Repatriate Service

What to do if someone dies abroad

Practical, country-specific guides for families who have lost someone overseas. Each guide covers immediate steps, embassy contacts, required documents, timelines, and costs.

26 country guides

Select a country

Australia

What to do if someone dies in Australia. Emergency contacts, Australian funeral director process, high commission support, and bringing your loved one home to the UK.

Brazil

What to do if someone dies in Brazil. Portuguese-language documentation, British Embassy Brasilia support, and the complex Brazilian repatriation process.

Cambodia

What to do if someone dies in Cambodia. British Embassy Phnom Penh contacts, the Cambodian documentation process, and repatriation from a destination with limited international funeral infrastructure.

Canada

What to do if someone dies in Canada. Provincial variation in documentation, British High Commission contacts, and the repatriation process from North America back to the UK.

Cyprus

What to do if someone dies in Cyprus. British High Commission contacts, the Cypriot coroner system, and what to expect from a repatriation in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Egypt

Egypt has strict Islamic burial requirements and specific documentary demands that can complicate repatriation. This guide covers what to do, embassy contacts, documentation, timeline, and costs for bringing a loved one home from Egypt.

France

France has a large British expat population and strict repatriation rules. This guide covers the first steps, embassy contacts, required documents, timeline, and typical costs.

Germany

What to do if someone dies in Germany. German documentation requirements, British Embassy contacts, and the repatriation process from Europe's most bureaucratic system.

Greece

Greece sees a high number of British deaths, particularly during summer. This guide explains immediate steps, the British Embassy in Athens, required documents, timelines, and costs for repatriation to the UK.

India

India has one of the most complex repatriation processes, with significant variation by state. This guide covers immediate steps, the British High Commission, required documents, timeline, and the cost of repatriation from India to the UK.

Indonesia

What to do if someone dies in Indonesia, including Bali. The Indonesian police and coroner requirements, British Embassy Jakarta support, and repatriation from a destination with complex inter-island logistics.

Italy

Italy has a formal Catholic funeral tradition and specific bureaucratic requirements for repatriation. This guide covers what to do first, the British Embassy, required documents, typical timeline, and costs.

Kenya

What to do if someone dies in Kenya. British High Commission Nairobi support, documentation requirements, and what families need to know about repatriation from East Africa.

Mexico

What to do if someone dies in Mexico. The Mexican death certificate process, British Embassy contacts, and what families need to know about repatriation from a high-risk popular destination.

Morocco

What to do if someone dies in Morocco. Islamic burial time pressure, British Embassy Rabat contacts, and the documentation process for repatriation from North Africa.

Portugal

Portugal has a well-organised funeral system and close links with the UK. This guide covers immediate steps, embassy contacts, required documents, timeline, and costs for repatriation from Portugal.

South Africa

What to do if someone dies in South Africa. The South African death certification process, British Embassy contacts in Pretoria, and repatriation from a destination with a high British presence.

Spain

Spain accounts for more British deaths abroad than any other country. This guide covers immediate steps, the British Embassy, required documents, timeline, and costs for repatriation to the UK.

Sri Lanka

What to do if someone dies in Sri Lanka. British High Commission Colombo contacts, the Sri Lankan death certification process, and repatriation from South Asia.

Thailand

Thailand has one of the most complex repatriation processes for British families. This guide covers what to do, embassy contacts, documentation, timelines, and the cost of bringing someone home from Thailand.

Dominican Republic

What to do if someone dies in the Dominican Republic. British Embassy contacts in Santo Domingo, the Dominican documentation process, and repatriation from a popular Caribbean destination.

Philippines

What to do if someone dies in the Philippines. The NBI clearance requirement, British Embassy Manila support, and what families need to know about repatriation from the Pacific.

UAE

What to do if someone dies in the UAE. Dubai and Abu Dhabi-specific guidance, the mandatory police report, Islamic burial considerations, and the repatriation process from the Gulf.

United States

Repatriation from the USA involves state-level regulations that vary significantly. This guide covers immediate steps, documentation, US embassy contacts, typical timeline, and costs for bringing a loved one home from America.

Turkey

Turkey requires specific Islamic burial procedures to be navigated carefully for repatriation. This guide covers immediate steps, embassy contacts, documentation, timeline, and the cost of bringing a loved one home from Turkey.

Vietnam

What to do if someone dies in Vietnam. British Embassy Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City contacts, the Vietnamese documentation requirements, and repatriation from a growing British travel destination.