When someone dies abroad and a post-mortem is ordered by the local authorities, the repatriation process can stall for days or weeks. That delay has direct consequences for a travel insurance claim. Families who do not manage the claim actively during this period can find themselves facing disputes about costs, gaps in cover, and insurer requests for documents that do not yet exist.
This article explains what to do.
Call the Emergency Line Immediately, Not After the Post-Mortem
The single most common mistake is waiting until the post-mortem is complete before contacting the insurer in detail. Families often assume that they need the death certificate and post-mortem report before the claim can proceed. This is wrong.
The insurer’s emergency assistance line should be called as soon as the death is confirmed and the post-mortem is ordered. At this call:
- Confirm that a post-mortem has been ordered and give the approximate timeline provided by the local authorities
- Ask the insurer to issue a case reference number and confirm their cover position in principle
- Ask explicitly whether the policy covers continued mortuary storage fees during the post-mortem delay
- Get a named handler assigned to the case if possible
If you do not call early, the insurer may later argue that costs were incurred without their pre-authorisation, which can be grounds for reducing or refusing a claim.
What to Tell the Insurer During the Delay
Keep the insurer updated at regular intervals, not just when something changes. A weekly call or email confirming the status of the post-mortem, the expected completion date, and any new developments creates a documented record that supports the claim.
Note the name of every person you speak to at the insurer. Record the date and time of every call. Send a follow-up email after each call summarising what was discussed and what was agreed. This takes five minutes and can be decisive if the claim is later disputed.
If the insurer is making demands for documents that do not yet exist (such as the death certificate, which cannot be issued until the post-mortem is complete), confirm this in writing to the insurer and ask them to acknowledge that the claim remains open pending those documents.
Pre-Existing Condition Disputes
Post-mortems sometimes reveal pre-existing medical conditions that were not declared on the insurance application. If the post-mortem report attributes cause of death to a condition the insurer considers a pre-existing condition that should have been disclosed, the insurer may use this as grounds to challenge the claim.
If this happens, do not accept the decision without challenge. The insurer must demonstrate that:
- The condition was a pre-existing condition as defined in the policy
- You knew about it, or ought reasonably to have known about it, at the time of taking out the policy
- There is a causal link between the undisclosed condition and the death
If the condition was diagnosed after the policy was taken out, point 2 fails. If the condition was a minor or asymptomatic condition that did not influence the decision to travel, the causal link argument may also fail.
Ask the insurer to put their position in writing. A verbal indication that the claim may be refused is not a formal decision.
Requesting Interim Payments
Long post-mortem delays — common in countries with stretched forensic capacity, such as parts of Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and some Eastern European states — can mean weeks of accumulating mortuary storage fees, which are often charged by the local funeral director and ultimately borne by the travel insurer or the family.
If your insurer is covering storage fees, ask for interim payment to the local funeral director if fees are being invoiced in advance. Most large travel insurers have procedures for this; it is not an unusual request. If the insurer refuses to pay storage fees pending the post-mortem, obtain their refusal in writing and escalate immediately.
Escalating to the Financial Ombudsman Service
If the insurer is being unreasonable, if they are refusing to keep the claim open during a legally mandated delay, or if they have made a decision you believe is wrong, you have the right to escalate to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS).
Before the FOS will accept a complaint, you must first exhaust the insurer’s internal complaints procedure. Write a formal complaint letter to the insurer stating the specific decisions you dispute and the reasons. Give the insurer eight weeks to respond. If their response is unsatisfactory, or if eight weeks passes without a final answer, you can file a complaint with the FOS.
The FOS is free for consumers. It can order insurers to pay valid claims, including with interest. Many insurers resolve disputes before the FOS issues a formal decision, simply because an FOS referral creates administrative and reputational cost.
Keep copies of everything. The FOS investigation relies on documentary evidence, and a well-documented claim file strengthens your position considerably.
What Happens if the Insurance Company Becomes Insolvent
Travel insurance is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). If a UK-authorised insurer becomes insolvent, claims may be covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) up to 90% of the claim value with no upper limit for compulsory insurance. Some travel policies are sold by non-UK-authorised insurers; the FSCS may not apply in those cases. Check the policy documents.
Sources: Financial Ombudsman Service, Travel Insurance Complaints, financial-ombudsman.org.uk, 2024. Association of British Insurers, Travel Insurance: Managing Claims, abi.org.uk, 2023. Financial Conduct Authority, Consumer Insurance Contracts: Disclosure and Representation, ICOBS sourcebook, FCA, 2023. Financial Services Compensation Scheme, What We Cover, fscs.org.uk, accessed May 2026.