Colombia has become a genuine draw for British travellers over the last decade, from Cartagena’s old town to the Lost City trek. When something goes wrong, though, the route home is rarely simple.
Where the death happened decides the first step
El Dorado Airport in Bogota handles almost all of Colombia’s international cargo of this kind. A death in Cartagena, the coffee region, or anywhere outside the capital means a domestic transfer to Bogota before international export can start. It’s the first thing worth knowing, because it changes the shape of the whole timeline.
Two authorities, not one
For a natural death with documentation ready, fourteen days is a realistic minimum. An unnatural death brings in the Instituto de Medicina Legal for the forensic post-mortem, and for anything with a criminal dimension, the Fiscalia General de la Nacion has to sign off on release as well. Results in Bogota and Medellin typically arrive in seven to fourteen days; in smaller cities, it can run longer.
A permit most people haven’t heard of
INVIMA, Colombia’s medicines and food regulator, also issues the health export permit for human remains. It’s an easy step to miss if a funeral director hasn’t handled a Latin America case before, and it can only start once the other documents are in place. Budget three to seven days for it once everything else clears.
No direct route home
There’s no nonstop flight from Colombia to the UK. Avianca or Copa Airlines usually cover the first leg, via Miami or Panama City, before a final connection on to Heathrow; Madrid is the other common option. Each connection has its own cargo booking window, and that’s before allowing for weather or capacity on the day.
What we can offer
We know which Colombian cities have the quickest Instituto de Medicina Legal turnaround, and we book the connecting cargo legs so nothing sits waiting at a transit hub longer than it needs to.
Read about how airline cargo booking actually works for a repatriation case, or see the full Colombia repatriation guide for the complete picture.
Call Repatriate Service on +44 7703 577246 at any hour, or use the enquiry form below.