Repatriation to and from Finland

Repatriation from Finland to the United Kingdom

Finland is one of the longer European routes home, roughly 1,820 kilometres from Helsinki to the United Kingdom, and we mostly make it by road in our own funeral ambulances, with the sea crossings by ferry. Deaths of British nationals in Finland are less frequent than in southern Europe, but they do happen, among business travellers, people with family ties, and visitors to Lapland and the northern winter. When a death occurs in Finland, bringing your loved one home brings together the Finnish 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 Finland or deal directly with Finnish offices. If you are at the very start of this, our repatriation hub explains the process in plain terms.

Because Finland is a member of the European Union, the formalities are comparatively predictable. Before your loved one can be moved for the funeral, a burial permit, the hautauslupa, must be in place; it is the precondition for transport. For use in the United Kingdom, the Finnish death certificate is legalised with an apostille.

The process in Finland: from the kuolintodistus to release

A physician or health-care establishment first certifies the cause of death and issues the medical certificate of death, the kuolintodistus. Before your loved one may be moved for burial, cremation or transport abroad, the burial permit, the hautauslupa, must be issued; this permit is the precondition for the transport.

The death is registered with the Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV), which maintains the population record and issues certified copies of the death certificate used abroad. The funeral director handling the removal then arranges the transport permit that accompanies the coffin. We obtain these documents on the family's behalf while your loved one is prepared for the transport.

Preparation and transport

Your loved one receives hygienic treatment (embalming) and is placed in a sealed, transport-standard coffin, as required for international transport. The transport permit accompanies the coffin, together with the apostilled death certificate. Most often your loved one comes home by road and ferry in one of our own funeral ambulances. Where the road is not possible or the family needs a faster option, we arrange a flight, usually from Helsinki-Vantaa Airport, to a UK airport. Our team collects your loved one from the Finnish funeral director or hospital and stays with them through 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 Finnish 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 Finland usually takes 2 to 7 days from first contact to arrival in the UK, reflecting the road distance and the ferry schedule. As an EU member state, Finland's documentation is predictable, with the death certificate legalised by apostille. The timing depends on when the hautauslupa is issued, the registration with the DVV, and the circumstances of the death: where the cause of death is referred for further 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 put a firm price in writing on the first call, and that is the figure on the invoice. The figure depends on the point of departure within Finland, the cause of death, and local funeral-home and administrative fees. Families are often unaware that a UK-based estate or 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

• The physician / health-care establishment: certifies the cause of death and issues the medical certificate of death (kuolintodistus).
• Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV): registers the death and issues certified copies of the death certificate used abroad.
• The funeral director: prepares your loved one and arranges the transport permit that accompanies the coffin.
• 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

• Kuolintodistus: the medical certificate of death.
• Hautauslupa: the burial or funeral permit, the precondition for transport.
• Transport permit: accompanying the coffin, together with the apostilled death certificate.
• Certified copy of the death certificate (DVV): legalised with an apostille for use in the UK.
• Hygienic treatment certificate: confirming preparation to international transport standard.
• Free from infection certificate: confirming 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 Finland

When someone dies in the UK and is to be returned to Finland for the funeral, the process brings together the UK coroner's formalities, the requirements of the Finnish authorities, and the transport itself. Finland lies roughly 1,820 kilometres away across northern Europe, and most of our repatriations there are made by road and ferry in our own funeral ambulances. Where the road is not possible or the family needs it sooner, we book a flight to a Finnish airport, most often Helsinki-Vantaa. We manage the transport and the paperwork on both sides so that the family in Finland does not have to deal with UK offices in English. 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; Finland's own requirements then set the standard for the documents that accompany your loved one and for the way the coffin is prepared. As Finland is an EU member state, those requirements are comparatively predictable, and the UK death certificate is legalised by apostille for use there.

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 Finland: the receiving formalities

Your loved one travels after hygienic treatment (embalming), placed in a sealed, transport-standard coffin, accompanied by the UK death certificate, apostilled for use in Finland, together with the transport permit and certificates of hygienic treatment and freedom from infection. In Finland the receiving funeral director handles the local formalities in the municipality where the funeral will take place, and the burial permit (hautauslupa) is arranged before the burial or cremation proceeds. We prepare the document file and coordinate directly with the funeral director. 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 sealed, transport-standard coffin. Our team collects your loved one from the UK hospital, mortuary or funeral director and takes them by road, with the ferry crossings, to the receiving funeral director in Finland. If a flight is the right choice, we book it to Finland, usually to Helsinki-Vantaa, and stay with them through to the receiving funeral director.

Timelines and what affects them

A repatriation from the UK to Finland usually takes 2 to 7 days from first contact, a road and ferry route of roughly 1,820 kilometres. The main factors are the four clear days' notice to the coroner (which can sometimes be shortened at the coroner's discretion) and the ferry schedule, or the flight schedule to Helsinki where we fly. 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 region in Finland, the choice of road and ferry or a flight, and any UK funeral-home and mortuary fees. A UK estate, a life-insurance or travel-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 and preparation to international transport standard and provides the sealed transport coffin.
• Receiving funeral director in Finland: receives your loved one, arranges the burial permit (hautauslupa) and the funeral in the destination municipality.

Documents required

• UK death certificate: issued by the registrar and apostilled for use in Finland.
• Coroner's "out of England" acknowledgement: after at least four clear days' notice.
• Transport permit: accompanying the coffin for international carriage.
• Hygienic treatment and freedom from infection certificates: for international carriage.
• Sealed transport coffin: as required for international carriage.