Repatriation from Shanghai, China

Every document in a Chinese repatriation case is in Mandarin. There are no official English-language versions of Chinese death certificates, forensic reports, or export permits. Every single document submitted to UK authorities — the registrar, the coroner, the receiving funeral home — requires a certified English translation prepared by an accredited translator. This adds 5 to 10 working days to every case and should be treated as a fixed constraint from the outset, not an afterthought.

What the British Consulate does — and does not do

The British Consulate General Shanghai (No. 1515 Nanjing West Road, Suite 700, Kerry Centre, Shanghai 200040) covers Shanghai municipality and the surrounding provinces of Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Anhui.

The Consulate can: Register the death in UK consular records. Advise on Chinese documentation and what UK authorities require. Provide a list of funeral homes with China repatriation experience.

The Consulate cannot: Repatriate the body. Pay any costs. Instruct Chinese state authorities.

FCDO 24-hour emergency line: +44 (0)20 7008 5000.

What Chinese law requires in Shanghai

Under the Regulation on Funeral and Interment Management (殡葬管理条例, State Council 1997, revised 2012) and Shanghai municipal implementing rules, sudden or unexplained deaths are reported to the Shanghai Public Security Bureau (上海市公安局, PSB). The PSB forensic medicine unit (法医) conducts forensic examination where required — this is a state police function in China, not an independent medical examiner.

For hospital deaths with a certified cause, the treating hospital issues the death certificate directly.

The documentation chain

1. 死亡医学证明书 (Medical Certificate of Death). Issued by the treating hospital or PSB forensic physician.

2. 死亡证明书 (Registered Death Certificate). Filed with the local Civil Affairs Bureau (民政局) of the relevant Shanghai district.

3. Notarisation. The death certificate must be notarised by a Chinese notary public (公证处). This step is mandatory before international documentation can proceed.

4. 运送出境许可证 (Permit to Transport Human Remains Out of China). Issued by the Shanghai Municipal Civil Affairs Bureau (上海市民政局), under authority of the Ministry of Civil Affairs (民政部).

5. Embalming certificate.

6. Freedom from infection certificate.

7. Certified Mandarin-to-English translations of all documents.

8. IATA cargo documentation.

Source: Regulation on Funeral and Interment Management, PRC State Council; Ministry of Civil Affairs PRC, International Transport of Human Remains, 2024.

Airport and cargo routing

Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG) is the primary international cargo airport. British Airways operates PVG-LHR direct — one of BA’s most important Asia-Pacific routes. PVG cargo has established handling procedures for human remains and the BA cargo team in Shanghai has experience with British repatriation cases.

Timeline from Shanghai

• Hospital-certified natural death: 14 to 21 days (including translation time)
• PSB/forensic case: 21 to 35 days
• Prolonged investigation: 6 to 12 weeks

Key local considerations

Shanghai is China’s financial and commercial capital with the largest concentration of British expatriate residents and business visitors in China. Deaths among long-term British residents (who may have significant local administrative and property ties) require additional coordination with the BCG Shanghai regarding consular registration and UK estate administration.

For information on the broader repatriation process from China, see our China repatriation guide.

For guidance on next steps, contact our team via our enquiry form or WhatsApp.

Information based on the Regulation on Funeral and Interment Management (殡葬管理条例) PRC and Ministry of Civil Affairs PRC documentation. Last reviewed May 2026.