referred to the coroner. Does that block repatriation?
No — it changes the order of steps. The coroner must complete their part first (sometimes including a post-mortem), and repatriation follows immediately after. We deal with coroner's offices regularly and keep you informed at every stage.
Can the family travel with the deceased?
By road, family members travel separately — we coordinate timings so you can be at the destination for the arrival. If the journey is by air, relatives can usually book the same flight.
The death happened in Scotland or Northern Ireland. Is the process different?
The registration and release procedures differ in detail — Scotland does not use the England-and-Wales coroner system, for example — but the journey and our service are the same. We handle deaths anywhere in the UK.
Do I need to come to the UK myself?
Usually not. With the family's authorisation we can handle the entire process while you remain at home — many of the families we help are already in the destination country when they call.
You are not alone in this.
One phone call and we take over everything: the paperwork, the formalities, the journey. A fixed price, agreed from the start.
+40 767 034 415