Consular assistance
British Embassy contacts for Albania: when someone dies abroad
Rruga Skenderbej 12, Tirana; +44 1908 516666; British Embassy Tirana; +355 4 223 4973 handles cases in Albania. A death must be registered with the local authorities in Albania before a body or ashes can leave the country. Consular staff will register the death with UK authorities, issue consular documents and give you a list of local funeral directors. They cannot meet any cost, arrange the repatriation, or authorise release of the body. If the person who died was not British, contact the embassy or consulate of their own country instead.
Emergency numbers
FCDO 24-hour line (from UK)
+44 (0)20 7008 5000Handling a death in Albania
British representation: Rruga Skenderbej 12, Tirana; +44 1908 516666; British Embassy Tirana; +355 4 223 4973
Authority that must release the body: RGJC (National Civil Registry) local office; Ministry of Interior or local prefecture; Institute of Forensic Medicine (Institut i Mjekesise Ligjore), Tirana; Prosecutor's Office (Prokuroria)
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Treaty position: Signatory to the Council of Europe Agreement on the Transfer of Corpses (Strasbourg, 1973)
Always verify numbers before calling
Embassy phone numbers change. Confirm current details at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/albania before a trip. The FCDO 24-hour line (+44 (0)20 7008 5000) is the most reliable point of contact in an emergency.
Contact details
British Embassy and consulates in Albania
What you need to know
What the British post in Albania can and cannot do
Rruga Skenderbej 12, Tirana; +44 1908 516666; British Embassy Tirana; +355 4 223 4973 is the post that registers the death and can give you a list of local funeral directors. It cannot pay any repatriation cost, arrange the repatriation itself, release the body, or shorten a local timeline.
The full list of what consular staff can and cannot do applies in every country.
Death registration in Albania
The Embassy can register the death separately under UK law. This is optional and does not replace the local certificate, but some families find the UK death certificate useful for administrative purposes.
Typical timeline from Albania
What the Embassy can and cannot pay for
Consular staff in Albania cannot pay repatriation costs, funeral director fees, or any local charges, and cannot lend money to cover them.
They can give you a list of local funeral directors, contact next of kin, and help you reach an insurer. If there is no insurance and no family funds, they can explain what limited options exist.
What repatriation from Albania involvesNeed help bringing someone home from Albania?
We can take over the arrangements from wherever you are in the process, and bring your loved one home to the UK, Ireland or any other country. Send us the details and we will come back to you with a quote.