Repatriation from Kenya
How do you bring a loved one home from Kenya?
You appoint a repatriation specialist who coordinates local funeral directors, obtains all required documentation, and arranges air freight. The process typically takes 14-28 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.
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Send us the detailsFirst 24 hours
What should happen in the first 24 hours after a death in Kenya?
Contact emergency services (999 or 112). If death occurs outside hospital, police must attend. The police arrange removal to a mortuary. Contact the British High Commission in Nairobi.
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 Kenya take?
In most cases, repatriation from Kenya takes 14-28 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 6-12 weeks or beyond.
What makes a case complex?
- Safari/remote area death requires internal transport to Nairobi
- Police investigation and clearance can be slow
- Death certificate processing varies by district
- Port Health clearance adds a step
- Kenyan public holidays and weekend closures
- Election periods can disrupt government services
- Wildlife-related deaths may involve Kenya Wildlife Service investigation
- Coastal deaths (Mombasa, Diani) route through Nairobi
Documentation
What documents are required to bring a body home from Kenya?
All of these documents must be in place before air transport can proceed. Your appointed repatriation coordinator will obtain most of them.
- Kenyan death certificate
- Embalming certificate
- Freedom from infection certificate from Port Health
- Passport of deceased (or copy)
- Police report/clearance
- Burial permit (required even for repatriation)
- Airline cargo documentation
Documentation typically takes 7-21 days to complete.
British Embassy
What does the British Embassy in Kenya 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 Kenya instead of a full body?
Yes, cremation facilities are available in Kenya. Transporting ashes home requires specific documents and must comply with airline regulations.
Documents needed to transport ashes
- Death certificate
- Cremation certificate
- Port Health clearance
Do NOT cremate if a UK coroner may need to hold an inquest.
Generally yes, with documentation. Notify airline in advance.
Getting started
How do you start the repatriation process from Kenya?
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 Kenya
Kenyan documentation can be slow, particularly for the death certificate and police clearance. Nairobi processes are faster than provincial offices. Port Health clearance (freedom from infection) is an additional step. Safari deaths in remote areas add significant internal transport time before documentation can even begin.
Allow 14-28 days for a straightforward case from Kenya. 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 6-12 weeks.
There is no standard figure, and quoting one before we know the case would be misleading. The cost of bringing someone home from Kenya 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.
Body transported as human remains cargo on commercial flights. Nairobi JKIA is the main cargo hub. Kenya Airways has good cargo services. British Airways also operates direct London-Nairobi. Mombasa has limited international cargo capacity; most repatriations route through Nairobi. Safari deaths (Masai Mara, Amboseli, Tsavo, Samburu) require road transport to Nairobi. This can take 4-8 hours depending on location and road conditions. Mombasa coast deaths may require road or domestic flight to Nairobi. Good direct Nairobi-London connectivity (KQ and BA). Safari deaths are the main internal logistics challenge. Masai Mara is 5-6 hours by road from Nairobi. Light aircraft charters from safari airstrips can speed up internal transport but add cost.
The British post covering Kenya is in Nairobi. 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 Kenya
Each route guide covers the documentation, timeline and process for one corridor from Kenya, 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 Kenya, 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: Kenya · Frequently asked questions
City guides
Repatriation from specific cities in Kenya
For guidance specific to where the death occurred, see our city-level pages.