Consular assistance
British Embassy contacts for Italy: when someone dies abroad
If a British national dies in Italy, the Embassy is usually the first official body to contact. A death must be registered with the local authorities in Italy 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. The local emergency number is 112.
Emergency numbers
FCDO 24-hour line (from UK)
+44 (0)20 7008 5000British Embassy in Italy
+39 06 4220 0001Handling a death in Italy
Local emergency number: 112
Authority that must release the body: Forensic medicine service (medico legale) appointed by the public prosecutor
When a post-mortem is ordered: Post mortem ordered by the procuratore della Repubblica (public prosecutor) if death is sudden, violent, suspicious, or cause unknown.
Effect on the timeline: Can delay repatriation by 2-6 weeks. Prosecutor must issue nulla osta (clearance) to release the body.
Getting the report: Reports can take weeks to months. Longer for complex cases.
Documentation language: Italian. Regional variations and dialects are common. German spoken in Alto Adige/South Tyrol (Dolomites).. English: Moderate in major tourist cities (Rome, Florence, Venice, Milan) and tourist areas. Limited in rural areas and southern Italy outside Naples. Hotel and private hospital staff in tourist areas usually speak some English. Official documents are in Italian.
Healthcare: Good public healthcare system (SSN). EHIC/GHIC provides emergency cover. Private healthcare available. Northern Italy has among the best healthcare in Europe. Southern Italy's public system can be more stretched.
British community: ~30,000-50,000 British residents in Italy. Spread across Tuscany, Umbria, Liguria, lakes, and major cities.
Most common causes of British deaths here: Natural causes (elderly tourists and residents); Road traffic accidents (Italian driving culture differs from UK); Drowning (Mediterranean beaches, lakes); Ski resort accidents (Dolomites, Alps: Cortina, Courmayeur, Val Gardena); Falls (historic sites, hiking); Heat-related illness (summer, particularly in southern Italy and Rome); Boating accidents (lakes, Amalfi Coast)
Areas needing extra care: Rome: Tourist volume, heat illness in summer; Dolomites/Alps ski resorts: Ski accidents, avalanche risk; Lake Garda/Lake Como: Drowning, road accidents; Amalfi Coast: Road accidents (narrow cliff roads), drowning; Tuscany: Elderly residents, road accidents; Venice: Elderly tourists, water-related incidents; Sardinia: Drowning, remote location; Sicily: Road accidents, remote areas
Always verify numbers before calling
Official lists for Italy
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/italy 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 Italy
all consulate numbers before go-live. Check gov.uk for current list. Italy's spread of tourist destinations means multiple consulates may be relevant.
What you need to know
What the British post in Italy can and cannot do
The British post covering Italy 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.
In Italy specifically: Can delay repatriation by 2-6 weeks. Prosecutor must issue nulla osta (clearance) to release the body.
The full list of what consular staff can and cannot do applies in every country.
Death registration in Italy
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 Italy
What the Embassy can and cannot pay for
Consular staff in Italy 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 Italy involvesNeed help bringing someone home from Italy?
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.