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Landscape in Colombia
“Reliable, professional, a reasonable price, and most important of all, my brother arrived exactly on time.”
Gezimon Trustpilot
Our funeral ambulance on an airport apron, a plane behind it

By air, arranged end to end

Routes this far go by air. We book the flight, prepare the papers the airline asks for, and our partners receive your loved one at the other end.

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 Colombia

£6,000

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 Colombia 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 Colombia 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 Colombia 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 Colombia 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 Colombia

    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 Colombia and the United Kingdom

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

Repatriation from Colombia to the United Kingdom

Bringing a loved one home from Colombia is a long-haul transport of roughly 8,500 km across the Atlantic, and there is a settled Colombian community in the UK for whom this route matters deeply. The process brings together the Colombian formalities for registering a death, the legalisation and translation of those documents for use here, the certificates needed for international air transport, and the receiving arrangements at home. We coordinate all of it across the time difference and in Spanish, so the family does not have to deal with Colombian offices or airlines directly. If you are at the very start of this, our repatriation hub explains the process in plain terms.

Colombia is a member of the Hague Apostille Convention, so UK and Colombian public documents can be apostilled for use between the two countries rather than going through a longer legalisation chain. Because Colombian documents are issued in Spanish, a certified English translation is prepared alongside the apostille so the papers are accepted without difficulty when your loved one arrives.

The process in Colombia

The death is first certified by the attending doctor, who issues the medical certificate of death. It is then registered with the Registraduría Nacional del Estado Civil (the Registry Office), which issues the Colombian death certificate, the certificado de defunción. A local funeral director arranges the paperwork and the transfer of your loved one to Bogotá for the flight, and carries out the hygienic treatment (embalming) and preparation required for international carriage. The documents that travel with your loved one are the apostilled certificado de defunción with its certified English translation, an hygienic treatment certificate and airline documentation from the exporting funeral director, and a copy of your loved one's passport or other proof of identity.

Preparation and transport

Your loved one receives hygienic treatment and is placed in a sealed, transport-standard coffin, then booked on a flight from Bogotá to a UK airport. Airlines carry your loved one under strict rules, so we make sure every document is complete and correctly apostilled before a flight is confirmed, to avoid delays at the terminal. Our team coordinates the routing and the handover to the receiving funeral director in the UK.

Bringing your loved one into the UK

Once in the UK, the family can arrange the funeral. For a burial, the apostilled Colombian death certificate is generally sufficient. For a cremation in England and Wales, the coroner 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). Where a death abroad is repatriated, HM Coroner may also open an inquest. You can read more about the coroner's role in England in our resource centre, and we liaise with the coroner's office so any authority needed is in place when your loved one arrives.

Timelines and what affects them

A repatriation from Colombia usually takes 2 to 7 days from first contact. The timing depends on how quickly the death is registered and apostilled, the hygienic treatment and preparation, and the availability of a suitable flight from Bogotá. Where the death is sudden or unexplained and referred to the local authorities for examination, release can take 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 confirm a firm, fixed quote at first contact. The figure depends on the Colombian city of departure, the airport routing, and local funeral-home fees, which vary across the country. A UK estate, travel insurance or a life-insurance policy may cover part of the cost, and we help you check what the policy covers.

Authorities involved

  • Attending doctor: first issues the medical certificate of death.
  • Registraduría Nacional del Estado Civil (Registry Office): registers the death and issues the Colombian certificado de defunción.
  • Local funeral director: arranges the paperwork, the hygienic treatment and the transfer of your loved one to Bogotá for the flight.
  • HM Coroner in the UK: may open an inquest once your loved one is repatriated, and: where a cremation is planned in England and Wales: authorises it via Cremation Form 6 (in Scotland, the procurator fiscal).

Documents required

  • Certificado de defunción: the Colombian death certificate, apostilled, with a certified English translation.
  • Hygienic treatment certificate and airline documentation: from the exporting funeral director, confirming preparation to international transport standard.
  • Passport or proof of identity: a copy of your loved one's passport or other proof of identity.
  • Coroner's authority (Cremation Form 6): only where a cremation is planned in England and Wales.

Repatriation from the United Kingdom to Colombia

When someone dies in the UK and is to be returned to Colombia for the funeral, the process brings together the UK coroner's formalities, the receiving arrangements in Colombia, and a long-haul flight of roughly 8,500 km. Your loved one travels by air, usually to Bogotá or a regional airport nearer the family. We manage the transport and the paperwork on both sides, so the family in Colombia does not have to deal with UK offices in English. Our repatriation hub sets out the essentials if you are at the start.

Colombia is a member of the Hague Apostille Convention, so a UK public document such as the death certificate can be apostilled in the UK for recognition in Colombia rather than going through a longer legalisation chain. Because the receiving papers are in Spanish, a certified translation is prepared alongside the apostille. Before your loved one leaves the UK, the papers also go to the Consulate of Colombia in London, which signs them off. We prepare and lodge that application, so no one in the family needs to attend in person.

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 Colombia: the receiving formalities

Your loved one travels after hygienic treatment (embalming), in a sealed, transport-standard coffin, accompanied by the apostilled UK death certificate with a certified Spanish translation, and certificates of hygienic treatment and freedom from infection. In Colombia the death is recorded with the Registraduría Nacional del Estado Civil, and a receiving funeral director handles the local formalities and the onward transfer, in Bogotá or the family's home city. We prepare the document file and coordinate directly with the funeral director in Colombia.

Preparation and transport

Your loved one receives hygienic treatment and is placed in a sealed transport coffin suitable for international air transport. We collect your loved one from the UK hospital, mortuary or funeral director, complete the airline documentation, and book the flight to Bogotá, or a regional Colombian airport nearer the family, coordinating the handover to the receiving funeral director on arrival.

Timelines and what affects them

A repatriation from the UK to Colombia usually takes 2 to 7 days from first contact, your loved one travelling a long-haul distance of roughly 8,500 km. The main factors are the four clear days' notice to the coroner, the time needed to apostille and translate the UK documents, and flight availability. 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 confirm a firm, fixed quote at first contact. The figure depends on the destination airport in Colombia, the coffin chosen, 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, once apostilled, accompanies your loved one.
  • Consulate of Colombia in London: signs off the documents before your loved one leaves the UK.
  • Embalmer / UK funeral director: carries out hygienic treatment to international transport standard and provides the sealed transport coffin.
  • Registraduría Nacional del Estado Civil: records the death in Colombia.
  • Receiving funeral director in Colombia: collects your loved one on arrival and arranges the funeral in the family's home city.

Documents required

  • UK death certificate (apostilled): issued by the registrar and apostilled for recognition in Colombia.
  • Certified Spanish translation: of the UK death certificate.
  • 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 Colombia.

Questions families ask us about bringing someone home from Colombia

Your loved one travels with the Colombian certificado de defunción, apostilled and accompanied by a certified English translation, together with an hygienic treatment certificate and airline documentation from the exporting funeral director and a copy of your loved one's passport or proof of identity.

Because the documents are issued in Spanish, we arrange the apostille and the translation as part of the service, so everything is accepted in the UK without difficulty.

Usually 2 to 7 days from first contact. This mainly reflects the distance of roughly 8,500 km, the apostille and translation, and the transatlantic flight schedule.

The timing depends on how quickly the death is registered and apostilled, the hygienic treatment and preparation, and the availability of a suitable flight from Bogotá. Where the death is referred to the local authorities for examination, release can take longer.

Yes. Colombia is a member of the Hague Apostille Convention, so its public documents are legalised for use in the UK with an apostille rather than a longer legalisation chain.

As the documents are in Spanish, a certified English translation is also prepared. We handle both the apostille and the translation so the paperwork is ready for use in the UK.

No. Many of the families we help are settled members of the Colombian community in the UK, and there is no need to fly back. We coordinate directly with the Colombian funeral director and the registry, in Spanish and across the time difference.

The whole process is arranged remotely on the basis of a simple written authorisation, so the family can grieve at home while we handle the formalities in Colombia.

The quoted price covers the Colombian documentation, the apostille and translation, hygienic treatment, a transport coffin suitable for the UK funeral, airline documentation, air transport to the UK and handover to your funeral director. We confirm a firm, fixed quote at first contact.

Questions families ask us about repatriation to Colombia

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

In Colombia the death is recorded with the Registraduría and a receiving funeral director handles the local formalities. We prepare the file and coordinate both sides.

Usually 2 to 7 days from first contact, your loved one travelling a long-haul distance of roughly 8,500 km. The main factors are the four clear days' notice to the coroner and the time needed to apostille and translate the UK documents, together with flight availability.

Where the death has been referred to the coroner for investigation, the timeline can be longer. We keep both sides of the family informed throughout.

Colombia is a member of the Hague Apostille Convention, so where the Colombian authorities require the UK death certificate to be legalised, it can be apostilled in the UK rather than going through a longer legalisation chain.

Because the receiving papers are in Spanish, a certified translation is prepared alongside the apostille. Before departure, the Consulate of Colombia in London also signs off the papers. We arrange all three for you.

No. We handle the UK coroner's formalities and registration in English, arrange the apostille and translation, and liaise with the receiving funeral director in Colombia in Spanish.

The family provides a simple written authorisation, and we coordinate both sides of the process remotely.

The quoted price covers the coroner notification, the apostille and Spanish translation, hygienic treatment, a sealed transport coffin, the transport certificates, and air transport to Colombia with handover to the receiving funeral director. We confirm a firm, fixed quote at first contact.

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 Grenada, Guyana and Jamaica.

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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