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Landscape in Georgia
“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 Georgia

£2,500£3,200

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 Georgia 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 Georgia 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 Georgia 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 Georgia 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 Georgia

    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 Georgia and the United Kingdom

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

Repatriation from Georgia to the United Kingdom

Bringing a loved one home from Georgia is a long-haul transport rather than a short European transfer, but it is a well-established one. It brings together the death-registration formalities in Georgia, the legalisation of the death certificate for use in the UK, the documentation prepared for the flight, and the receiving arrangements once your loved one arrives home. We coordinate all of this directly with the funeral director and the authorities in Georgia, so the family does not have to travel or deal with foreign offices. If you are at the very start of this, our repatriation hub explains the process in plain terms.

Georgia lies roughly 3,300 km from the UK, so your loved one travels by air, usually from Tbilisi. Georgia is a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, which means the Georgian death certificate can be legalised for use in the UK with an apostille rather than a longer legalisation chain. Because the certificate is issued in Georgian, a certified English translation is normally arranged alongside it.

The process in Georgia

A doctor or hospital first certifies the death. It is then registered with the Public Service Development Agency, through one of its Public Service Halls, which issues the official Georgian death certificate. The certificate is written in Georgian, so it is legalised with an apostille and given a certified English translation before it is used here. Where a death is sudden or its cause is not yet clear, local enquiries or a post-mortem may be needed before your loved one can be released, and this can lengthen the timeline. We keep in close contact with the funeral director in Georgia so the family is told of any delay and its likely cause.

Preparation and transport

The international funeral director in Georgia prepares your loved one for the flight: hygienic treatment (embalming), a sealed transport-standard coffin, and the certificates of hygienic treatment and freedom from infection that airlines require. The funeral director assembles the transport documentation for the flight, and your loved one travels by air, with the documents accompanying them, usually from Tbilisi to a UK airport. We arrange the airline booking and the airline formalities and confirm that every document is complete and correctly legalised before the flight is booked, so there is no avoidable hold-up at the terminal.

Bringing your loved one into the UK

Once in the UK, the family can arrange the funeral. For a burial, the apostilled and translated Georgian 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). You can read more about the coroner's role in England in our resource centre. Many Georgian families follow the Orthodox Christian tradition of burial; we work to the family's wishes and faith, and liaise with the coroner's office so any cremation authority is ready when your loved one arrives.

Timelines and what affects them

A repatriation from Georgia usually takes 2 to 7 days from first contact to arrival in the UK, over a distance of roughly 3,300 km. The timing depends on how quickly the death certificate, apostille and translation are issued, the preparation of your loved one, and the availability of a suitable flight from Tbilisi, which may involve a connection. Where a death is referred for investigation, release can take longer, and long-haul logistics can extend the timing.

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 city of departure, the flight routing from Tbilisi, and local funeral-director and administrative fees. Families are often unaware that a UK-based estate, a 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

  • Attending doctor or hospital: certifies the death, allowing it to be registered.
  • Public Service Development Agency (Public Service Hall): registers the death and issues the official Georgian death certificate, which is then legalised with an apostille.
  • International funeral director in Georgia: carries out hygienic treatment and preparation for carriage and assembles the transport documentation for the flight.
  • Airline: carries your loved one by air, with the documents accompanying them, under international regulations, usually from Tbilisi.
  • 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

  • Georgian death certificate: issued by the Public Service Development Agency, in Georgian.
  • Apostille: legalising the certificate for use in the UK under the Hague Convention.
  • Certified English translation: of the death certificate, for UK registrars, coroners and funeral directors.
  • Hygienic treatment and freedom from infection certificates: for international carriage.
  • Transport documentation assembled for the flight: prepared by the international funeral director.
  • Coroner's authority (Cremation Form 6): only where a cremation is planned in England and Wales.

Repatriation from the United Kingdom to Georgia

When someone dies in the UK and is to be returned to Georgia for the funeral, the process brings together the UK coroner's formalities, the receiving requirements in Georgia, and a long-haul flight. Georgia lies roughly 3,300 km from the UK, so your loved one travels by air, with the documents accompanying them, usually to Tbilisi. We manage the transport and the paperwork on both sides, so the family in Georgia 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; the receiving country's requirements then determine the documents that must accompany your loved one and the way the coffin is prepared. Both the UK and Georgia are parties to the Hague Apostille Convention, so a UK public document required in Georgia can generally be legalised with an apostille rather than a longer legalisation chain.

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 Georgia: the receiving formalities

Your loved one travels with the UK death certificate, legalised with an apostille and, where needed, accompanied by a certified Georgian translation, together with the coroner's out-of-England acknowledgement and the certificates of hygienic treatment (embalming) and freedom from infection prepared for the flight. On arrival in Tbilisi, a receiving funeral director in Georgia handles the local formalities and carries your loved one on to the place of the funeral. We prepare the document file and coordinate directly with the receiving 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 coffin suitable for international air carriage, accompanied by certificates of hygienic treatment and freedom from infection. Because of the distance, the transport is by air; there is no practical road option. Our team collects your loved one from the UK hospital, mortuary or funeral director, completes the airline documentation and airline formalities, and stays with them to the destination airport, coordinating with the receiving funeral director in Georgia.

Timelines and what affects them

A repatriation from the UK to Georgia usually takes 2 to 7 days from first contact, over a distance of roughly 3,300 km by air. The main factors are the four clear days' notice to the coroner (which can occasionally be shortened at the coroner's discretion), the legalisation of the death certificate for Georgia, and flight availability to Tbilisi, which may involve a connection. Where the death has been referred to the coroner for investigation, the timeline can be longer, and long-haul logistics can extend the timing.

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 airline and routing to Georgia, the legalisation and translation, 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.
  • UK legalisation (apostille) authorities: apostille the UK death certificate for recognition in Georgia under the Hague Convention.
  • Embalmer / UK funeral director: carries out hygienic treatment and preparation to international transport standard and provides the sealed, transport-standard coffin.
  • Receiving funeral director in Georgia: takes your loved one on arrival in Tbilisi and arranges the funeral in the destination town or region.

Documents required

  • UK death certificate: issued by the registrar once the death is registered.
  • Coroner's "out of England" acknowledgement: after at least four clear days' notice.
  • Apostille: legalising the death certificate for use in Georgia, with a certified Georgian translation where required.
  • Hygienic treatment and freedom from infection certificates: for international carriage.
  • Sealed coffin: as required for international air carriage.

Questions families ask us about bringing someone home from Georgia

Your loved one travels with the Georgian death certificate, an apostille legalising it for the UK, a certified English translation, and certificates of hygienic treatment and freedom from infection, together with the transport documentation the funeral director assembles for the flight.

The certificate is issued in Georgian, so both the apostille and the translation are needed before it can be used here. We obtain everything on your behalf.

Usually 2 to 7 days from first contact to arrival in the UK, over a distance of roughly 3,300 km by air.

The timing depends on how quickly the death certificate, apostille and translation are issued, the preparation of your loved one, and flight availability from Tbilisi, which may involve a connection. Where a death is referred for investigation, or long-haul logistics intervene, it can take longer.

Yes. Georgia is a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, so the Georgian death certificate is legalised for the UK with an apostille rather than by a longer legalisation chain.

Because the certificate is issued in Georgian, a certified English translation is also required so UK registrars, coroners and funeral directors can accept it. We arrange both.

No. We coordinate directly with the funeral director in Georgia, the Public Service Development Agency and the airline, so the family does not need to travel or deal with foreign offices.

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

Yes. A burial can generally proceed on the apostilled and translated Georgian death certificate. 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).

Many Georgian families choose burial in keeping with Orthodox Christian tradition; we work to your wishes and faith, and liaise with the coroner's office where a cremation is planned.

Questions families ask us about repatriation to Georgia

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 by air in a sealed, transport-standard coffin, accompanied by the UK death certificate (apostilled and, where needed, translated into Georgian) and certificates of hygienic treatment and freedom from infection.

On arrival in Tbilisi the receiving funeral director handles the local formalities. We prepare the file and coordinate both sides.

Usually 2 to 7 days from first contact, over a distance of roughly 3,300 km by air. The main factors are the four clear days' notice to the coroner, the legalisation of the death certificate for Georgia, and flight availability to Tbilisi, which may involve a connection.

Where the death has been referred to the coroner for investigation, or long-haul logistics intervene, the timeline can be longer. We keep the paperwork moving to avoid delay.

Both the UK and Georgia are parties to the Hague Apostille Convention, so where the Georgian authorities require a UK public document to be legalised, it can be apostilled in the UK rather than going through a longer legalisation chain.

A certified Georgian translation is generally arranged alongside it, and we prepare the file so the family does not have to.

Georgia lies around 3,300 km from the UK, so repatriation is by air, usually to Tbilisi and often on a connecting service. Your loved one travels in a sealed, transport-standard coffin that meets airline requirements.

We manage the airline booking, the airline formalities and the handover to the receiving funeral director in Georgia.

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 Georgia in Georgian.

The family provides a simple written authorisation, and we coordinate both sides of the process remotely, so no one needs to travel to the UK.

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 Germany, Greece and Hungary. 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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