Repatriation from Australia
How do you bring a loved one home from Australia?
You appoint a repatriation specialist who coordinates local funeral directors, obtains all required documentation, and arranges air freight. The process typically takes 10-21 days.
Bringing someone home to a particular country? Find the guide for your route or send us the details. We arrange repatriation to any country.
Need help now?
Send us the detailsFirst 24 hours
What should happen in the first 24 hours after a death in Australia?
Call 000 (triple zero) for emergency services. If death occurs in hospital, hospital staff handle initial procedures. If death is unexpected, police and the state/territory coroner may be involved. Contact the British High Commission in Canberra or nearest consulate.
The most important step is to contact a specialist repatriation company. They will tell you exactly what to do and begin coordinating with local authorities on your behalf.
Timeline
How long does repatriation from Australia take?
In most cases, repatriation from Australia takes 10-21 days. The fastest straightforward cases complete in 10-14 days. Complex cases involving a post-mortem, criminal investigation, or a remote location can extend to 4-8 weeks or beyond.
What makes a case complex?
- State-by-state variation in coronial and registration processes
- Coronial investigation (coroner holds body until released in all reportable deaths)
- Remote or outback death (significant internal transport required)
- Distance: 22-24 hour flight minimum adds days to the process
- Time zone difference (8-11 hours ahead of UK) slows communication
- Indigenous community deaths may involve cultural protocols
- Weekend and public holiday closures at state registries
Documentation
What documents are required to bring a body home from Australia?
All of these documents must be in place before air transport can proceed. Your appointed repatriation coordinator will obtain most of them.
- Australian death certificate (state-issued)
- Embalming certificate
- Freedom from infection certificate
- Passport of deceased (or copy)
- Export permit for human remains
- Airline cargo documentation
Documentation typically takes 5-14 days to complete.
British Embassy
What does the British Embassy in Australia do when someone dies?
For British nationals, the British Embassy provides consular assistance, which includes giving you a list of local funeral directors, helping you notify relatives, and advising on local procedures. What the Embassy cannot do is pay for repatriation, organise the funeral director, or make arrangements on your behalf. If your loved one was a citizen of another country, contact that country's embassy or consulate instead.
Alternative option
Can ashes be brought home from Australia instead of a full body?
Yes, cremation facilities are available in Australia. Transporting ashes home requires specific documents and must comply with airline regulations.
Documents needed to transport ashes
- Death certificate
- Cremation certificate
- Export documentation
If home is the UK, do not cremate abroad if a UK coroner may need to hold an inquest. Cremation destroys evidence.
Generally yes, with documentation. Notify airline in advance. Non-metallic container recommended for security screening.
Getting started
How do you start the repatriation process from Australia?
Call a specialist repatriation company. Do not wait until all other steps are complete. A specialist can begin the process immediately, even before the local death certificate has been issued.
You will need to provide: the name of the deceased, the location of the body, your contact details, and the name and contact of the local hospital or authority holding the body.
Get in touch now
Send the details any time. We begin working on your case from the first message.
Send an enquiryMore questions
Other frequently asked questions about repatriation from Australia
There is no standard figure, and quoting one before we know the case would be misleading. The cost of bringing someone home from Australia moves with the place of death, whether an investigation has to finish first, the paperwork required, and which flights carry remains on that route. Tell us what happened and we will come back with a figure, with no obligation.
Allow 10-21 days for a straightforward case from Australia. Where nothing is contested it can be done in 10-14 days. Where a post-mortem or a police investigation has to conclude first, expect 4-8 weeks.
Cremation is available in Australia. Widely available across Australia. Cremation is the majority practice. After a cremation abroad, ashes can normally be carried home to the UK in hand luggage, provided the cremation certificate travels with them; other countries set their own rules for bringing ashes in. If home is the UK, do not cremate abroad if a UK coroner may need to hold an inquest. Cremation destroys evidence.
Australia is one of the most expensive repatriation destinations due to extreme distance. Air freight dominates the total cost. Local Australian funeral industry costs are also high (comparable to UK). Perth deaths may be slightly cheaper due to the Qantas direct London route. Sydney and Melbourne are mid-range. Remote, outback, or Northern Territory deaths add substantial internal transport costs.
One of the longest repatriation routes. Freight costs are high due to distance. Qantas Perth-London direct is the fastest option. Internal Australian transport may be needed for deaths in regional or remote areas. Northern Territory and outback deaths involve significant internal logistics.
The British post covering Australia is in Canberra. What consular staff will do is register the death with UK authorities, give you a list of local funeral directors, and help you reach an insurer. What they cannot do is meet any cost, arrange the repatriation itself, or release the body. The FCDO 24 hour line is +44 (0)20 7008 5000.
Route guides
Repatriation routes from Australia
Each route guide covers the documentation, timeline and process for one corridor from Australia, written for the family at the receiving end.
We are here to help. Send us the details, any time
If your loved one has passed away in Australia, please do not face this alone. Send us the details and we will explain what happens next and prepare a quote for bringing them home, wherever home is.
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 .
Sources: FCDO gov.uk · Embassy contacts: Australia · Frequently asked questions