Serbia has a significant diaspora community in the UK, and a proportion of repatriations between the two countries involve Serbian nationals who lived and worked in Britain and whose families wish to bring them home. British tourists visiting Serbia are a smaller group, concentrated in Belgrade and a few other cities. The country is within Europe and the process, while involving translation, is well-established. This guide answers the questions UK families ask.
For the full process detail, see our complete guide to repatriation from Serbia. This article focuses on the practical questions.
The community and the direction of travel
Like Romania and other Balkan countries with diaspora communities in the UK, repatriation between Serbia and the UK runs in both directions. Serbian nationals living in the UK who die while visiting family in Serbia may need to be brought back to the UK. A coordinator manages either direction through the same local funeral director network in Serbia.
The registry and the prosecutor
The death certificate in Serbia is issued by the local matičar, the civil registry officer. For a natural death, this is straightforward. A sudden or unexplained death goes to the public prosecutor’s office, and the examination it orders must conclude before the death certificate can be issued and the body released.
Belgrade routing and road transport
Most international cargo for human remains departs from Belgrade. Road transport from Serbia is further than from central European countries but remains a practical option where cargo scheduling adds delays. A coordinator advises on both.
For further guidance, see our articles on documents needed to repatriate a body to the UK and who pays for repatriation when someone dies abroad.