City repatriation guide
Repatriation from Gothenburg, Sweden
Specific guidance for arranging repatriation from Gothenburg. Local documentation contacts, airport cargo routes, and the typical process for cases originating in this area.
Gothenburg (Göteborg) is Sweden’s second city and the main port and industrial centre for Western Sweden. British visitors come for the archipelago (Bohuslän coastal islands), cultural tourism, and in smaller numbers for business. Gothenburg also has a resident British community, including professionals in the automotive and logistics sectors (Volvo is headquartered here), and people who have settled in Sweden through relationships or long-term residency.
The Swedish legal and administrative process for deaths is among the most orderly in Europe, and repatriations from Sweden generally follow a predictable timeline with relatively few unexpected complications. That said, families still need to work through a Swedish-language bureaucracy, and consular support through the Embassy in Stockholm is the practical starting point.
Consular coverage
The British Embassy Stockholm (Skarpögatan 6-8, 115 93 Stockholm) is the UK diplomatic mission for Sweden. There is no British consular presence in Gothenburg. The Embassy handles all consular matters for deaths in the Gothenburg and Västra Götaland region.
British Embassy Stockholm: +46 8 671 3000. FCDO 24-hour emergency line: +44 (0)20 7008 5000.
What Swedish law requires
Begravningslagen (Burial Act, SFS 1990:1144): When a person dies in Sweden, the treating physician completes a death certificate (dödsbevis) and a cause-of-death certificate (dödsorsaksintyg). The dödsbevis must be submitted to the Swedish Tax Agency (Skatteverket) within 24 hours.
Skatteverket (Swedish Tax Agency): Maintains the population register (folkbokföring). Deaths are registered here, and the Swedish death certificate is issued.
Police notification: The Swedish Police Authority (Polismyndigheten) is notified of sudden, violent, or unexplained deaths. The Region West (Polisregion Väst) covers Gothenburg. Suspected criminal deaths are referred to the National Forensic Centre (NFC) or to the National Board of Forensic Medicine (Rättsmedicinalverket).
Rättsmedicinalverket (National Board of Forensic Medicine): The forensic pathology authority for Sweden. Post-mortems are conducted at the regional Rättsmedicin unit for Gothenburg, which is Rättsmedicin Göteborg (Medicinareberget, Gothenburg). Post-mortems are ordered by the public prosecutor (åklagare).
Permit for international transport: Under the Begravningslagen and associated regulations, a permit from the church/municipal burial authority (begravningsförvaltning) is required for international transport of human remains. The Gothenburg Church and Burial Authority (Begravningsförvaltningen Göteborg) handles this.
Source: Begravningslagen SFS 1990:1144 (Sweden); 2024.
Medical coverage
Sahlgrenska University Hospital (Blå stråket 5, Gothenburg) is the main academic medical centre and trauma hospital for the Gothenburg region. It operates across several sites in Gothenburg and handles the majority of serious medical and trauma cases. Östra Hospital (Diane Forsmansgata 3) and Mölndal Hospital are associated Sahlgrenska sites. Gothenburg also has Capio St Görans private hospital affiliation in Stockholm but no major private hospital of its own.
The documentation chain
1. Dödsbevis from treating physician, submitted to Skatteverket within 24 hours. 2. Dödsorsaksintyg from Socialstyrelsen (National Board of Health and Welfare) via the physician. 3. Death registration at Skatteverket. 4. Police notification (Polisregion Väst, in sudden deaths). 5. Post-mortem at Rättsmedicin Göteborg (if ordered by prosecutor). 6. International transport permit from Begravningsförvaltningen Göteborg. 7. Embalming certificate. 8. IATA cargo documentation, GOT (Gothenburg Landvetter Airport) to LHR.
Gothenburg Landvetter Airport (GOT) operates direct services to London Heathrow (LHR) and London Gatwick (LGW) via SAS and British Airways. Flight time approximately 2 hours.
Timeline from Gothenburg
- Natural death, expected, hospital: 7 to 14 days
- Police investigation, uncomplicated: 14 to 28 days
- Complex case with prosecutor delay: 4 to 8 weeks
For repatriation guidance, contact our team via our enquiry form.
See also the Sweden repatriation guide.
Information based on Begravningslagen SFS 1990:1144 (Sweden). Last reviewed May 2026.
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