What to do if someone dies in Malta

Malta is a small island. That means there is no distance between you and the process. When a British national dies in Valletta, in Sliema, or on the quiet lanes of Gozo, the Maltese authorities move quickly, and so must you.

Call 112. The first call goes to emergency services. Even if a doctor is already present, police attendance is required before the body can be moved to a funeral home. A licensed physician certifies the death. If the death is sudden, unattended, or the cause is not immediately clear, the police alert the duty magistrate. That magistrate decides whether a post-mortem is necessary.

The duty magistrate is the key figure in unnatural deaths.

Malta has no independent coroner’s service. Instead, a duty magistrate holds judicial authority over sudden and unexplained deaths. If your family member died in an accident, a fall, a drowning, or with no treating doctor, assume a magistrate will be involved. Post-mortems add days. Sometimes weeks. You cannot circumvent this process, but a good local funeral director will monitor progress and push for timely completion.

Contact the British High Commission in Valletta at +356 2323 0000 as soon as you have called 112. The High Commission will not make funeral arrangements for you, but they will provide a list of Maltese funeral directors experienced with UK repatriation and will help you notify the family. They can also certify the Ċertifikat tal-Mewt (Maltese death certificate) for UK registration.

Your travel insurer must be notified on the same day. Most policies require immediate notification to trigger repatriation cover. Late notification is one of the most common reasons claims are disputed.

What happens after the magistrate releases the body?

Once the magistrate or attending physician authorises release, the funeral director can begin preparation. For UK repatriation, embalming is required under UK regulations. Malta has certified embalmers in Valletta, Sliema, and the St Julian’s area. A zinc-lined coffin is also required. These items are standard practice at Maltese funeral directors with international experience.

The documentation set for repatriation includes the Ċertifikat tal-Mewt, a freedom from infection certificate signed by the embalmer, official permission to remove remains from Malta, and the deceased’s passport. Processing takes two to five working days once the body is released.

Malta Luqa International Airport handles human remains cargo routinely. Air Malta, British Airways, and Ryanair cargo services fly direct to London Heathrow and Manchester. Flight time is three to four hours.

On arrival in the UK, the receiving funeral director notifies the coroner. If a clear cause of death is documented from Malta, a UK inquest is unlikely. The family can then proceed with funeral arrangements in the UK.

The FCDO travel advice page for Malta (updated December 2024) notes that British nationals represent a significant proportion of emergency consular cases. Older travellers with pre-existing conditions account for most deaths. Travel insurance that includes repatriation cover is listed by the FCDO as essential for all travel to Malta.

For the full repatriation process including costs, timeline, and documentation checklist, see our repatriation from Malta guide.