Funeral Repatriation To And From Aberdeen 

There are occasions where someone will pass away, while living, traveling or working abroad.  It may well be their wish to be brought back to their home country for their funeral. 

We can assist with making all arrangements for such repatriations, whether domestically from other parts of the UK by road transport, or internationally.  We work both for those visiting the Aberdeen area whose wish is to be returned home, and those from Aberdeen who die abroad.

The documentation and procedures can vary greatly from country to country and we therefore approach each case individually. 

In general, all usual local requirements regarding certification and registration must be complied with in the usual way.  It is then normal to obtain Coroner / Procurator Fiscal authorisation, freedom from infection certificates, and often documentation from the relevant Consular office.  Some countries may require documents to be legalised at the Foreign Commonwealth Office which can take up to three weeks.

Specialist arrangements are required in terms of embalming, coffin specification and preparation of coffin for travel, all of which we can arrange.  We can then book the relevant flights either directly with agencies at a local airport or through a national repatriation agency.  Some flights may go in and out of Aberdeen Airport, other times we will have to travel to another UK airport. 

It is worth noting that this can be an extended process and we recommend that no subsequent arrangements are made until all Repatriations procedures are absolutely confirmed.  Where travel insurance is in place, it may be that the insurance company manage the process and they should be contacted in the first instance. 

Once the deceased is safely returned to their home area, burial or cremation arrangements can be progressed in keeping with local funeral traditions and customs.