What to do if someone dies in Italy

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.