Repatriation Following a Death Abroad

On this page you will find information about:

Repatriation for Service personnel.
Repatriation for veterans.
Emotional support and other organisations that can help.

Repatriation is the act of bringing someone's body back to the country they came from after their death. The support you can receive for bringing the body of your loved one back from abroad after their death depends whether they were currently serving in the Armed Forces or an Armed Forces veteran.

For Service personnel

If your loved one has died in Service, the Armed Forces will pay:

to bring the body back to the UK from overseas or transporting it to the spouse or partner’s home country
for the provision of a coffin, and delivery to an undertaker of your choice.

The Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre (JCCC) manages casualties and compassionate cases for currently serving personnel and their families. This includes informing the next of kin as soon as practically possible when something has happened and keeping serving personnel informed of compassionate situations at home while they are away with work.

Find more information on the JCCC on the GOV.UK website.

For ex-Service personnel (veterans)

If the person died abroad, the British Consulate in that country can give advice about:

registering the death - how this is done depends on the country
arranging for the funeral to be in the country the person died in
bringing the body back to the UK (see below)

The Foreign, Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO) will not pay burial, cremation, or repatriation expenses, or settle any debts. Neither the Royal British Legion nor the Armed Forces are able to help financially.

Learn more about the Foreign, Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO) and the work that they do.

Contact the person’s travel or life insurers to help cover the cost, or, if the deceased was not insured, then friends and family may be able to help. The British Consulate can help transfer money from friends and family in the UK to pay these costs.

Find a British Embassy that can help.

Bringing the body home

To bring the body home you need:

a certified English translation of the death certificate.
permission to remove the body from a coroner (or equivalent) in the country where the person died.

The British Consulate can help to arrange this.

You can find out more in coping with death abroad on GOV.UK.

Practical and emotional support

Dealing with the loss of a loved one is hard and overwhelming. Repatriation may just be one step or decision that you are currently facing.

There is both practical and emotional support available from a number of organisations to help you through this time.

Support from your local council

Local councils provide support for those experiencing bereavement, but the support available can vary between each council.

Find out more about bereavement support available to you if you live in:

Help from Cruse Bereavement Care

Cruse Bereavement Care is a charity that is here to provide support to people going through the loss of a loved one whether its face-to-face, by telephone, email or on through guides on their website.

Explore Cruse Bereavement Support's specific guidance tailored to the Armed Forces community.

Get in touch

Visit Cruse's website to learn more about the support they can provide you with or get in touch by:

Telephone: 08088 081 677
Email: [email protected]

Bereavement guides for families of service personnel

Support from the MOD

Families who have lost a loved one will receive a hard copy Purple Pack via their visiting officer. Within the Purple Pack you will find information on:

Immediate issues faced by families.
Funerals.
Entitlement and benefits.
Various support networks.

Read an online extended version of the MOD's Purple Pack bereavement guide.

Information guides on the RBL Knowledge Base

The Royal British Legion is here for everyone in the Armed Forces community, from the first day of service onwards. Whether you are currently serving, ex-serving or the family member of someone who is or has served, you could be eligible for support.

Explore our information tailored specifically to bereaved widow(er)s in the Armed Forces community.

Find our generalised guidance for people experiencing bereavement in the Armed Forces community.

Guidance on viewing bodies in a place of rest for families of serving personnel

In the instance of an operational repatriation in particular, you will not be able to view the body until the post-mortem.

Find more information on viewing the body of a currently serving personnel on the Cruse Bereavement Support website.

Information on registering a death

To get a Death Certificate, all deaths must be formally registered.

Find more information on registering military deaths on the Cruse Bereavement Support website.

Guidance on scattering ashes

After the death and cremation of a loved one you may wish to scatter their ashes, or they may have made this request in their Will. The guidance below contains helpful information on scattering ashes in the UK and overseas including regulations when travelling.

Learn more about how to scatter ashes in the UK and overseas.

Information on pensions

Following the death of a loved one, you should inform the deceased’s pension provider(s) as soon as possible. Contact Veterans UK and any other pension providers if the deceased worked elsewhere.

Learn more about Veterans UK and how it may be able to help you.