Repatriation from Aqaba, Jordan

Aqaba is Jordan’s only coastal city and its sole Red Sea port. It draws British visitors for two primary reasons: Red Sea scuba diving in the Gulf of Aqaba (which shares the same reef system as Sharm El-Sheikh and Eilat), and as the entry or exit point for Wadi Rum — the vast desert landscape of rose-red sandstone that attracts hikers, climbers, wild campers, and increasingly, stargazing and hot-air balloon tourists. Deaths in both contexts are documented. Aqaba and Wadi Rum fall within the Aqaba Governorate (Muhafazat Aqaba), and Aqaba’s civilian and police administration handles both.

What the British Embassy does — and does not do

The British Embassy Amman (Abdoun, Amman 11118, Jordan) covers all of Jordan including the Aqaba Governorate.

The Embassy can: Register the death in UK consular records. Advise on Jordanian documentation requirements for UK authorities. Provide a funeral director referral list.

The Embassy cannot: Repatriate the body. Pay any costs. Instruct Jordanian authorities.

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

What Jordanian law requires

Under the Jordanian Code of Criminal Procedure (Law No. 9 of 1961 as amended), sudden, violent, or unexplained deaths are reported to the Aqaba Police Directorate (Mudiriyyat Amn Aqaba) and referred to the Public Prosecutor (Mudda’i al-‘Amm) for Aqaba Governorate. Forensic post-mortems are conducted at the National Centre for Forensic Medicine (NCFM) in Amman — the sole national forensic pathology facility — which means that bodies requiring post-mortem must be transferred from Aqaba to Amman (approximately 330km by road, or 45 minutes by air).

Death certificates (Shahādat al-Wafāt) are issued by the Civil Status and Passports Department (Dā’irat al-Ahwāl al-Madaniyya wa al-Jawāzāt) Jordan.

The documentation chain

1. Death Certificate (Shahādat al-Wafāt). Issued by Jordanian Civil Status Department.

2. Public Prosecutor release (required in sudden or violent deaths before body release).

3. Post-mortem report from NCFM Amman (where applicable — requires transfer to Amman from Aqaba).

4. International transport permit. Issued by the Ministry of Health Jordan.

5. Embalming certificate.

6. IATA cargo documentation — covering AQJ to AMM domestic leg and AMM-LHR international leg.

Source: Jordanian Code of Criminal Procedure, Law No. 9 of 1961 (as amended); Ministry of Health Jordan, Procedures for International Transport of Human Remains, 2024.

Airport and cargo routing

King Hussein International Airport Aqaba (AQJ) has limited international services — primarily to Amman (AMM, 45 minutes) and some regional routes. International cargo for repatriation departs from Queen Alia International Airport Amman (AMM), which has British Airways AMM-LHR direct service. The standard routing is: AQJ-AMM domestic leg, then AMM-LHR BA direct. For diving deaths or Wadi Rum desert incidents, the road to Aqaba or Amman is the first step before any airport arrangements.

Timeline from Aqaba

• Hospital-certified natural death in Aqaba: 10 to 18 days
• Transfer to NCFM Amman for post-mortem: adds 2 to 4 days
• Forensic investigation: 14 to 28 days
• Extended investigation: 4 to 8 weeks

Key local considerations

Decompression sickness (DCS) and drowning at the Aqaba Red Sea dive sites are documented death categories. DCS deaths can have ambiguous causation and may require detailed review of dive logs, boat records, and medical records from the Aqaba hyperbaric chamber at Princess Haya Military Hospital before the post-mortem and case closure process completes. Wadi Rum deaths — heat exhaustion, dehydration, climbing accidents — involve the Wadi Rum Protected Area rangers as first responders before police involvement.

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

Information based on Jordanian Code of Criminal Procedure (Law No. 9 of 1961) and Ministry of Health Jordan. Last reviewed May 2026.