We all enjoy a holiday abroad, and as relatively cheap and easy travel becomes more and more readily available, we find ourselves inclined to take that much needed trip away. Unfortunately, a consequence of this is the large number of British public passing away abroad. We understand how difficult it is for families when a family member passes away abroad, the grief can be compounded by foreign language barriers, strange surroundings, and unfamiliar laws.
In the first of our new educational blog series #DyingToKnow we explore the steps required to be taken and what is involved in the repatriation process…
FIRSTLY, WHAT DOES REPATRIATION MEAN?
Repatriation is the term given for the transportation of a deceased from one country to another, this can be via air, sea or land. There are numerous companies who specifically deal in the repatriation of a deceased, with most companies dealing with collection and delivery, acquiring legal documentation, liaising with all third parties, flight logistics,
embalming and supplying of an appropriate coffin. The cost of repatriation has drastically increased recently due to Brexit and other worldwide factors, making travel insurance vital (see our recent Facebook post). Timescales for repatriation vary and are dependent on the country’s procedures and jurisdictional processes, circumstances of death and flight availability.
INITIAL STEPS YOU SHOULD TAKE
If you have booked your holiday through a tour operator, we recommend seeking initial help from your resort representative who will be able to guide you through local procedures and help communicate with local officials. Many big tour operatives provide welfare teams who will be on hand to offer support and guide you through arrangements.
If you have booked your holiday online and have no immediate representative in the country you are visiting, we recommend contacting the nearest British Embassy, High Commission or consulate – In such difficult circumstances we do not expect you to know where these offices are in unfamiliar surroundings, the local police will be able to inform you of their locations. Importantly you will need to contact your travel insurance provider who will advise you of the next steps, after taking some personal information they will approach their preferred repatriation company.
Once you have communicated with the above, it is advisable for someone to contact us here in the UK where we will be on hand to offer further support.
NEXT, THE REGISTRATION PROCEDURE
Local procedures apply and must be followed, registration will need to take place in the country of death. When registering the death in person, you should take the following information about yourself and the person who has died:
- Full Name
- Date of Birth
- Passport Number
- Where and when the passport was issued
- Details of the Next of Kin – if you are not the nearest relative
For many countries you can also register the death with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office in the UK.
Most repatriation companies will offer to translate the foreign death certificate into English, this may be beneficial once the deceased returns to the UK. There is usually and extra cost for this service. Once the registration process has been completed it is advisable that you return home to the UK to be around your close relatives for the much needed comfort and support.
THE IMPORTANCE OF EMBALMING
Does the embalming process have to be carried out? In short……yes!! Embalming is a legal requirement when repatriating a deceased from one country to another. The embalming process will be carried out by a trained professional in the country of death for the following two main reasons:
- Preservation – Embalming delays nature taking its natural course, especially when
there is considerable time delay between date of death and the funeral day. - Protection – The process of embalming kills most pathogenic organisms, therefore
offering the most effective control of health risk to anyone encountering the
deceased. This could be hundreds of people if the deceased is placed in cargo on a
passenger plane or ferry
Unfortunately, in many countries the standard of embalming is not has high as it is here in the UK and in most cases an extremely high concentration mix of preservation fluid is used, resulting in irreversible effects. We will try our best to present your loved one to a standard that we feel is acceptable, but this may prove difficult to correct and in a lot of cases it is
better to remember the deceased in happier times. As we always do, we will give clear and honest advice on this situation.
NEXT UP, THE COFFIN
A very simplistic coffin will be arranged to repatriate the deceased in, these are usually cheap wood coffins with a basic interior. All coffins that are being repatriated are required by law to be zinc lined and hermetically sealed to prevent the spread of infection, reduce contamination and to protect the deceased from air borne bacteria.
Due to their basic appearance it is advisable to choose a more appropriate coffin for them to be placed into for their funeral day. It is worth noting that zinc lined coffins will not be acceptable where a cremation is to take place. If you would prefer to use the coffin that the deceased is repatriated in, it is essential that a zinc cad-seal is used which can be easily
removed prior to the funeral.
THE FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS
It will be of great benefit to you on your return home to arrange to meet us in person and engage in discussions surrounding the funeral arrangements, this will also allow us to relieve you of some stress, liaise with third parties on your behalf and save time in the future. In this initial meeting, no dates and times will be set for the funeral day.
Our main priority will be to find out where the repatriation process is up to and get an expected date for your loved one’s arrival home, keeping you informed at every step. Once it is known that the deceased has arrived in the UK arrangements will be made either by ourselves or the repatriation company for the deceased to be brought into our care – The insurance companies’ financial responsibility ceases once the deceased has been brought to our chapel of rest. At this point, UK law requires us to inform the local coroners service that and all certificates and documentation must be taken to the coroners office at the earliest convenience. A coroners liaison officer will be assigned to the case and contact will be made to the next of kin requesting details. They will also instruct a Police Coroners Officer to conduct a formal identification of the body, this can usually be done from the deceased’s passport or a recent photograph.
If the death was sudden, unexpected, accidental, violent or where there is no clear medical cause of death, the coroner will take jurisdiction and request that an investigation is to take place. In certain cases, the coroner may order that a further post-mortem is carried out.
If the coroner is satisfied that the death was of natural causes and the certificates are clear, they will end their involvement and issue the appropriate paperwork needed for the funeral to take place. In all cases except where a Cert ‘E’ has been issued (we will advise), a certificate of ‘No Liability to Register’ must be obtained from the registrars in which sub-district the cremation or burial is to take place in. It will be of great relief to know that once the Coroners involvement has been completed that the funeral arrangements can move forward and a date and time can be set and the typical funeral process resume.
WHAT IF THERE IS NO INSURANCE, OR OUR CLAIM HAS BEEN DECLINED, OR THE DECEASED IS AN EXPAT?
Whilst this is not an ideal situation to find yourself in, we must stress all is not lost and it is possible to organise the repatriation of your loved one.
The main obstacle to overcome is the financial implications that fall directly with you and the family. For instance, we recently carried out a private repatriation for a local family that cost them a staggering 8,000 euros to bring their loved one home to Manchester. If you do not have the finances to cover such a large outlay, it would be cheaper to hold a cremation
service in the country of death and return home with the cremated remains. We appreciate that the thought of holding a funeral service abroad may be distressing and have implications of family members attending but we would be more than happy to help organise a memorial service here in the UK for family and friends to attend to pay their respects. A memorial service could be held in Church, at the local crematorium chapel, our private chapel at Wild & Brierley or at an alternative venue. This is why travel insurance is important and that you are honest with any health issues when taking out the policy!!
If the above is not an option and you are insisting on the return of your loved one, we would advise you to initially make contact with a funeral director local to where the death occurred. In some popular tourist destinations, you may even find a English funeral director who has setup abroad to help their compatriots in situations like this. Like a repatriation company, the funeral director will be able to liaise with local authorities, help guide you through the registration process and care for the deceased. A local funeral director will also have the added benefit of knowing the correct procedures for that specific
area or country.
Once the foreign authorities have given their permission the funeral director will be able to arrange for the deceased to be transferred into their care and start to organise the repatriation process. They will contact your us here in the UK and provide us with paperwork correspondence and flight details.
The funeral service’s involvement is effectively complete once the deceased has been transferred to the outbound airport and it is now the responsibility of the Airline. We will contact a specialist Airfreight service to arrange customs clearance – a fee of around £250 will be charged for this service. The Airfreight service will provide a certificate of clearance for us to show custom officials on collection of the deceased from the inbound airport.
WE APPRECIATE THE ABOVE INFORMATION IS A LOT TO PROCESS, ESPECIALLY AT SUCH A DIFFICULT TIME. IF YOU FIND YOURSELF OR A FAMILY MEMBER IN THIS SITUATION, PLEASE CONTACT US.
WE ARE HERE TO HELP, GUIDE AND SUPPORT.
#OldhamIndependentFuneralServices
#DyingToKnow
