When someone dies abroad, families are suddenly in the position of choosing a specialist service provider while grieving, under time pressure, and without any prior experience of doing so. Most people have never engaged a repatriation company before and have no framework for assessing quality or reliability.
This guide gives you that framework. It covers the accreditations that matter, the questions worth asking, and the warning signs that should make you look elsewhere.
What a Repatriation Company Actually Does
A repatriation company coordinates the entire process of returning a body from a foreign country to the UK. Their core functions include:
- Appointing a trusted local funeral director in the country of death
- Liaising with the local police, prosecutor’s office, or coroner to understand the investigation status
- Managing the documentation process (death certificate, embalming certificate, export permit)
- Booking air cargo on a suitable carrier
- Coordinating with UK Border Force and the receiving UK funeral director
- Keeping the family informed throughout
They are not funeral directors themselves (though some companies offer both services). They are logistics and documentation specialists with international partner networks. The quality of their local partner network, not just their UK office, is the key differentiator between good companies and less effective ones.
Accreditations That Matter
NAFD (National Association of Funeral Directors): The main trade body for funeral service in the UK. NAFD membership requires compliance with a code of practice. Many repatriation companies are NAFD members.
SAIF (National Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors): An alternative UK funeral industry trade body with its own quality standards.
BABIA (British Association of Body Identification and Assessment): Relevant for cases involving identification challenges.
IATA (International Air Transport Association): Airlines have their own cargo handling requirements for human remains. A repatriation company that is experienced with IATA cargo processes — and whose local partners are equally familiar — will avoid the documentation errors that ground cargo.
Membership of FIAT-IFTA (International Federation of Funeral Directors): An international federation connecting funeral professionals across countries. Membership here indicates engagement with international standards.
No single accreditation guarantees quality, but absence of all accreditation in a company claiming to specialise in international repatriation should prompt questions.
Questions to Ask Before Committing
Which countries do you regularly handle, and do you have a direct partner in the country where my family member died? A company with a direct partner relationship in the specific country — not just a general “we can handle anywhere” claim — will perform better.
Is your local partner in that country currently active and able to accept a new case? This is particularly relevant for countries with conflict, crisis, or seasonal disruption.
How will you communicate with me throughout the process? A named case handler, regular updates at defined intervals, and a direct phone number are what you should expect.
What documentation will you need from me and when? A good company will give you a clear, specific list early.
Are there any circumstances in this case that you expect to cause delays? A good company answers this honestly rather than with generic reassurance.
Do you have experience with the religious or cultural requirements relevant to this case? State the specific requirements and assess the answer.
What is your process if the original airline or cargo booking falls through? Cargo bookings do sometimes fail; a company with contingency experience handles this without panic.
Warning Signs
- Vague or evasive answers to specific questions. If a company cannot tell you clearly who their local partner is in the country concerned, be cautious.
- No named case handler. Dealing with a general call centre rather than an assigned person slows everything down and increases error risk.
- Pressure to commit immediately without information. Urgency is real, but a trustworthy company gives you enough information to make an informed decision before taking payment.
- No clear explanation of what the fee covers. The quote should itemise: local funeral director, embalming, transport coffin, export documentation, air cargo, and UK reception.
- Inability to explain the specific process for the country concerned. If the person on the phone is vague about how the documentation process works in that specific country, they are likely working from a generic script rather than direct experience.
The Travel Insurance Company’s Own Network
Many travel insurers have their own approved repatriation company or network. If the insurer is covering the costs, they may require you to use their approved provider. This is not always a restriction — insurer-approved repatriation companies are often large and experienced. But if you have a specific reason to prefer a different company, discuss this with the insurer at the first call.
Where the insurer’s approved provider is managing the case, you are entitled to clear communication and a named case manager. The same quality expectations apply regardless of who is paying.
Sources: National Association of Funeral Directors (NAFD), Code of Practice, nafd.org.uk, 2024. National Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors (SAIF), Standards and Accreditation, saif.org.uk, 2024. IATA, Cargo Standards for Human Remains, iata.org, 2024. FIAT-IFTA, International Federation of Funeral Directors, fiat-ifta.org, accessed May 2026. Competition and Markets Authority, Consumer Rights: Choosing a Service Provider, gov.uk, 2023.