How We Verify Repatriation Information

How we source and verify repatriation information

Repatriate Service provides country-specific guidance on the process and costs of repatriating a loved one who has died abroad. This page explains how that information is sourced, verified, and kept up to date.

Primary sources

Every country guide is built from a combination of the following:

• UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) guidance on deaths abroad, including country-specific advice and consular contact details published at gov.uk.
• Official embassy and consulate contacts, verified directly with each mission’s published contact information.
• IATA regulations governing the international transport of human remains by air cargo.
• Direct operational experience from repatriation cases coordinated by our team and our network of licensed local operators.
• Government death-registration and export-permit requirements sourced from the relevant civil registry or public health authority in each country.

We do not rely on third-party travel blogs, forums, or unattributed online content as primary sources. Where we cannot confirm a detail independently, we flag it clearly as an estimate or note that it should be verified before action is taken.

How we vet local operators

We work with a carefully selected network of licensed funeral directors and repatriation agents in each country we cover. Our vetting process includes:

• Confirming relevant local licensing and regulatory standing.
• Direct contact and relationship with the operator prior to instructing them on a case.
• Performance review on completed cases, with feedback from families.

We do not instruct operators who cannot confirm their licensing status or who do not hold appropriate professional indemnity cover.

Cost and timeline figures

Cost ranges shown on this site are based on actual case data and are updated periodically. They represent typical ranges rather than fixed prices, because repatriation costs vary with location of death within the country, whether a post-mortem is involved, airline routing, and whether travel insurance covers the cost.

All cost figures are shown in GBP and include: local funeral director fees, embalming, zinc-lined coffin, export documentation, air freight, and UK reception.

Update cadence

Country guide content is reviewed when FCDO updates its guidance, a case reveals a change in local process, or we conduct our periodic scheduled review (at minimum annually). The review date is shown at the bottom of each country guide page.

What this site is not

Repatriate Service provides guidance and coordination services. We are not a legal adviser, a licensed insurer, a coroner, a registrar, or a government body. Nothing on this site constitutes legal advice.

If you believe any information on this site is inaccurate, please contact us and we will review and correct it promptly.