Repatriation from New Zealand
How do you bring a loved one home from New Zealand?
You appoint a repatriation specialist who coordinates local funeral directors, obtains all required documentation, and arranges air freight. The process typically takes 14-21 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 New Zealand?
Call 111 for police and ambulance. A doctor or nurse practitioner must certify the death. In New Zealand, a Coroner must be notified of any sudden, unexplained, or violent death under the Coroners Act 2006. The Coroner has jurisdiction over the body until they release it. Contact your insurer and the FCDO immediately.
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 New Zealand take?
In most cases, repatriation from New Zealand takes 14-21 days. The fastest straightforward cases complete in 10 days. Complex cases involving a post-mortem, criminal investigation, or a remote location can extend to 35+ days or beyond.
What makes a case complex?
- Coroner's inquest (New Zealand Coroners Act 2006)
- Long-haul freight logistics from Oceania
- Insurance dispute or uninsured death
- Death in a remote region (Fiordland, Bay of Islands, Queenstown backcountry)
Documentation
What documents are required to bring a body home from New Zealand?
All of these documents must be in place before air transport can proceed. Your appointed repatriation coordinator will obtain most of them.
- New Zealand Death Certificate
- Coroner's release (if applicable, Coroners Act 2006)
- Embalming certificate
- Certificate of cause of death or coroner's authorisation before removal (Burial and Cremation Act 1964, s 46F)
- Passport of deceased
Documentation typically takes 5-14 working days to complete.
Post-mortem
Will a post-mortem be required in New Zealand?
The New Zealand Coroner has broad jurisdiction under the Coroners Act 2006 and must be notified of any sudden, unnatural, or unexplained death. Post-mortem is ordered at the Coroner's discretion. NZ coroners are generally thorough and the process is well-organised..
Adds 7-21 days. The Coroner must formally release the body before repatriation can proceed. This is the most common cause of extended timelines for UK families.
If you are bringing someone home to the UK and an inquest there may be required, do not authorise cremation in New Zealand. Once cremation takes place, evidence is destroyed and the coroner cannot proceed. Other countries have their own rules on investigating deaths abroad; ask before agreeing to cremation.
British Embassy
What does the British Embassy in New Zealand 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.
Full embassy guide
All British Embassy contacts in New Zealand
Alternative option
Can ashes be brought home from New Zealand instead of a full body?
Yes, cremation facilities are available in New Zealand. Transporting ashes home requires specific documents and must comply with airline regulations.
Getting started
How do you start the repatriation process from New Zealand?
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 New Zealand
Allow 14-21 days for a straightforward case from New Zealand. Where nothing is contested it can be done in 10 days. Where a post-mortem or a police investigation has to conclude first, expect 35+ days.
There is no standard figure, and quoting one before we know the case would be misleading. The cost of bringing someone home from New Zealand 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.
The New Zealand Coroner has broad jurisdiction under the Coroners Act 2006 and must be notified of any sudden, unnatural, or unexplained death. Post-mortem is ordered at the Coroner's discretion. NZ coroners are generally thorough and the process is well-organised. Adds 7-21 days. The Coroner must formally release the body before repatriation can proceed. This is the most common cause of extended timelines for UK families.
Cremation is available in New Zealand. After a cremation abroad, ashes can normally be carried home to the UK in hand luggage, provided the cremation certificate travels with them; other countries set their own rules for bringing ashes in.
Call the insurer first, before anything is booked. Most policies will only pay where they authorised the arrangement, and many name the funeral director they want used. In the policy schedule, the benefit to look for is repatriation of remains. With no policy in place the family meets the cost directly, and we can set out what the options are.
Route guides
Repatriation routes from New Zealand
Each route guide covers the documentation, timeline and process for one corridor from New Zealand, 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 New Zealand, 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: New Zealand · Frequently asked questions
City guides
Repatriation from specific cities in New Zealand
For guidance specific to where the death occurred, see our city-level pages.