Dealing with the death of a loved one is difficult. If they die overseas, this can be extremely challenging. Sometimes people die while working, holidaying or visiting abroad. It isn’t always easy to know what to do in this situation. Here we outline the key steps to take if a loved one dies overseas.

Register the Death

The first step is to inform the local authorities of the death where the deceased passed away and register the death. They can advise you on how to do this, and often you can register the death in the UK. If the deceased was in receipt of welfare benefits or a pension, you must get in touch with the International Pension Centre to notify them.

You can use the UK ‘Tell Us Once’ death notification service if the death occurred in a Commonwealth country or one of the European Economic Area countries (or Switzerland). You can also approach the British embassy, consulate or high commission in the country where your loved one died for help and advice.

Bringing the Body Back to the UK

If you are having the deceased return to the UK, there are some rules to be aware of. These include:

• You must have permission to take the body from the country in which the death occurred. A coroner usually grants this.
• The death certificate should be translated into English
• If it was a suspicious, unnatural or violent death, then you must inform a coroner in the UK

Inform a UK Register Office

Once the body has returned to the UK, you need to liaise with the relevant registry office and present the death certificate. This should have been registered overseas; therefore, the registry office should issue a certificate of no liability to register, which a funeral director requires to conduct the funeral.

If you are arranging the funeral without a director, you must give the certificate to a registrar within 96 hours of the funeral.

Bringing Ashes to the UK

If the deceased is cremated overseas and you wish to bring their ashes back to the UK, you usually need two documents issued from the country in which they died: the death certificate and the certificate of cremation. The rules could vary depending on the country the ashes are travelling from, so it is important to determine the rules that apply before making these arrangements.

You must then check with your chosen airline their rules regarding flying with human ashes, as these may differ. They could request the ashes be in a non-metallic vessel to ensure they can be scanned through security.

For help with Spanish probate issues, contact Spanish Probate Matters on 0208 150 2010.

What to do When a UK Citizen Dies in Another Country

Dealing with the death of a loved one is difficult. If they die overseas, this can be extremely challenging. Sometimes people die while working, holidaying or visiting abroad. It isn’t always easy to know what to do in this situation. Here we outline the key steps to take if a loved one dies overseas.

Register the Death

The first step is to inform the local authorities of the death where the deceased passed away and register the death. They can advise you on how to do this, and often you can register the death in the UK. If the deceased was in receipt of welfare benefits or a pension, you must get in touch with the International Pension Centre to notify them.

You can use the UK ‘Tell Us Once’ death notification service if the death occurred in a Commonwealth country or one of the European Economic Area countries (or Switzerland). You can also approach the British embassy, consulate or high commission in the country where your loved one died for help and advice.

Bringing the Body Back to the UK

If you are having the deceased return to the UK, there are some rules to be aware of. These include:

• You must have permission to take the body from the country in which the death occurred. A coroner usually grants this.
• The death certificate should be translated into English
• If it was a suspicious, unnatural or violent death, then you must inform a coroner in the UK

Inform a UK Register Office

Once the body has returned to the UK, you need to liaise with the relevant registry office and present the death certificate. This should have been registered overseas; therefore, the registry office should issue a certificate of no liability to register, which a funeral director requires to conduct the funeral.

If you are arranging the funeral without a director, you must give the certificate to a registrar within 96 hours of the funeral.

Bringing Ashes to the UK

If the deceased is cremated overseas and you wish to bring their ashes back to the UK, you usually need two documents issued from the country in which they died: the death certificate and the certificate of cremation. The rules could vary depending on the country the ashes are travelling from, so it is important to determine the rules that apply before making these arrangements.

You must then check with your chosen airline their rules regarding flying with human ashes, as these may differ. They could request the ashes be in a non-metallic vessel to ensure they can be scanned through security.

For help with Spanish probate issues, contact Spanish Probate Matters on 0208 150 2010.