Repatriation from Stockholm, Sweden

The defining logistical feature of Swedish repatriation is the role of the Rättsmedicinalverket (RMV — National Board of Forensic Medicine). In most countries, a licensed funeral director can commission an independent pathologist for a second post-mortem or expedite certain steps. In Sweden, all forensic post-mortems for sudden or suspicious deaths are conducted exclusively by RMV, a government agency. No private pathologist can substitute. This means the timeline for forensic cases is set entirely by RMV’s caseload, and families should understand from the outset that pressure on the funeral director does not accelerate an RMV examination.

What the British Embassy does — and does not do

The British Embassy Stockholm (Skarpögatan 6–8, 115 93 Stockholm) is the UK consular authority for all deaths in Sweden.

The Embassy can: Register the death in UK consular records. Advise on Swedish documentation requirements. Provide a list of funeral homes with international repatriation experience.

The Embassy cannot: Repatriate the body. Pay any costs. Override Swedish legal or RMV processes.

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

What Swedish law requires

Under the Begravningslagen (SFS 1990:1144) and the Lag om rättsmedicinsk undersökning av avlidna (SFS 2005:130), sudden, violent, or unexplained deaths in Stockholm are reported to Stockholm Police (Polisregion Stockholm), who refer the case to the regional RMV office. The Stockholm RMV facility (Alfred Nobels allé 10, Huddinge) is the largest in Sweden and handles cases from the Stockholm region.

For deaths with a certified medical cause, the treating physician issues a Dödsattest (death certificate) and the process is administrative only.

The documentation chain

1. Dödsattest (death certificate). Issued by the treating physician or RMV on case completion.

2. Intyg om dödsorsak. The cause-of-death certificate, submitted to the National Board of Health and Welfare (Socialstyrelsen) and retained in Swedish records.

3. Tillstånd för transport av stoft utomlands (export permit). Issued by the Swedish Tax Agency (Skatteverket, which handles population registration in Sweden) in coordination with the County Administrative Board (Länsstyrelsen Stockholm). This is Sweden’s equivalent of the international body passport.

4. Embalming certificate (balsamering). Required for international transport.

5. Freedom from infection certificate.

6. IATA cargo documentation.

Source: Begravningslagen SFS 1990:1144; Lag om rättsmedicinsk undersökning av avlidna SFS 2005:130; Skatteverket, Internationell transport av stoft, 2024.

Airport and cargo routing

Stockholm Arlanda Airport (ARN) is Sweden’s largest international airport. British Airways operates ARN-LHR direct with cargo capacity. For deaths elsewhere in Sweden — Gothenburg (GOT), Malmö (MMX via CPH) — the licensed funeral director arranges transfer to ARN or selects the most suitable cargo route. Malmö cases sometimes route via Copenhagen (CPH) due to the Øresund Bridge connection.

Timeline from Stockholm

• Natural death with certified cause: 7 to 14 days
• RMV forensic case: 14 to 28 days
• Complex investigation: 4 to 8 weeks

Key local considerations

Stockholm attracts British city-break tourists, business travellers, and has a significant British expatriate community in tech and finance. The Swedish archipelago draws British sailors and kayakers in summer; deaths in the outer archipelago require coast guard recovery before land-based processing begins.

For information on the broader repatriation process from Sweden, see our Sweden repatriation guide.

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

Information based on Begravningslagen SFS 1990:1144, Lag om rättsmedicinsk undersökning av avlidna SFS 2005:130, and British Embassy Stockholm documentation. Last reviewed May 2026.