Repatriation from New Orleans, United States

New Orleans is Louisiana’s largest city and one of the most visited cities in the United States, drawing British visitors for Jazz Fest, Mardi Gras, food and culture tourism, and music history. Louisiana is unique among US states in one critical respect: it operates under a Civil Law legal system derived from French and Spanish colonial law, not the English Common Law tradition that governs every other US state. This distinction has practical consequences when a death occurs, particularly in how estates and succession are handled — but for the immediate repatriation documentation chain, the key difference is the role of the Coroner, which in Louisiana is an elected official at parish level rather than a county Medical Examiner.

British visitors to New Orleans are most commonly tourists on a southern states trip or direct visitors for festivals. The city’s nightlife and street culture mean alcohol-related incidents and outdoor heat emergencies are a recurring category of sudden death.

Consular coverage

The British Consulate General Atlanta (245 Peachtree Center Ave NE, Suite 2700, Atlanta GA 30303) is the nearest British consular post to New Orleans. Louisiana falls within the Atlanta Consulate’s territory. For urgent cases, the FCDO 24-hour line is the first contact.

FCDO 24-hour emergency line: +44 (0)20 7008 5000. British Consulate General Atlanta: +1 404 954 7700.

What Louisiana law requires

Louisiana Revised Statutes Title 9 (Civil Code) and Title 33 (Municipalities): Deaths in Louisiana are registered with the Louisiana Department of Health, Vital Records Registry. The death certificate (Louisiana Standard Certificate of Death) is issued here.

Orleans Parish Coroner (Office of the Orleans Parish Coroner, 2018 Perdido Street, New Orleans LA 70112): The Orleans Parish Coroner is an elected official who has jurisdiction over all deaths in Orleans Parish (which is coextensive with the City of New Orleans). The Coroner investigates sudden, unexplained, or violent deaths. Louisiana is one of the few US states where the Coroner retains broad jurisdiction regardless of whether a physician can certify cause of death. Post-mortems are conducted by the Coroner’s Office.

Louisiana State Police / New Orleans Police Department (NOPD): NOPD attends sudden death scenes in the city. For deaths on the Interstate or in unincorporated areas, Louisiana State Police has jurisdiction.

Funeral home transport permit: Louisiana requires a Burial-Transit Permit issued by the Louisiana Department of Health for all movement of human remains out of state, including internationally.

Source: Louisiana Revised Statutes Title 40 §49 et seq. (Vital Statistics); 2024.

Medical coverage

Tulane Medical Center (1415 Tulane Avenue) and University Medical Center New Orleans (UMCNO, 2000 Canal Street) are the main hospitals. Ochsner Medical Center (Jefferson Highway, Jefferson Parish, adjacent to New Orleans) is the largest private hospital in the region. The Coroner’s Office at Perdido Street handles forensic cases independently of the hospital system.

The documentation chain

1. Louisiana death certificate from Louisiana Department of Health, Vital Records. 2. Orleans Parish Coroner’s report (in sudden/unexplained deaths). 3. NOPD police report (if applicable). 4. Coroner’s release of the body. 5. Louisiana Burial-Transit Permit from Louisiana Department of Health. 6. Embalming certificate. 7. IATA cargo documentation — MSY (Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport) to LHR via a US hub or direct.

Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) does not currently have direct London service. Cargo routes typically via Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW), Atlanta (ATL), or New York (JFK) then onward to LHR. British Airways, American Airlines, and Delta operate US hub connections to LHR.

Timeline from New Orleans

• Natural death, expected, hospital: 7 to 14 days
• Coroner investigation, uncomplicated: 10 to 21 days
• Complex investigation: 4 to 8 weeks

For repatriation guidance, contact our team via our enquiry form or WhatsApp.

See also the USA repatriation guide.

Information based on Louisiana Revised Statutes Title 40 §49 et seq. (Vital Statistics). Last reviewed May 2026.