Repatriation from Reykjavik, Iceland

Iceland is in the Schengen area but is not a member of the European Union. This distinction matters practically: Iceland does not follow EU regulation frameworks for the transport of human remains, and the documentation chain is governed by Icelandic national law. Death certificates and official documents are issued in Icelandic only. Certified English translations are required for all documents submitted to UK authorities, and this adds 3 to 7 working days to the process.

What the British Embassy does — and does not do

The British Embassy Reykjavik (Laufásvegur 31, 101 Reykjavík) is the UK consular authority for all deaths in Iceland.

The Embassy can: Register the death in UK consular records. Advise on Icelandic documentation for UK authorities. Provide a list of funeral directors with repatriation experience.

The Embassy cannot: Repatriate the body. Pay any costs. Bypass Icelandic legal or health authority requirements.

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

What Icelandic law requires

Under the Lög um meðferð sakamála (Act on Handling of Criminal Cases, nr. 88/2008) and the Lög um líkamsrækt og heilbrigðisþjónustu (Health Services Act), sudden, violent, or unexplained deaths are referred by the attending physician to the police (Lögreglan), who notify the State Prosecutor (Ríkissaksóknari) where required. Forensic post-mortems are conducted at the Department of Forensic Pathology, Landspítali University Hospital (Fossvogi campus, Reykjavík) — the sole forensic pathology centre in Iceland.

For expected deaths under medical supervision, the physician issues the dánarskírteini directly.

The documentation chain

1. Dánarskírteini (death certificate). Issued by the treating physician or Landspítali forensic physician.

2. Death registration. With the National Registry (Þjóðskrá Íslands).

3. Flutningsleyfi (transport permit for international repatriation). Issued by the Directorate of Health (Embætti landlæknis) — the competent authority for international transport of human remains in Iceland.

4. Certified Icelandic-to-English translations. Required for all documents submitted to UK authorities.

5. Embalming certificate.

6. Freedom from infection certificate.

7. IATA cargo documentation.

Source: Lög um meðferð sakamála nr. 88/2008 (Iceland); Embætti landlæknis, Flutningur líkama, 2024.

Airport and cargo routing

Keflavík International Airport (KEF, officially Leif Eriksson International Airport) is Iceland’s only international airport, located 50km from Reykjavík city centre. There is no city airport with cargo capability. British Airways and easyJet both operate KEF-LHR direct. The KEF cargo terminal handles human remains. This is a straightforward routing — one direct leg to London.

Timeline from Reykjavik

• Natural death with certified cause: 7 to 14 days (plus 3–7 days for translations)
• Forensic/prosecutor case: 14 to 28 days
• Extended investigation: 4 to 8 weeks

Key local considerations

Iceland draws British tourists for Northern Lights tours, glacier hiking, and whale watching — primarily in the Reykjavik and Golden Circle area, but also in remote highland areas. Deaths in the interior (Icelandic highlands, F-roads) present access and recovery challenges before the body reaches Reykjavík for processing. Search and rescue (Landsbjörg) is involved in mountain and off-road recovery cases.

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

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

Information based on Lög um meðferð sakamála nr. 88/2008 (Iceland) and Embætti landlæknis (Directorate of Health Iceland) documentation. Last reviewed May 2026.