Consular assistance
British Embassy contacts for Iceland: when someone dies abroad
Engjateigur 7, 105 Reykjavik; +44 1908 516666; British Embassy Reykjavik; +354 550 5100 handles cases in Iceland. A death must be registered with the local authorities in Iceland 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 Iceland
British representation: Engjateigur 7, 105 Reykjavik; +44 1908 516666; British Embassy Reykjavik; +354 550 5100
Authority that must release the body: Registers Iceland (Þjóðskrá Íslands); Medical Director of Health (Embættislæknir); Landspítali National University Hospital, Department of Pathology; National Commissioner of the Icelandic Police (Lögreglustjórinn)
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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
Official lists for Iceland
Published by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office for British nationals. We are not connected to the firms listed.
- Translators and interpreters, for certified translation of the death certificate and permits
- Lawyers, where an estate or an investigation needs local legal advice
Embassy phone numbers change. Confirm current details at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/iceland 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 Iceland
What you need to know
What the British post in Iceland can and cannot do
Engjateigur 7, 105 Reykjavik; +44 1908 516666; British Embassy Reykjavik; +354 550 5100 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 Iceland
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 Iceland
What the Embassy can and cannot pay for
Consular staff in Iceland 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 Iceland involvesNeed help bringing someone home from Iceland?
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.