Help of Denia & District 
Repatriation of the Deceased
The difference in the total priced charged for the repatriation can be staggering so please make sure you get a couple of quotations.
Insist on a fixed rate freight charge and make sure all the Funeral Directors repatriation charges are known. More and more companies are offering an all inclusive repatriation charge which should be much easier to understand.
Maybe consider a cremation here with a burial of the ashes in the UK.
If the deceased died outside the UK
If the deceased was from England or Wales
Register the death according to the local regulations in the country in which it took place, and get a local death certificate. Register the death with the British Consul, so that a record of the death will be kept in England. You will be able to get a copy of the death certificate from the consulate later, or from the:Overseas Registration Section
Smedley Hydro
Trafalgar Road
Birkdale
Southport PR8 2HH.
If the death abroad occurred in particular circumstances or the information about the death abroad is incomplete, this must be reported to a coroner in the same way as if the death occurred in England or Wales. See the section on Coroners for more details of the circumstances.
If the deceased was from Scotland
Register the death according to the local regulations in the country and get a local death certificate. Register the death with the British Consul, so that a record of the death will be sent to Scotland; you will be able to get a copy of the death certificate later from: The General Register Office for Scotland
New Register House
3 West Register Street
Edinburgh EH1 3YT
Telephone: (0131) 334 0380.
www.gro-scotland.gov.uk
If the deceased was from Northern Ireland
Register the death according to the local regulations in the country and get a local death certificate. Register the death with the British Consul, so that a record of the death will be sent to Northern Ireland; you will be able to get a copy of the death certificate later from: General Register Office
Oxford House
49 Chichester Street
Belfast BT1 4HL
Telephone: (028) 9027 0274
Fax: (028) 9027 0520
E-mail: registar@belfastcity.gov.uk
Website: www.belfastcity.gov.uk
Holding a funeral abroad
You can arrange a local burial or cremation. The British Consul in the country in which the death occurred can register the death and a record will be kept at the registry offices listed above.Moving a body
Alternatively, you may wish to repatriate the deceased to the UK for cremation or burial. Most funeral directors should be able to advise you on the practicalities of the particular case and the likely cost. There are several firms that specialise in repatriation.You will need an authenticated translation of a foreign death certificate - this must show the cause of death - from the place where the person died, and an authorisation for the removal of the body from the country of death from the coroner or relevant authority. You must contact the registrar once the body is back in the UK.
Information from Foreign & Commonwealth Office
Coping with death abroad
If you are living in the UK and a relative or friend dies when abroad, then you should contact us on 020 7008 1500. If you are abroad, you should contact the relevant embassy, high commission or consulate.
What you need to do
It is essential that the death is registered in the country where the person died. We can advise you how to do this.
You will need to provide documents from yourself and the person who died, which show your names, dates of birth and passport details.
You will also have to inform the local authorities if the person suffered from an infectious condition such as hepatitis or HIV, so they are prepared when dealing with the body.
You don’t have to register the death with the British Embassy but if you do, you will get a UK death certificate. In Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the Republic of Ireland, South Africa and Zimbabwe local death certificates are suitable for British purposes.
What we can do to help:
- our staff in London can pass on your wishes about how to deal with the body to the relevant embassy
- unfortunately, in some countries it is possible that a post mortem may be carried out without your permission
- organs may be removed and kept during this procedure without your prior knowledge or consent
- we can tell you about the cost of local burial or cremation
- we can advise you about bringing the body and personal belongings back to the UK
- we can provide details of local and international funeral directors. And if an English speaking firm is not available our staff at the embassy can help you with arrangements.
Please be aware that in some countries inadequate storage makes it impossible to get the certificates necessary for transporting a body from one county to another.
We will do everything we can to ensure that you do not hear about the death of close relative through the media.
On rare occasions, where we have to act quickly, we may have to inform you about the death over the phone. We never release the name of someone who has died to the media before we have told the next of kin.
If the person who has died was travelling with a tour company, the company will usually contact their next of kin themselves.
If the death of a British national abroad is reported to us we will ask the UK police to inform the next of kin as soon as possible. Alternatively we will ask our staff in the relevant country to do this if the next of kin are abroad themselves.
What we can’t do:
- we cannot pay burial, cremation or repatriation costs, but we can help to transfer money from friends or relatives in the UK
Death abroad in suspicious circumstances
In addition to the above support, where there is evidence of suspicious circumstances we can:
offer some basic information on the local police and legal systems.
- provide lists of local interpreters, lawyers and local support groups where possible- these lists are usually on the local embassy’s website
In many countries the authorities and courts will refuse to answer questions from British consular staff so we highly recommend you appoint a local lawyer to help you. Please note that we cannot :
- investigate deaths ourselves
- offer financial assistance with legal costs.
Please also be aware that the standard of investigative procedures and police expertise varies greatly around the world. We will however consider making an appropriate representation to the local authorities if there are concerns that they are not carrying out the investigation in line with local procedures.
You should appoint one family member to liaise with us as the case continues. Your local police force may decide to appoint a Family Liaison Officer to help you if the investigation is ongoing.