Repatriation from Lombok, Indonesia

Lombok attracts a younger British demographic than Bali: surfers at Kuta Lombok and Selong Belanak, trekkers on Gunung Rinjani (3,726m, Indonesia’s second-highest volcano), and backpackers transiting the Gili Islands. Deaths here fall under West Nusa Tenggara (Nusa Tenggara Barat, NTB) province jurisdiction — an entirely separate legal and administrative system from Bali’s Bali Province authority. Families who assume the process mirrors Bali’s will experience avoidable delays.

What the British Embassy does — and does not do

The British Embassy Jakarta (Jalan M.H. Thamrin Kav. 75, Jakarta 10310) covers all of Indonesia including Lombok. There is no resident British consul in Lombok or in Mataram (NTB’s provincial capital). All consular contact is with Jakarta.

The Embassy can: Register the death in UK consular records. Provide guidance on Indonesian documentation for UK authorities. Provide a funeral director referral list.

The Embassy cannot: Repatriate the body. Pay any costs. Instruct Indonesian authorities.

FCDO 24-hour emergency line: +44 (0)20 7008 5000.

What Indonesian and NTB law requires

Under the Kitab Undang-Undang Hukum Acara Pidana (KUHAP, Law No. 8 of 1981), sudden, violent, or unexplained deaths are reported to the Kepolisian Daerah NTB (POLDA NTB) and referred to the West Nusa Tenggara Prosecutor (Kejaksaan Tinggi NTB) where investigation is required. Post-mortems are conducted at RSUD NTB (Rumah Sakit Umum Daerah, Jalan Prabu Rangkasari, Mataram) or through Universitas Mataram’s forensic medicine faculty. For cases requiring specialist capacity, the case may be referred to RSUP Sanglah in Bali — crossing provincial boundaries and adding transit documentation requirements.

Death certificates (Akta Kematian) are issued by the Civil Registry Office (Dinas Kependudukan dan Pencatatan Sipil) of the relevant district.

The documentation chain

1. Akta Kematian (death certificate). Issued by the Lombok district Disdukcapil.

2. Police case closure / Visum et Repertum (where applicable). Required before body release in forensic cases.

3. International transport permit. Applied for through Dinas Kesehatan (Dinkes) Provinsi NTB, under Ministry of Health Indonesia (Kementerian Kesehatan) authority in Jakarta.

4. Embalming certificate.

5. Freedom from infection certificate.

6. IATA cargo documentation — covering domestic leg plus international leg.

Source: Kitab Undang-Undang Hukum Acara Pidana (KUHAP), Law No. 8 of 1981 (Indonesia); Kementerian Kesehatan Indonesia, Pedoman Penanganan Jenazah untuk Dipulangkan ke Luar Negeri, 2020.

Airport and cargo routing

Lombok International Airport (LOP, also known as Praya Airport) has no direct London service. Standard routing: LOP to Jakarta (Soekarno-Hatta International, CGK) on Garuda or Lion Air (approximately 1 hour 45 minutes), then CGK-LHR connecting service. Some cases route LOP via Bali (DPS, 25 minutes) depending on cargo availability. The funeral director selects the most reliable current route. Transfer of documentation between NTB and Jakarta authorities must be coordinated before the international leg departs.

Timeline from Lombok

• Hospital-certified natural death: 10 to 18 days
• Police or forensic investigation: 21 to 35 days
• Extended investigation: 6 to 10 weeks

Key local considerations

Rinjani trekking deaths trigger NTB Police involvement, rescue coordination through the Rinjani National Park authority (Balai Taman Nasional Gunung Rinjani), and often a location-based delay: the mountain’s summit area is 2 to 3 days from a road. Body recovery logistics are managed separately from the legal documentation chain.

For the broader repatriation process from Indonesia, see our Indonesia repatriation guide.

Contact our team via our enquiry form or WhatsApp.

Information based on Kitab Undang-Undang Hukum Acara Pidana (KUHAP) and Kementerian Kesehatan Indonesia guidance. Last reviewed May 2026.