Taking a body out of England

You need permission from the Coroner to take a body out of the country for a funeral abroad.

There are no restrictions on moving a body within England and Wales. However, you need permission from the Coroner to take a body out of England and Wales. This includes moving the body to Scotland, Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands, even if the cause of death was natural.

You should register the death (GOV.UK) and ask the registrar or your funeral director to contact the Coroner for permission.

You should allow at least 4 working days for this. If the death has been reported to the Coroner for further investigation, you’ll have to allow more time, possibly for a post-mortem or inquest.

The repatriation flights should not be booked until the coroner has given permission. We can’t take responsibility for any missed flights.

You don’t need permission from the coroner to take cremation ashes out of the country. If you want to move them by air, contact your airline for advice.