When someone dies abroad, families often find themselves dealing with two different types of professional: a repatriation company and a funeral director. The distinction between them is not always obvious, and the terminology is used inconsistently by the industry itself. This article clarifies who does what, and why you typically need both.
What a repatriation company does
A repatriation company is a specialist firm that manages the logistics of moving a deceased person from a foreign country to the UK. Their work begins when a death is confirmed abroad and ends when the body is received by the UK funeral director.
The key tasks a repatriation company handles:
Foreign coordination. Liaising with the local police, coroner or forensic authority, hospital, and local funeral director in the country of death. Navigating the local legal and administrative process to obtain the clearances needed for export.
Documentation management. Obtaining the foreign death certificate, post-mortem report, and export permit. Arranging certified translation where required. Preparing the embalming certificate and all documents required by the airline and by UK Border Force.
Embalming and preparation. Arranging embalming to IATA standards by a qualified embalmer at the point of origin. Sourcing or arranging the zinc-lined container.
Airline cargo booking. Booking the airway bill with a cargo-capable airline on the right route. Managing the cargo check-in, the documentation handover to the airline, and the transfer of the container.
Receiving at the UK end. Either collecting the body from the UK airport cargo terminal themselves, or coordinating handover to the UK funeral director.
Insurance liaison. Communicating with the travel insurer, obtaining the necessary authorisations, and submitting documentation for the claim.
A repatriation company is not a funeral home. They do not provide funeral services, conduct funerals, handle coffin selection, or manage the UK burial or cremation.
What a funeral director does
A UK funeral director handles the services that take place after the body arrives in the UK. Their work begins where the repatriation company’s work ends.
The key tasks a UK funeral director handles:
Receiving the body. Collecting the body from the airport cargo terminal and transporting it to their premises.
UK Coroner notification. Notifying the relevant Coroner via Form 104 and liaising with the Coroner’s office during their review.
Preparation for the UK funeral. This may include transferring the body from the zinc-lined transport container to the chosen coffin, further embalming or preparation if required, and making the person ready for a viewing if the family wishes.
The funeral service. Conducting the funeral — whether burial, cremation, or any other format — in accordance with the family’s instructions and any relevant religious or cultural requirements.
Administration. Registering the death in the UK if the foreign death has not already been registered with the GRO, and dealing with other administrative steps associated with the funeral.
When one company does both
Some larger UK repatriation firms have their own funeral home arm. Some long-established funeral directors have built repatriation capability in-house. Where one firm handles both, the distinction above still applies in terms of the work being done — but the family only has one point of contact.
This can be more convenient, and it removes a handover point where information can be lost. It is worth asking any firm you engage whether they handle both end-to-end or whether they will hand off to a separate funeral director at the UK end.
How to choose
For the repatriation company:
- Ask whether they are members of the National Association of Funeral Directors (NAFD) or the British International Freight Association (BIFA), or whether they hold IATA certification for human remains.
- Ask specifically about their experience in the country where the death occurred.
- Ask who their local partner is in that country — and how that partner is vetted.
- Ask how they communicate with families: do you have a named case manager?
For the UK funeral director:
- NAFD or SAIF (Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors) membership indicates professional standards.
- Ask whether they have experience receiving repatriated bodies from abroad.
- Ask about their relationship with the local Coroner and how they handle the Form 104 process.
Key points
- A repatriation company manages the process abroad and the logistics of getting the body to the UK.
- A UK funeral director manages the process from receipt in the UK through to the funeral.
- Some firms do both; many do not.
- Travel insurers often have preferred repatriation company suppliers — check before instructing anyone.
- NAFD membership is a useful indicator of professional standards for both types of firm.
Source: National Association of Funeral Directors (NAFD); Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors (SAIF); IATA Regulated Agents Programme; FCDO consular guidance; industry guidance from UK repatriation companies.