Consular assistance
British Embassy contacts for Greenland: when someone dies abroad
British Embassy, Copenhagen, Denmark (non-resident) handles cases in Greenland. A death must be registered with the local authorities in Greenland 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 Greenland
British representation: British Embassy, Copenhagen, Denmark (non-resident)
Authority that must release the body: Police of Greenland (Politiet i Gronland); civil registration through Danish system; Danish law applies
Documentation language: Greenlandic (Kalaallisut); Danish
Areas needing extra care: Arctic ice cap and remote inland icefield: limited emergency response. Travel outside settlements requires specialist preparation.
Autonomous territory of Denmark (Danish law applies. Very remote. Limited flight frequency from most settlements. Deaths outside main centres may require helicopter or small aircraft transfer. All documentation in Greenlandic/Danish) certified English translation required.
Always verify numbers before calling
Embassy phone numbers change. Confirm current details at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, which covers Greenland under the responsible post 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 Greenland
What you need to know
What the British post in Greenland can and cannot do
British Embassy, Copenhagen, Denmark (non-resident) 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 Greenland
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 Greenland
What the Embassy can and cannot pay for
Consular staff in Greenland 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 Greenland involvesNeed help bringing someone home from Greenland?
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.