Repatriation from Thessaloniki, Greece

Thessaloniki is Greece’s second city and the capital of the Macedonia region. It attracts fewer British tourists than the Aegean islands but has a growing short-break market, a British business presence, and is the base for touring northern Greece, Halkidiki’s peninsula beaches, and Mount Olympus. The repatriation process follows the same Greek national framework as the islands, but the forensic infrastructure is more developed here than in smaller island jurisdictions.

What the British Consulate does — and does not do

The British Consulate Thessaloniki (8th Floor, 21 Aristotelous Street, Thessaloniki 546 23) is the correct first consular contact for deaths in northern Greece — Macedonia, Thrace, and Halkidiki.

The Consul can: Register the death in UK consular records. Assist with contacting relatives. Advise on the documentation Greek authorities require and what UK receiving authorities will need.

The Consul cannot: Repatriate the body. Pay any costs. Direct Greek legal processes.

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

What Greek law requires in Thessaloniki

The same six-step national framework applies. Thessaloniki has an advantage over the islands: the forensic pathology department is on-site at AHEPA University Hospital (Ιπποκρατείου Αστικό Νοσοκομείο Θεσσαλονίκης and the Forensic Medicine Laboratory at the Aristotle University). The prosecutor (εισαγγελέας) from the Thessaloniki Court of First Instance (Πρωτοδικείο Θεσσαλονίκης) handles the case.

There is no island-transfer complication as there is with the Cyclades or Dodecanese.

The documentation chain

1. Police report (Δελτίο Συμβάντος). Filed by the Thessaloniki Police (ΕΛΑΣ Θεσσαλονίκης) for sudden or unexplained deaths.

2. Prosecutor (εισαγγελέας) case opening and, if ordered, forensic post-mortem at the Aristotle University Forensic Medicine Laboratory.

3. Death certificate (Ληξιαρχική Πράξη Θανάτου). Registered at the Thessaloniki Municipal Civil Registry (Ληξιαρχείο Δήμου Θεσσαλονίκης). Processing: 3 to 7 working days.

4. Export permit (Άδεια εξαγωγής σορού). Issued by the Thessaloniki Regional Health Directorate (Διεύθυνση Δημόσιας Υγείας Περιφέρειας Κεντρικής Μακεδονίας).

5. Embalming certificate.

6. Freedom from infection certificate.

7. IATA cargo documentation.

Source: Ελληνικός Κώδικας Ποινικής Δικονομίας; Ληξιαρχείο Δήμου Θεσσαλονίκης, 2024; FCDO Greece travel advice, 2024.

Airport and cargo routing

Thessaloniki Macedonia International Airport (SKG) has direct UK services via British Airways and easyJet. The SKG cargo terminal handles human remains. British Airways SKG-LHR is the standard cargo route. For cases requiring body transfer from Halkidiki or the northern coast, road transfer to SKG is straightforward (Halkidiki Peninsula is 60–90 minutes from the airport).

Timeline from Thessaloniki

• Natural death with certifiable cause: 7 to 14 days
• Prosecutor/forensic case: 14 to 28 days
• Extended investigation: 4 to 8 weeks

Key local considerations

Thessaloniki has a smaller British tourist profile than the islands. Deaths among business travellers and among British-Greek families visiting relatives are the primary categories. Halkidiki — the three-pronged peninsula south of Thessaloniki — draws British sun and beach tourists in summer; beach and sea accident deaths from the peninsula route through Thessaloniki’s forensic and administrative system.

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

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

Information based on the Greek Code of Criminal Procedure and British Consulate Thessaloniki documentation. Last reviewed May 2026.