Death is a taboo topic for many, but expats should think carefully about what happens when they die.
The options are a burial or cremation in the place where they live or repatriation back to Britain for a funeral.
Burials overseas are often not practical for many cultural and legal reasons.
So, what happens when an expat dies overseas?
The first step is the same in every country. The death should be registered with the appropriate authority in the country where an expat dies.
If the person died on a ship or aircraft, the death should be reported in the country the ship or aircraft is registered in.
Repatriating the body
The body cannot be moved until a local death certificate is issued. A foreign death certificate is valid in the UK, but if it is written in a foreign language, it must be accompanied with a certified translation.
Together with the foreign death certificate and certified translation, the UK coroner will want to see a copy of the photo page of the deceased’s passport and written permission to move the body from next of kin of the deceased’s executor.
If the passport is unavailable, a full UK birth certificate, naturalisation or registration certificates are acceptable.
These go with the death registration form, which is lodged with the Foreign Office after the fees have been paid.
Filing the documents and paying for their return can cost up to £225.
Filing the paperwork
“Be careful with the documents as your application will be rejected if they aren’t authentic, don’t confirm the person’s identity or don’t prove that they were a British national when they died. The registration fee won’t be refunded,” says the Foreign Office.
The Foreign Office will issue a reference number on payment of the fees. When you have this, post the documents to:
Overseas Registration Unit
Foreign & Commonwealth Office
Hanslope Park
Hanslope
Milton Keynes
MK19 7BH4
United Kingdom
The documents will be returned by courier when the death is registered, which typically takes three working days.
If more information is needed or the death was not due to natural causes, the process can take much longer.
If the expat was receiving the state pension or other benefits, the UK International Pension Centre needs to know about the death to update records and stop payments.
Dealing with the coroner
Rules about bringing a body home to the UK will differ between countries and if the body is due for burial or cremation in the UK or if the body has been cremated abroad.
In every case, permission from the overseas official acting as coroner will be needed.
If the death was unnatural, a British coroner needs to know as an inquest may be held and he or she will issue a form allowing a cremation.
“Once the body is home, take the death certificate to the register office in the area where the funeral is taking place,” said the Foreign Office.
“As the death has already been registered abroad, the registrar will give you a ‘certificate of no liability to register’. Give this to the funeral director so the funeral can go ahead.
“If you’re arranging the funeral yourself, give the certificate back to the registrar after the funeral’s taken place. You must do this within 96 hours of the funeral.”
Download the Foreign Office’s Death Overseas leaflet for more information
Paying for repatriation
Expats may want to make a provision to pay for their funeral in the UK and the cost of repatriating a body.
The cost of moving a body home can add thousands to a cost of a funeral, depending on where in the world the death takes place.
If the deceased had life insurance, you may be able to make a claim to cover the cost, otherwise the money must be paid upfront by the relatives or estate.
Arrangement to repatriate a body can be made via an international undertaker.
Around 1,500 British travellers die on trips overseas every year and they are mainly brought home by one of three international firms.
According to new research, the cost of dying is increasing faster than wages, homes and inflation in the UK.
With a typical funeral costing an average £4,000, the price has increased by more than 70% in the past decade.
No need to pay for a fancy funeral
The cost can be trimmed by going for a cheaper coffin and no flowers affair, but many people worry a cheap send-off is disrespectful.
“Our research shows that most of us do not want money wasted on a fancy funeral,” said Dean Lamble, a manager at insurance company Sun Life, the company that carried out the funeral expenses research.
“More than one in three people who have recently organised a funeral said they would want their own to be ‘as cheap as possible.’ One in six said they would like a direct cremation and one in 12 said they would prefer a woodland burial, just one in 50 said they would want a lavish affair.”
The study found 60% of people put aside money and instructions for their funeral, but the rest had to borrow the money or put the expense on a credit card.
“Families are struggling to cover the cost of an expensive send-off when the deceased would have been quite happy with a low-key affair. That is why, as well as making financial provision, it is just as important to talk to your family about what type of funeral you want. Because you don’t want you family thinking they need to spend thousands of pounds on a fancy funeral to give you the send-off you deserve, when all you want is a direct cremation followed by a pint down the pub,” said Lamble.
