City repatriation guide
Repatriation from Pokhara, Nepal
Specific guidance for arranging repatriation from Pokhara. Local documentation contacts, airport cargo routes, and the typical process for cases originating in this area.
Pokhara is the staging town for the Annapurna Circuit and the Annapurna Sanctuary (Annapurna Base Camp) treks — two of the most popular long-distance walking routes in the world. Lakeside, the tourist district, fills each season with British trekkers preparing for, or recovering from, multi-week Himalayan routes. Paragliding from Sarangkot above Pokhara is another primary British activity category. Deaths in the western Nepal trekking zone — the Annapurna Conservation Area, Mustang, Manaslu, Dhaulagiri — are managed through the Pokhara administration before transfer to Kathmandu for the export documentation chain.
What the British Embassy does — and does not do
The British Embassy Kathmandu (Lainchaur, Kathmandu 44600) covers all of Nepal including the Annapurna and Gandaki Province. There is no resident British consul in Pokhara.
The Embassy can: Register the death in UK consular records. Advise on the Nepali documentation process. Provide emergency contact information.
The Embassy cannot: Repatriate the body. Pay any costs. Coordinate helicopter rescue from the Annapurna range.
FCDO 24-hour emergency line: +44 (0)20 7008 5000.
What Nepali law requires in Pokhara
Under the Muluki Fojdari Karyawidhi Ain (Criminal Procedure Code 2017, Nepal), sudden deaths in the Pokhara area and Gandaki Province are reported to the Nepal Police Pokhara and referred to the District Attorney (Sarkari Wakil) for Kaski District. Forensic post-mortems are conducted at Gandaki Medical College and Teaching Hospital (Pokharalidar, Pokhara 33700) or at Western Regional Hospital Pokhara. For cases requiring specialist forensic pathology not available in Pokhara, the body may be transferred to TUTH Kathmandu — a 7-hour drive or 25-minute flight.
Death certificates are registered with the relevant municipality ward office in Pokhara Metropolitan City.
The international export permit, however, is issued through the Ministry of Health and Population in Kathmandu, not in Pokhara. This means families should anticipate documentation travelling between Pokhara and Kathmandu as part of the process.
The documentation chain
1. Death registration (Mrityu Darta). Issued by Pokhara Metropolitan City ward office.
2. Nepal Police Pokhara no-objection letter (required in sudden or unnatural deaths).
3. Post-mortem report (where applicable, conducted at Gandaki Medical College or transferred to TUTH Kathmandu).
4. International transport permit. Issued by MoHP Kathmandu.
5. Embalming certificate.
6. IATA cargo documentation — covering the PKR to KTM domestic leg and KTM-LHR international leg.
Source: Muluki Fojdari Karyawidhi Ain (Nepal CPC 2017); Ministry of Health and Population Nepal, Guidelines for International Transport of Human Remains, 2024.
Airport and cargo routing
Pokhara Regional International Airport (PKR, opened 2023) has domestic services to Kathmandu (25 minutes on Buddha Air, Yeti Airlines, or Shree Airlines) and limited international routes. International cargo for repatriation departs from Tribhuvan International Airport Kathmandu (KTM). The standard cargo route is: PKR-KTM domestic leg, then KTM-LHR British Airways direct.
Timeline from Pokhara
- Natural death in Pokhara town: 10 to 18 days
- Trekking death with helicopter evacuation to Pokhara: 14 to 21 days
- Transfer to Kathmandu for specialist post-mortem: adds 3 to 7 days
- Extended climbing investigation: 4 to 8 weeks
Key local considerations
The Annapurna Circuit and ABC treks reach elevations between 4,000m and 5,400m (Thorong La Pass is at 5,416m). Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS), High Altitude Cerebral Oedema (HACE), and High Altitude Pulmonary Oedema (HAPE) are documented causes of death on both routes. Paragliding deaths at Sarangkot are a separate category. Confirm that your travel insurance covers helicopter evacuation from altitude — a separate point from the Kathmandu page but equally critical here.
For the full Nepal repatriation process, see our Nepal repatriation guide.
Contact our team via our enquiry form or WhatsApp.
Information based on Muluki Fojdari Karyawidhi Ain (Nepal CPC 2017) and Ministry of Health and Population Nepal guidelines. Last reviewed May 2026.
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