Repatriation

What to do if a loved one dies abroad and you want to bring them back to their country of birth?

If a loved one dies abroad and you would like to bring them back home to the UK or whichever is their country of birth, you will need to arrange repatriation.

Mousourakis Funerals can guide you through this process and make it as easy as possible for you.

The first thing to be done when a loved one passes away abroad is to inform the local authorities (which we will do ), and your Embassy, High Commission or Consulate. These authorities will offer advice and provide support to help you manage the process of repatriation.

→ In order to begin the process of repatriation and to be able to return your loved one to their birth country, their death will have to be registered in Greece first. We take care of this for you.

You will need:

✓ Your passport
✓ Their passport
✓ Details of their next of kin (if not yourself)

Repatriation to the UK

Along with the death certificate, you will also need the correct paperwork to grant you the right to repatriation. If you are preparing for repatriation to the UK, the required documents include:

✓ Your loved one’s passport
✓ Death certificate (with a certified English translation)
✓ Certificate of embalming

Again, we make sure all of these are provided and then we arrange the transport back to your home country, this is usually by plane.

If your loved one was covered with travel insurance, repatriation is usually included.

Once your loved one has been brought home to the UK, there are a few things that you’ll need to do:

✓ Report the death to the coroner – they will review the circumstances of the death to decide if the funeral can proceed or further investigation is required.
✓ A certificate for cremation or burial is required. For cremation this will come from the Coroner’s Office. For burial it will usually come from the Registrar’s Office.

The Coroner or Registrar applicable will be for the jurisdiction of the chosen Cemetery or Crematorium.