Repatriation to India: taking a loved one home from the UK

You do not have to do this alone

Losing someone is hard enough without having to work out how to take them home. Repatriation is a specialist service, and an experienced funeral director will handle the paperwork, the preparation and the transport of your loved one. Your role is mainly to make decisions and to travel with the family.

Our part is the family’s flights. Call us, and we will look for seats on the same flight as your loved one where possible, or on the flights that suit the funeral arrangements in India.

The main steps

This is the general process for a death in England or Wales. Your funeral director will guide you through each stage.

• Register the death, or wait for the coroner if the death has been reported to them.
• Choose a funeral director with experience of repatriation to India.
• The funeral director applies to the coroner for permission to move the body out of England, using an Out of England notice.
• The coroner issues the permission, usually within one or two working days if the death is not being investigated.
• The funeral director prepares the paperwork for the airline and the Indian authorities and books the cargo flight.
• The family books their own flights to travel with or meet their loved one in India.

The coroner’s permission

Before a body can be taken out of England or Wales, the coroner must be told, and must give permission. The funeral director applies using the notice of intention to remove a body, and if the death is not under investigation, the coroner usually issues permission within one or two working days.

If the coroner is investigating the death, or a post-mortem is needed, it can take longer. Councils advise families not to make firm travel arrangements until the funeral director has the coroner’s permission.

Our tip: Book family flights that can be changed, until the funeral director confirms the date your loved one will fly.

Documents the funeral director will gather

These usually include the death certificate or the certificate for burial or cremation, the coroner’s permission to remove the body, a certificate of embalming, and the deceased’s passport. Bodies flown internationally are normally embalmed and placed in a zinc-lined coffin. The Indian High Commission in London may also need to issue documents, and your funeral director will know the current requirements.

Keep copies of anything you are given, and bring them with you to India, as you may need them on arrival or for the funeral.

How the journey works

Your loved one travels as air cargo, booked by the funeral director with the airline, often on a scheduled flight to the nearest major airport, such as Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad or Amritsar. A funeral director or family members in India meet the flight and take care of the onward journey.

Family members travel as normal passengers. Where possible we book you on the same flight, so you arrive together, or on a flight just before so you can be there to receive your loved one.

Gateways families use most

Common airports for repatriation flights and family travel.

Flights for the family at short notice

At times like this, families often need several seats at short notice, sometimes on busy dates. Call us rather than searching online. We can see availability across airlines, hold seats while the funeral date is confirmed, and arrange wheelchair help for elderly relatives.

Some airlines have bereavement policies that help with changes. We will ask on your behalf. See also our page on assisted travel for elderly passengers.

Visas and travel documents

British passport holders travelling for the funeral need an Indian visa or an OCI card, and the free e-Arrival card. If you do not have a visa, check the options on the official Indian visa website straight away, as timing matters. Our India visa and OCI help page explains the choices.

Cremation in the UK instead

Some families choose a cremation in the UK and carry the ashes to India for immersion later. This can be simpler and allows more family members to attend in Britain. Our guide to taking ashes to India explains how.

If a death happens in India

If a British national dies in India, the Foreign Office can offer support and information to the family. Contact the British High Commission or Deputy High Commission, and the local authorities. If you need to fly out urgently, call us and we will find the quickest route.

Choosing a funeral director

Look for a funeral director with regular experience of repatriation to India. They will know the airlines that carry coffins on your route, the documents the Indian side needs, and how to work with funeral services at the destination. Ask about timescales, costs and what is included before you agree.

Community organisations, temples and gurdwaras can often recommend funeral directors who have helped other families in your area.

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