Practical guidance
What to do if someone dies in Croatia
This guide explains what happens after a death in Croatia, who to contact, and how to arrange for your loved one to be brought home, to the UK, Ireland or any other country. Facts for British nationals come from FCDO and government sources. Every situation is different, and if you would like us to take over the arrangements, send us the details.
Typical timeline
10-16 days
FCDO 24hr helpline
+44 (0)20 7008 5000
Croatia’s coastline is the context for most British deaths here. Dubrovnik’s Old City steps, sailing between islands, swimming at Makarska, cycling on Brac. Beautiful settings carry their own risks, and the geography that makes Croatia so appealing is the same geography that complicates the repatriation process.
Call 112 for emergency services. Police and ambulance attend. A physician certifies the death. In Croatia, unnatural deaths, which include accidents, drownings, and deaths where the cause is not immediately established by a treating doctor, are referred to the state attorney (državni odvjetnik). The state attorney decides whether a judicial investigation is required. If yes, the body cannot move until that process is complete.
Deaths on islands
This is the most common complication for British families. If your family member died on Hvar, Korcula, Brac, Vis, or any other Dalmatian island, the body must be transferred to the mainland before any repatriation preparation can begin. There is no embalming on the islands. There are no zinc-lined coffins on the islands. The pathologist, if one is required, is on the mainland.
Ferry schedules run on fixed timetables. In peak summer (July-August), ferries are heavily loaded with tourists and vehicles. Island transfer typically takes half a day to a full day depending on the island and the time of year.
Contact the British Embassy Zagreb at +385 1 600 9100. If the death occurred on the Dalmatian coast or in Split, the Honorary Consulate in Split can provide initial assistance. The Embassy will provide a list of Croatian funeral directors with UK repatriation experience and can help with family contact in the UK.
Notify your travel insurer immediately. Summer in Croatia means peak capacity for tourist accident cases. Travel insurance with full repatriation cover is essential.
The documentation set
The Croatian death certificate, the Smrtni List, is issued by the local civil registry. It shows cause of death but is in Croatian. Croatian funeral directors handling international repatriation will prepare certified translations. Embalming and zinc-lined coffin preparation follow. Permission to transport remains from Croatia is required from the civil authorities.
Split and Dubrovnik airports handle cargo directly. Zagreb is an alternative for mainland cases. Croatia Airlines and charter cargo services operate to London Gatwick and Heathrow. Flight time is approximately two and a half to three hours.
On arrival in the UK, the receiving funeral director notifies the coroner. Croatian documentation with cause of death certified is typically accepted without further UK inquest for natural causes.
For the full process, costs and documentation checklist, see our repatriation from Croatia guide.
First things first
What to do in the first 24 hours
The immediate period after a death abroad is disorienting. Here are the steps in the order they normally need to happen.
Contact local emergency services
Call 112 for emergency services. A physician must certify the death. Unnatural deaths are referred to the state attorney (državni odvjetnik), who decides whether a judicial investigation is required. Croatia has a civil law system based on the continental European model. Contact your insurer and the British Embassy Zagreb immediately.
Local emergency number: 112
Contact the embassy or consulate
Tell the embassy or consulate of your loved one's own country as soon as possible. It can register the death, give you a list of local funeral directors and explain what the local authorities will need.
For British nationals, that is the British Embassy in Zagreb.
Embassy: +385 1 600 9100
British nationals, FCDO 24hr: +44 (0)20 7008 5000
Appoint a local funeral director
A local funeral director in Croatia will take care of the body, arrange embalming, obtain the necessary documents, and coordinate with airlines. The embassy can recommend accredited directors. You can also contact a specialist UK repatriation company, who will coordinate with a local partner on your behalf.
Contact your travel insurer
If your loved one had travel insurance with repatriation cover, contact the insurer immediately. They will often have an emergency assistance line and may appoint their own funeral director. Many policies cover the full cost of repatriation, subject to the limit set out in the policy schedule.
Gather the required documents
Repatriation from Croatia requires specific paperwork before a body can be transported. Your local funeral director will handle most of this.
- Smrtni List (Croatian death certificate)
- Medical certificate of cause of death
- State attorney clearance (if judicial investigation)
- Embalming certificate
- Freedom from infection certificate
- Permission to transport remains from Croatia
- Passport of deceased
Documentation typically takes 3-7 working days to complete.
Official support
British Embassy in Zagreb
The embassy can provide information and a list of local funeral directors, but they cannot arrange or pay for repatriation. Contact them early to register the death with consular services.
What the embassy can do
What the embassy cannot do
What to expect
How long does it take?
Factors that can extend the timeline
- Croatian judicial investigation ordered by state attorney
- Death on a Dalmatian island (ferry transfer to Split or Dubrovnik required)
- Seasonal capacity constraints in summer (July-August, peak tourist deaths)
- Documentation processing during Croatian public holidays
Cost guide
What affects the cost?
Nobody publishes a reliable figure for Croatia alone. Our cost page sets out the ranges repatriation firms publish, each named and dated. What you pay turns on the specifics of the case.
| Where the death happened | Distance to the departure airport, and any island or overland transfer, changes the freight arrangement |
| Whether a post-mortem is ordered | An investigation holds the release and adds mortuary time |
| Documentation required | Croatia paperwork, translation, and any legalisation step |
| Coffin and preparation | Airline and destination rules dictate what is needed |
| Flight availability | Direct services cost less to arrange than multi-leg cargo routing |
| Insurance | Whether a policy covers repatriation, and up to what limit |
Send us the details and we will give you a figure for your case, with no obligation.
If a post-mortem is required
Required when the state attorney orders a judicial investigation for unnatural, violent, or suspicious deaths. Road accidents involving tourists and drowning incidents on the Dalmatian coast are the most common complex cases.. Adds 5-14 days. Summer season capacity constraints can extend timelines for island cases where local authority resources are stretched.
Common questions
Questions families ask about deaths in Croatia
Repatriation from Croatia typically takes 10-16 days. The fastest cases complete in 7 days where nothing is contested. Cases involving a post-mortem or a police investigation can take 25+ days.
We do not publish a figure for Croatia, because the cost turns on the specifics of the case. What moves it is where the death happened, whether an investigation must conclude first, the documentation Croatia requires, and the flight routing available. Send us the details and we will price your case, with no obligation.
Embalming is required for international repatriation. Croatia has experienced funeral directors in Split, Dubrovnik, and Zagreb. Island deaths require transport to the mainland before preparation can begin.
Cremation is available in Croatia. Where cremation has taken place, ashes can usually be carried to the UK in hand luggage with the cremation certificate, which is the least costly way to bring someone home.
The documents required from Croatia are: Smrtni List (Croatian death certificate), Medical certificate of cause of death, State attorney clearance (if judicial investigation), Embalming certificate, Freedom from infection certificate, Permission to transport remains from Croatia, Passport of deceased. Documentation typically takes 3-7 working days. Your local funeral director gathers most of this on your behalf.
Full repatriation guide for Croatia
Detailed information on the full repatriation process, embassy contacts, what affects the cost, cultural considerations, and more.
View full guideCremation in Croatia
If local cremation is the right choice for your family, our country guide covers the documentation, airline rules, and costs.
Cremation guideSend us the details
If you need someone to take over the arrangements, tell us what has happened. We arrange repatriation from Croatia to the UK, Ireland or any other country.
Send an enquiryTell us what has happened in Croatia
Send us the details and we will explain what happens next and prepare a quote for bringing your loved one home, to the UK, Ireland or any other country.
Reviewed by the Repatriate Service editorial team. Information sourced from UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) guidance, official embassy contacts, and professional repatriation experience. Facts last checked September 2026; page updated .
Sources: FCDO gov.uk · Repatriation from Croatia · Frequently asked questions