Practical guidance
What to do if someone dies in Italy
This guide explains what happens after a death in Italy, 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
10-21 days
FCDO 24hr helpline
+44 (0)20 7008 5000
7,900 Municipalities, 7,900 Different Processes
Italy’s comuni system is the defining feature of Italian repatriation. Each of Italy’s 7,900-plus municipalities handles death registration independently. That means the speed, the paperwork requirements, the attitude of the registrar, and the availability of funeral directors capable of handling international transport all vary by where your loved one died. Milan and Rome have professional, well-resourced services. A small comuni in Calabria or rural Sardinia is a different situation entirely.
The certificato di morte (death certificate) does not show the cause of death, and a multilingual version is available under EU convention. Copies can usually be obtained within two to seven days depending on the comune.
The Nulla Osta: Italy’s Key Bottleneck
Before a body can leave Italy, the Italian repatriation process requires a nulla osta: a clearance document issued by the procuratore della Repubblica (public prosecutor). This is not unique to Italian law, but Italy’s prosecutor system is notoriously slow. For straightforward natural deaths in hospital, the nulla osta is a formality and can be issued within days. For sudden, accidental, or unexplained deaths, the procuratore may open a judicial investigation first. That investigation can pause everything for weeks.
Funeral directors in tourist areas (Florence, Venice, Rome, Amalfi Coast) are experienced with the nulla osta process and know how to push it through. Those handling more unusual deaths in less tourist-facing parts of Italy may need guidance.
Ferragosto and the August Shutdown
Ferragosto, centred on 15 August but spreading across the first three weeks of the month, is Italy’s most complete national shutdown. Government offices run on skeleton staff or close entirely. Local feast days and patron saint celebrations affect additional days throughout the year, Italy has far more public holidays than the UK. A death in August in a small Italian town can face delays that simply would not happen in November.
Sardinia, Sicily, and the Ski Resorts
Deaths on Sardinia or Sicily require an internal transport step to a mainland airport before international repatriation. For Sardinia this typically means Cagliari or Olbia to Rome; for Sicily, Palermo or Catania to Rome or Milan. Add one to two days and additional cost.
The Italian Dolomites and Alpine ski resorts (Cortina d’Ampezzo, Madonna di Campiglio, Livigno) present different challenges: mountain rescue involvement, possible search and recovery, and transport down from altitude before any documentation can begin. If your loved one died on a ski run, expect the Italian process to take longer than the usual 10-21 days.
Sources: FCDO Italy guidance (updated August 2025); Ministero dell’Interno, anagrafe and stato civile procedures; British Embassy Rome guidance notes.
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 emergency services (112 for all emergencies, or 113 for police, 118 for ambulance). A doctor must certify the death. If death occurs outside a hospital, the Carabinieri (112) or Polizia di Stato (113) will attend. Contact the British Embassy in Rome or the nearest consulate.
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 Rome.
Embassy: +39 06 4220 0001
British nationals, FCDO 24hr: +44 (0)20 7008 5000
Appoint a local funeral director
A local funeral director in Italy 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 Italy requires specific paperwork before a body can be transported. Your local funeral director will handle most of this.
- Italian death certificate (certificato di morte)
- Certified translation if multilingual version unavailable
- Embalming certificate (certificato di imbalsamazione)
- Nulla osta (clearance certificate from the comune or police)
- Freedom from infection certificate
- Passport of deceased (or copy)
- Airline cargo documentation
Documentation typically takes 5-14 days for full documentation to complete.
Official support
British Embassy in Rome
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.
Via XX Settembre 80a, 00187 Rome
What the embassy can do
What the embassy cannot do
What to expect
How long does it take?
Factors that can extend the timeline
- Italian bureaucracy and comuni system variation
- Nulla osta delays from public prosecutor
- Post-mortem investigation
- Death in remote location (Dolomites ski resort, rural Tuscany, small island)
- Sardinia or Sicily (adds internal transport step)
- Local patron saint feast days and public holidays (Italy has many: regional holidays vary)
- August closure (Ferragosto period, mid-August, much of Italy closes)
- Weekend closures of ufficio di stato civile
- Winter ski resort accessibility issues
Cost guide
What affects the cost?
Nobody publishes a reliable figure for Italy 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 | Italy 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
Post mortem ordered by the procuratore della Repubblica (public prosecutor) if death is sudden, violent, suspicious, or cause unknown.. Can delay repatriation by 2-6 weeks. Prosecutor must issue nulla osta (clearance) to release the body.
Post-mortems in Italy are conducted by Forensic medicine service (medico legale) appointed by the public prosecutor.
Common questions
Questions families ask about deaths in Italy
Repatriation from Italy typically takes 10-21 days. The fastest cases complete in 5-10 days where nothing is contested. Cases involving a post-mortem or a police investigation can take 4-8 weeks.
We do not publish a figure for Italy, 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 Italy requires, and the flight routing available. Send us the details and we will price your case, with no obligation.
The documents required from Italy are: Italian death certificate (certificato di morte), Certified translation if multilingual version unavailable, Embalming certificate (certificato di imbalsamazione), Nulla osta (clearance certificate from the comune or police), Freedom from infection certificate, Passport of deceased (or copy), Airline cargo documentation. Italian bureaucracy is notoriously slow. The comuni system means each municipality operates semi-independently. Nulla osta (clearance certificate) can sometimes be the bottleneck, particularly if post-mortem is involved. Tourist-area funeral directors experienced with foreign nationals can help work through. Weekend and public holiday closures (Italy has many patron saint feast days that are local holidays) can add delays. Documentation typically takes 5-14 days for full documentation. Your local funeral director gathers most of this on your behalf.
Death in remote location (Dolomites ski resort, rural Tuscany, small island). Winter ski resort accessibility issues. Deaths in areas without direct UK flights (Lake Garda, Dolomites ski resorts, Sardinia, Sicily, Amalfi Coast) may require road transport to a major airport. Italian autostrada network makes road transport efficient.
Death must be registered at the local comune (municipality). Italy's comuni system means procedures can vary slightly between municipalities. The doctor provides the initial medical certification, and the ufficio di stato civile (civil registry office) at the comune issues the formal death certificate (certificato di morte). Italian death certificates are in Italian only. A multilingual EU-format extract may be available on request.
Cremation is available in Italy. Available in most major cities. Growing availability but not as widespread as UK, France, or Spain. Northern Italy has more crematoria than southern Italy. 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. Do NOT cremate abroad if a UK coroner may need to hold an inquest. Cremation destroys evidence.
Deaths in Sardinia or Sicily may require a ferry or domestic flight to mainland Italy before international transport. Similar to Greek island logistics but with better infrastructure.
Deaths occurring in Vatican City are handled by Vatican authorities, not Italian authorities. This is a separate sovereign state. British Embassy in Rome can assist but Vatican procedures apply.
Full repatriation guide for Italy
Detailed information on the full repatriation process, embassy contacts, what affects the cost, cultural considerations, and more.
View full guideCremation in Italy
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 Italy to the UK, Ireland or any other country.
Send an enquiryTell us what has happened in Italy
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 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
Sources: FCDO gov.uk · Repatriation from Italy · Frequently asked questions