Practical guidance
What to do if someone dies in Cuba
This guide explains what happens after a death in Cuba, 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
28-35 days
FCDO 24hr helpline
+44 (0)20 7008 5000
Cuba’s repatriation process is unlike any other in the Caribbean. The Cuban state controls funeral services, forensic examinations, and export documentation. Families have very limited ability to make independent choices. What you can do is understand the process, manage expectations clearly, and appoint a UK specialist with direct Cuba experience.
The first step: British Embassy Havana
Notify the British Embassy in Havana immediately. The Embassy is at Calle 34 No. 702, Miramar, Havana. The direct number is +53 7 214 2200. The FCDO 24-hour emergency line is +44 (0)20 7008 5000.
Consular staff will register the death, issue relevant UK documentation, and advise on the Cuban process. They have direct working relationships with Cuban authorities that individual families do not. Involving them from the first day is not optional.
Medicina Legal: the mandatory autopsy
Cuba’s forensic authority, Medicina Legal, conducts autopsies on all foreign nationals who die in Cuba. This is a legal requirement. It applies regardless of whether the death was natural, accidental, or violent. The family cannot waive this requirement. It cannot be shortened by private payment.
The autopsy typically takes 7 to 14 days. The body cannot be released to any funeral service, Cuban or otherwise, until Medicina Legal has completed its examination and issued its report.
Plan for this delay from day one. Anyone telling you it can be expedited is not being accurate.
Cuban state funeral services
Cuba’s Empresa de Servicios Funerarios holds a state monopoly on funeral services. Private funeral homes operate only in a very limited capacity. Embalming must be carried out by state-approved personnel at a state facility. The family cannot appoint an independent funeral director to prepare the body.
This is not a criticism of the quality of Cuban funeral services. It is a statement of the legal framework. Your UK repatriation specialist must work within it.
MINREX export documentation
Once the Medicina Legal report is issued and the body is prepared, the export documentation process begins with the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MINREX). MINREX issues the laissez-passer (transit permit), the embalming certificate, and the sanitary clearance. This process typically takes a further 10 to 20 days after the Medicina Legal report.
Total minimum timeline, start to flight, is 21 to 35 days for a straightforward case. This is not pessimistic. It is what the process takes.
Routing to the UK
There are no direct flights from Cuba to the UK. Most repatriations route via Havana (HAV) to Madrid (MAD) with Iberia, then to a UK airport. Some route via Cancun (CUN) or Toronto (YYZ). Each transit country has its own requirements for transit of human remains. Your UK specialist manages this coordination.
The routing decision is made based on which airline’s cargo schedule offers the fastest total journey, not which offers the cheapest fare.
What families should do from the UK
Notify the travel insurer immediately. Cuba-specific repatriation cover is essential, given the timelines and costs involved. If no insurance exists, the full cost falls to the family.
Provide the Embassy and your specialist with the deceased’s passport, travel insurance documents, and the contact details of anyone with the deceased in Cuba. Source: FCDO guidance on death abroad; British Embassy Havana consular guidance (2023).
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
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.
British nationals, FCDO 24hr: +44 (0)20 7008 5000
Appoint a local funeral director
A local funeral director in Cuba 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 Cuba requires specific paperwork before a body can be transported. Your local funeral director will handle most of this.
What the embassy can do
What the embassy cannot do
What to expect
How long does it take?
Factors that can extend the timeline
- Mandatory Medicina Legal autopsy (7-14 days)
- MINREX export documentation (10-20 days)
- No direct Cuba-UK flights, multi-leg routing required
- State funeral service monopoly
Cost guide
What affects the cost?
Nobody publishes a reliable figure for Cuba 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 | Cuba 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
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Common questions
Questions families ask about deaths in Cuba
Repatriation from Cuba typically takes 28-35 days. The fastest cases complete in 21 days where nothing is contested. Cases involving a post-mortem or a police investigation can take 6+ weeks.
We do not publish a figure for Cuba, 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 Cuba requires, and the flight routing available. Send us the details and we will price your case, with no obligation.
Cuba's state forensic authority (Medicina Legal) conducts autopsies on all foreign nationals regardless of cause of death. This is a non-negotiable requirement. Delay of 7-14 days is standard.
No direct Cuba-UK flights exist. Most repatriations route via Havana to Madrid (Iberia) or via Cancun/Toronto. Each transit point adds documentation requirements. The UK repatriation specialist must coordinate transit handling.
Autopsies are routinely performed by Cuban forensic authorities (Medicina Legal) for all foreign nationals. This is a state requirement and cannot be waived. Results take 7-14 days.
Full repatriation guide for Cuba
Detailed information on the full repatriation process, embassy contacts, what affects the cost, cultural considerations, and more.
View full guideSend us the details
If you need someone to take over the arrangements, tell us what has happened. We arrange repatriation from Cuba to the UK, Ireland or any other country.
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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 .
Official lists for Cuba
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
Sources: FCDO gov.uk · Repatriation from Cuba · Frequently asked questions