Losing a loved one is the most difficult experience you have to go through, and when it happens far from home, the repatriation process can further complicate things.
In this article, we will guide you through the steps you need to follow in order to repatriate your loved one, providing you with the necessary information to navigate this challenging journey.
1. What to do if the death occurred in a hospital?
If the death occurred in a hospital, the medical fact of death is issued by the attending doctor. The document is directly sent to the register office, where the deceased's family can officially register the death. There is a fee of £11 for each copy of the medical fact, and the family has the option to request as many copies as needed.
Usually, the family is informed about the death and receives confirmation of the sent medical fact of death through the hospital's Death Department. Additionally, the cause of death is typically communicated.
In cases of sudden death, the investigation is taken over by the Coroners, who will examine and issue the official cause of death.
2. What to do if the death occurred at home?
In this case, there are two possibilities. If the death occurred due to natural causes, you need to contact the GP, to certify the death and issue the medical fact of death.
If the death occurred suddenly, the police need to be contacted, as they will investigate the case and issue the coroner's certificate once they have determined the cause of death.
3. What do you need to prepare in order to register for the death certificate?
First and foremost, make sure that the medical fact of death has been sent to the nearest register office, where the death occurred. After that, you need to make an appointment with the register office to obtain the death certificate. Appointments can be made online or by phone.
The necessary documents and information you need to prepare are:
- Identification document of the deceased (copy or original)
- Identification document of the person registering the death
- Additional information: address, marital status, date of birth, occupation
4. Mortuary passport
For the repatriation process, you need a mortuary passport obtained from the representative embassy. The required documents to obtain a mortuary passport in England are:
- Copy of the deceased's ID or passport
- copy of the requester's ID or passport
- Apostilled death certificate or interim death certificate
- Authorization from the family (signed by a relative) for the repatriation company, stating that the company is authorized to obtain the necessary document
- Copy of the embalming certificate
- Copy of the "free from infection" document issued by a medical professional/prosecutor
- Declaration from the funeral company regarding the closure of the coffin
- Burial location certificate/lease contract
- Authorization for the person submitting the documents and receiving the mortuary passport
- Form 104 (Out of England) confirming that the Prosecutor's Office agrees to transport the deceased outside of the UK
5. How long does the entire process take?
This depends on the situation. For example, in cases of natural death and the deceased needs to be repatriated anywhere in Europe, it should not take more than 5-7 days. However, there are some exceptions. In cases where the cause of death is unknown and you need to involve the police, the duration of the entire process depends on how long the investigation will take.
6. When should you contact a funeral agency?
Our recommendation is to contact a funeral agency as soon as you learn about the death occurring outside the country. A specialized agency in repatriations provides legal assistance, language support, and handles all necessary procedures, including the transportation of the deceased, ensuring a smooth repatriation process.
If the death of a loved one occurred outside the country and you are in search of a funeral director to arrange the full repatriation process, contact us anytime at info@funero.co.uk, or via call (+44) 020 455 927.
Find out more about our repatriation service here:
https://www.funero.co.uk/funeral-services-uk/repatriations