Repatriation from Taipei, Taiwan

Taipei is Taiwan’s capital and commercial centre, home to the large majority of British nationals on the island. The British community here is diverse: English-language teachers on short-term contracts, technology sector professionals, long-term expats in finance and trade, and a growing number of UK nationals working with Taiwan’s semiconductor and electronics industries. Taipei also receives substantial numbers of British tourists, drawn by the food culture, the National Palace Museum, and the city’s accessibility as a travel hub.

Taiwan’s diplomatic position is unusual. The United Kingdom does not maintain formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan and does not recognise it as a sovereign state. There is no British Embassy in Taipei. Consular functions are instead carried out by the British Office Taipei, which operates under the remit of the British Trade and Cultural Office. It provides the same consular assistance as a formal embassy would but operates outside standard Vienna Convention frameworks.

This page covers deaths in Taipei. For deaths elsewhere in Taiwan, the British Office Taipei covers the entire island. Taiwan’s repatriation process is relatively efficient by regional standards. EVA Air operates direct London Heathrow to Taipei Taoyuan (TPE) services, which simplifies cargo routing.

Consular coverage

The British Office Taipei is located at 26/F, President International Tower, No. 9-11 Songgao Road, Xinyi District, Taipei 110.

British Office Taipei: +886 2 8758 2088. FCDO 24-hour: +44 (0)20 7008 5000.

Because the office operates outside standard diplomatic frameworks, the consular notification and death registration processes require more direct liaison with Taiwanese authorities than in countries with formal UK embassies.

What Taiwanese law requires

Code of Criminal Procedure (刑事訴訟法): Governs investigation of sudden, violent, or unexplained deaths. The Taipei District Prosecutors Office (臺灣臺北地方檢察署) supervises all such cases. The prosecutor must authorise post-mortem examination and release of the body.

Criminal Code (刑法): The broader legal framework for offences; relevant where a death is suspected to involve a criminal act.

Coroners and forensic examination: Taiwan does not operate a coroner system as the UK does. Post-mortem examinations are ordered by the prosecutor and carried out by a forensic pathologist attached to the court system or the Institute of Forensic Medicine.

Death registration: Deaths must be registered at the local Household Registration Office (戶政事務所) under the Household Registration Act (戶籍法). For foreign nationals, this involves liaison with the district Household Registration Office in the area where death occurred. A death certificate (死亡證明書) is issued by the attending physician or hospital, and the formal registration record is held by the household authority.

Health Bureau export permit: The Taipei City Government Department of Health (臺北市政府衛生局) issues the permit to transport human remains internationally. Documentation must be in Traditional Chinese. Certified English translation is required for UK import purposes.

Forensic facilities

The Institute of Forensic Medicine (法務部法醫研究所), Ministry of Justice, Taipei, is Taiwan’s principal forensic authority. It conducts post-mortem examinations ordered by prosecutors across Taiwan, and it oversees accreditation of forensic pathologists. For deaths in Taipei, post-mortem examinations typically take place at the Institute’s facilities (No. 166, Section 1, Sichuan Road, Zhongzheng District, Taipei) or at hospital mortuaries with court-appointed pathologists.

The forensic system is well developed. Taiwan has invested significantly in forensic science capacity. Delay at the forensic stage is typically five to ten working days for straightforward cases.

Documentation chain

The documentation chain for repatriation from Taiwan involves several stages, and all documents will be in Traditional Chinese script. Documents required for UK customs:

• Death certificate (死亡證明書) — issued by hospital or attending physician
• Formal death registration record from Household Registration Office
• Post-mortem report (解剖鑑定報告), if autopsy conducted, with English translation
• Health Department export permit
• Embalming certificate (certified by the funeral director)
• Zinc-lined coffin certificate
• British Office Taipei notification letter (in lieu of consular death registration)

All Chinese-language official documents require certified translation into English by an accredited translator before UK border clearance. Taiwan uses Traditional Chinese script. Ensure the translator specified has Traditional Chinese (not Simplified) accreditation.

Embalming and preparation

Embalming is required for international repatriation from Taiwan. Taipei has well-established funeral service providers experienced in international repatriation. Standard zinc-lined or sealed hardwood coffin requirements apply. The funeral home manages preparation and coordinates with the cargo agent at Taoyuan International Airport.

Flight routing

Taipei Taoyuan International Airport (TPE): EVA Air operates direct services from TPE to London Heathrow (LHR). This is the primary routing for human remains from Taipei. Flight duration approximately 13 to 14 hours. Cargo capacity is reliable on this route.

China Airlines also operates TPE-LHR. Both carriers have cargo divisions experienced in human remains transport. Documents are checked by the Customs Administration and Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA) before departure.

Allow 18 to 25 days from death to arrival in the UK in straightforward cases. Cases involving criminal investigation or complex autopsy findings take longer.

Timeline pressures specific to Taipei

Taiwan’s legal and administrative process is organised and relatively predictable. The main delays are:

• Prosecutor’s investigation and post-mortem authorisation: typically five to ten working days
• Health Bureau export permit processing: approximately five working days
• Translation of all documentation into English: add three to five working days
• Cargo booking on EVA Air or China Airlines: subject to belly cargo availability on direct routes

The British Office Taipei has good working relationships with Taiwanese authorities and can facilitate consular notifications effectively despite the absence of formal diplomatic recognition.

Practical points for families

Taiwan’s healthcare infrastructure is excellent. If a death occurs in a Taipei hospital, the treating hospital will issue the initial death certificate and will typically be experienced in liaising with international families. Families should ask the hospital to hold the body pending repatriation arrangements rather than proceeding to local cremation.

Cremation is widely practised in Taiwan and local funeral providers may raise it as a default option. If repatriation of the body is the family’s intention, this must be stated clearly and early.

Contact Repatriate Service as early as possible. We coordinate with the British Office Taipei, liaise with Taiwanese funeral directors and the airport cargo team, and manage the translation chain.

Source: British Office Taipei official website, accessed 2025. Taiwan Ministry of Justice Institute of Forensic Medicine, institutional profile, 2024. Taiwan Household Registration Act (戶籍法), as amended 2023, Ministry of Interior.