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“Reliable, professional, a reasonable price, and most important of all, my brother arrived exactly on time.”
Gezimon Trustpilot
Our funeral ambulance on an English country road

By road, in our own funeral ambulances

Most repatriations to and from the UK go by road, driven by our own team, so your loved one stays in our care the whole way. We book a flight only where the road is not possible.

Everything in the estimate

  • The paperwork at both ends
  • Collection
  • Hygienic treatment
  • A sealed coffin
  • Transport, by road or by air
  • One specialist, start to finish
A written quote on a desk

One price, in writing, before anything moves

Before anything is booked you have an itemised quote in writing, and nothing is added to it afterwards, so you can plan without surprises.

In the families’ own words

“We were so worried about the process of getting my mum safely back home to Slovakia, but every detail was handled with care, compassion and professionalism.”
Sofia BartkovaUK to Slovakia
“Our loved one died on holiday in Egypt and what felt impossible was made possible. They kept us informed every step, translated everything, and their reps in Egypt worked so hard for us.”
NatEgypt to UK
“Their pricing was competitive and the process was incredibly fast. What stood out most was the attentive and caring staff who spoke Italian fluently.”
GenovesiUK to Italy
Two of our team at the front desk of our office

One specialist, from the first call to the last

The same person holds your case, deals with the offices at both ends and tells you when each step is done, so you never have to explain it twice.

Rated excellent, 4.8 out of 5

See reviews

Repatriation to and from Bulgaria

£2,700

Estimated, all inclusive

Enquire now, no obligation
  • Usually 2 to 7 days
  • Agreed in writing
  • We answer any hour

  • Our fees, and one specialist from the first call to the last
  • Collection from the hospital or mortuary
  • Hygienic treatment, and care until your loved one travels
  • A sealed coffin that meets the route’s requirements
  • All the paperwork required
  • Transport by road in our own refrigerated funeral ambulances, or by air where the road is not possible

When your loved one needs an urgent collection, usually from a home: the estimate covers collection from a hospital or mortuary. Tell us where they are on the first call and the written quote includes it, with any of the costs specific to Bulgaria that apply.

The estimate for any country, in either direction, and what it covers.

Work out an estimate for another countryWork out an estimate for another country

How body repatriation works, step by step

Four steps between Bulgaria and the UK, and we do all of them. You hear from us at each one, not only at the end.

  1. The first call

    You tell us where your loved one is, in Bulgaria or in the UK. We tell you the cost and what happens next, at any hour.

  2. The paperwork

    The death certificate, the permit to travel and the papers the carrier needs. We obtain them in Bulgaria and here.

  3. Care and transport

    Hygienic treatment and a sealed coffin. Most routes travel by road in our own vehicles, by air only where the distance calls for it.

  4. Arrival

    By road, we drive on to the funeral director you have chosen, or to ours. By air, collection at the destination is an optional extra.

The papers we obtain for you

This is the set most routes need. Where a country asks for something else, we tell you before we quote, and we obtain that too.

  • Out of England permission

    From the coroner, when the death happened in England.

  • Free from infection certificate

    Confirms there is no infectious disease, for the carrier and the receiving country.

  • Funeral director’s declaration

    Our signed declaration for the transport.

  • Embalming certificate

    Where the route or the receiving country requires one.

  • Apostille

    Where the receiving country asks for one.

  • Translations

    Certified, where a document is not in the receiving country’s language.

Procedures change from time to time, so this list may lag behind them. We keep up with every change and confirm what your case needs on the first call.

What we need from you

  • The death certificate

    Or the coroner’s interim certificate, where there is an inquest.

  • Their passport

    Or a copy to begin with. We tell you if the original is needed.

  • Your permission for us to act

    A short form we send you to sign, so we can deal with the offices for your family.

What we need from you

  • Their passport, or a copy

    Whatever you have to hand. We tell you what else is needed.

  • Any papers you already hold from Bulgaria

    A death certificate or a hospital letter, if you have one. If not, we obtain it.

  • Your permission for us to act

    A short form we send you to sign, so we can deal with the offices for your family.

Repatriation between Bulgaria and the United Kingdom

The whole route in plain terms, in both directions, written for someone reading it for the first time.

Repatriation from Bulgaria to the United Kingdom

When a death occurs in Bulgaria, whether a British holidaymaker taken ill on the Black Sea coast, a retiree settled near Bansko or Sofia, or a relative of one of the Bulgarian families who have made their home in the UK, bringing your loved one back to the United Kingdom brings together the Bulgarian authorities, the receiving arrangements in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, and the transport itself. We coordinate all three, so the family does not have to travel to Bulgaria or deal directly with Bulgarian offices in a language they may not speak. If you are at the very start of this, our repatriation hub explains the process in plain terms.

Because Bulgaria is a member of the European Union and, like the United Kingdom, a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, the documentation is comparatively predictable. The greater variables are the distance involved, roughly 2,000 km by road, and the circumstances of the death.

The process in Bulgaria

The death is registered with the Bulgarian civil registry office, which draws up the death act and issues the official death certificate, the акт за смърт. A local funeral operator takes your loved one into its care and carries out the preparation needed for international carriage, and a transport authorisation for international carriage is obtained so the coffin can leave the country. We arrange these steps on the family's behalf while your loved one is prepared, and keep you updated as each document is issued.

Preparation and transport

Your loved one receives hygienic treatment (embalming) and is placed in a sealed, transport-standard coffin, as required for international transport. Most repatriations from Bulgaria come home by road in our own funeral ambulances, roughly 2,000 km across Europe and over the Channel. Where the road is not possible, or the family needs your loved one home sooner, we book a flight to a UK airport instead. Our team collects your loved one from the local funeral director or hospital mortuary and stays with them through to the receiving funeral director in the UK, working alongside the Bulgarian funeral operator so that nothing is left for the family to arrange on the ground.

Bringing your loved one into the UK

Once in the UK, the family can arrange the funeral. For a burial, the foreign death certificate is generally sufficient. For a cremation, the coroner in England and Wales must give authority first: this is the Cremation Form 6, issued once the coroner is satisfied there is no need for further investigation (in Scotland this role falls to the procurator fiscal; in Northern Ireland, the coroner). You can read more about the coroner's role in England in our resource centre. We liaise with the coroner's office so this is in place without delay.

Timelines and what affects them

A repatriation from Bulgaria usually takes 2 to 7 days from first contact to arrival in the UK, for a road route of roughly 2,000 km. The timing depends on the town of departure, the issuing of the death certificate and the transport authorisation, and the circumstances of the death. Where a death is sudden or unexplained and a local examination is ordered, release can take several days longer.

This estimate is counted from when the death is registered, and our team does everything possible to complete the repatriation sooner.

Costs and financial support

We put a firm price in writing on the first call, and that is the figure on the invoice. The figure depends on the region of departure, the cause of death, and local funeral-home and administrative fees. Families are often unaware that a UK-based estate or life-insurance policy, or travel insurance held by your loved one, may cover part of the cost, and we help you check what the policy covers.

Authorities involved

  • Bulgarian civil registry office: registers the death and issues the official death certificate (акт за смърт).
  • Local funeral operator: takes your loved one into its care and carries out the hygienic treatment and preparation required for international transport.
  • UK coroner / procurator fiscal: where a cremation is planned in England and Wales, authorises it via Cremation Form 6 (in Scotland, the procurator fiscal; in Northern Ireland, the coroner).

Documents required

  • Акт за смърт: the official Bulgarian death certificate from the civil registry.
  • Transport authorisation for international carriage: permitting your loved one to be moved out of Bulgaria.
  • Hygienic treatment and freedom from infection certificates: confirming preparation to international transport standard and that your loved one poses no public-health risk in transit.
  • Coroner's authority (Cremation Form 6): only where a cremation is planned in England and Wales.

Repatriation from the United Kingdom to Bulgaria

When someone dies in the UK and is to be returned to Bulgaria for the funeral, the process brings together the UK coroner's formalities, the requirements set by the Bulgarian authorities, and the transport itself. Bulgaria is roughly 2,000 km away by road, and that is how most of our repatriations there are made, in our own funeral ambulances with the Channel crossing. A flight to a Bulgarian airport is arranged where the road is not possible or the family asks for it. We manage the transport and the paperwork on both sides so that the Bulgarian community here in the UK, one of the country's newer and fast-growing diasporas, concentrated in and around London, does not have to deal with UK offices in English alone. Our repatriation hub sets out the essentials if you are at the start.

Taking a loved one out of England and Wales follows a set UK procedure; the Bulgarian import requirements then set the standard for the documents that must accompany your loved one and for the way the coffin is prepared. Because Bulgaria is an EU member state and, like the UK, a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, those requirements are comparatively predictable.

Telling the coroner: taking a loved one out of England and Wales

Before a loved one can be taken out of England and Wales, the law requires that the coroner for the district be given at least four clear days' notice (the Removal of Bodies Regulations 1954). The coroner then issues an acknowledgement, the "out of England" notice, confirming there is no objection to removal, and can release your loved one sooner where satisfied that no further enquiries are needed. We complete this notification and obtain the acknowledgement on the family's behalf. In Scotland the equivalent authority is the procurator fiscal; in Northern Ireland, the coroner.

Arriving in Bulgaria: the receiving formalities

Your loved one travels after hygienic treatment (embalming), placed in a sealed, transport-standard coffin, accompanied by the UK death certificate and certificates of hygienic treatment and freedom from infection. On arrival in Bulgaria, a local funeral operator receives your loved one and, where the funeral is held there, the death is recorded with the Bulgarian civil registry office ahead of the burial or cremation. We prepare the document file and coordinate directly with the funeral operator in Bulgaria. You can read more about repatriating a loved one from the UK in our guidance.

Preparation and transport

Your loved one receives hygienic treatment and is placed in a transport-standard sealed coffin that meets Bulgarian requirements. Our team collects your loved one from the UK hospital, mortuary or funeral director and drives them to Bulgaria in one of our own funeral ambulances, coordinating with the receiving funeral operator, who takes your loved one into their care for the funeral. Where a flight is needed instead, we book it to the appropriate Bulgarian airport, complete the airline's documentation, and arrange collection at the destination.

Timelines and what affects them

A repatriation from the UK to Bulgaria usually takes 2 to 7 days from first contact, over a distance of roughly 2,000 km. The main factors are the four clear days' notice to the coroner (which can sometimes be shortened at the coroner's discretion), the apostille of the UK documents, and, where a flight is used, availability to the destination airport. Where the death has been referred to the coroner for investigation, the timeline can be longer.

This estimate is counted from when the death is registered, and our team does everything possible to complete the repatriation sooner.

Costs and financial support

We put a firm price in writing on the first call, and that is the figure on the invoice. The figure depends on the destination in Bulgaria, whether the transport is by road or by air, and any UK funeral-home and mortuary fees. A UK estate, a life-insurance policy or your loved one's own arrangements may cover part of the cost, and we help you check what the policy covers.

Authorities involved

  • UK coroner (or procurator fiscal in Scotland): must be given at least four clear days' notice before your loved one is taken out of England and Wales, and issues the "out of England" acknowledgement.
  • UK registrar: registers the death and issues the death certificate that accompanies your loved one.
  • Embalmer / UK funeral director: carries out hygienic treatment to international transport standard and provides the sealed transport coffin.
  • Receiving funeral operator in Bulgaria: takes your loved one into its care on arrival and arranges the funeral locally.

Documents required

  • UK death certificate: issued by the registrar once the death is registered, and apostilled for use in Bulgaria.
  • Coroner's "out of England" acknowledgement: after at least four clear days' notice.
  • Hygienic treatment certificate: confirming preparation to international transport standard.
  • Free from infection certificate: confirming no public-health risk in transit.
  • Sealed transport coffin: as required for international carriage to Bulgaria.

Questions families ask us about bringing someone home from Bulgaria

The core documents are the акт за смърт (the official Bulgarian death certificate) from the civil registry, a transport authorisation for international carriage permitting your loved one to leave Bulgaria, and hygienic treatment and freedom from infection certificates for transport.

Where a cremation is planned in England and Wales, the coroner must also authorise it (Cremation Form 6). We obtain all of the Bulgarian documents on your behalf.

Usually 2 to 7 days from first contact to arrival in the UK, for a road route of roughly 2,000 km.

The timing depends on the town of departure, the issuing of the death certificate and transport authorisation, and the circumstances of the death. Where a death is sudden or unexplained and a local examination is ordered, release can take several days longer.

No. We deal directly with the civil registry, the local funeral operator and the authorities handling the transport. The family does not need to travel or communicate with the Bulgarian offices.

The whole process is arranged remotely on the basis of a simple written authorisation sent by email or WhatsApp.

Yes. A burial can usually proceed on the foreign death certificate alone. For a cremation in England and Wales, the coroner must first give authority using Cremation Form 6, once satisfied that no further investigation is needed (in Scotland, the procurator fiscal).

We liaise with the coroner's office so this authority is in place when your loved one arrives.

The quoted price covers the Bulgarian documentation, hygienic treatment, a transport coffin suitable for the UK funeral, the transport authorisation, transport to the UK by road, or by air where needed, and handover to your funeral director.

We put a firm price in writing on the first call, and that is the figure on the invoice. The figure depends on the region of departure, the cause of death and local fees.

Questions families ask us about repatriation to Bulgaria

Before removal, the coroner must be given at least four clear days' notice and issues an "out of England" acknowledgement. Your loved one then travels after hygienic treatment, in a sealed, transport-standard coffin, accompanied by the UK death certificate and certificates of hygienic treatment and freedom from infection.

The UK death certificate is apostilled before it travels. We prepare the file and coordinate both sides.

No. A repatriation to Bulgaria does not go through the Bulgarian embassy. The UK death certificate is apostilled, and the documents travel with your loved one.

We prepare the whole file on the family's behalf, so no one needs to attend an office in person.

Usually 2 to 7 days, over roughly 2,000 km by road. The main factors are the four clear days' notice to the coroner, which can occasionally be shortened at the coroner's discretion, and the apostille of the UK documents.

If a flight is used, availability to the destination airport also affects timing, and where the death has been referred to the coroner for investigation the timeline can be longer.

Bulgaria is a member of the Hague Apostille Convention, so where a UK public document must be legalised it can be apostilled in the UK rather than going through a longer legalisation chain.

We prepare and legalise the file so the documents meet the Bulgarian requirements on arrival.

The quoted price covers the coroner notification, hygienic treatment, a sealed transport coffin, the transport certificates, the apostille of the UK documents, and transport to Bulgaria, by road or by air, with handover to the receiving funeral operator.

We put a firm price in writing on the first call, and that is the figure on the invoice. The figure depends on the destination and on whether a flight is needed.

Every other country, in both directions

We bring loved ones home to the UK from anywhere, and from the UK to anywhere in the world. Three more routes written up in the same detail: repatriation to and from Cyprus, Czech Republic and Finland. For the road across the continent, read about repatriation between Europe and the UK.

Talk to a specialistRepatriation routes for every country

“We were so worried about the process of getting my mum safely back home to Slovakia, but every detail was handled with care, compassion and professionalism.”

Sofia Bartkova
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