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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 Hungary

£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 Hungary 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 Hungary 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 Hungary 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 Hungary 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 Hungary

    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 Hungary and the United Kingdom

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

Repatriation from Hungary to the United Kingdom

When a death occurs in Hungary, whether a visitor taken ill in Budapest, a British resident settled by Lake Balaton, or a relative of one of the many Hungarian families who have made their home in the UK since 2004, bringing your loved one back to the United Kingdom brings together the Hungarian 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 Hungary or deal directly with Hungarian offices in a language they are unlikely to speak. If you are at the very start of this, our repatriation hub explains the process in plain terms.

Because Hungary 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 route home is roughly 1,450 km by road, and the main variables are the district where the death occurred and whether an examination into its cause is required.

The process in Hungary

The death is registered at the local registry office (anyakönyvi hivatal), which issues the official Hungarian death certificate, the halotti anyakönyvi kivonat. A funeral operator (temetkezési szolgáltató) takes your loved one into its care and carries out the preparation needed for international carriage, and a mortuary passport (a laissez-passer for a corpse) authorising international transport is obtained so the coffin can leave the country. We arrange these steps on the family's behalf while your loved one is prepared.

Preparation and transport

Your loved one receives hygienic treatment (embalming) and is placed in a sealed, transport-standard coffin, as required for international transport. Our team collects your loved one from the Hungarian funeral director or hospital and brings them home by road in one of our own funeral ambulances, roughly 1,450 km through Europe and across the Channel, to the receiving funeral director in the UK. Where the road is not possible, or the family needs a faster option, we arrange a flight, typically from Budapest, and manage the airline booking, the airport formalities at both ends and the onward transfer.

Bringing your loved one into the UK

Once in the UK, the family can arrange the funeral. For a burial, the Hungarian 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 authority is in place when your loved one arrives.

Timelines and what affects them

A repatriation from Hungary usually takes 2 to 7 days from first contact to arrival in the UK, your loved one coming home by road over roughly 1,450 km. The timing depends on the district of departure, the issuing of the death certificate and the mortuary passport, and the circumstances of the death. Where a death is sudden or unexplained and an 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 registry 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

  • Registry office (anyakönyvi hivatal): registers the death and issues the official Hungarian death certificate (halotti anyakönyvi kivonat).
  • Funeral operator (temetkezési szolgáltató): 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

  • Halotti anyakönyvi kivonat: the official Hungarian death certificate from the registry office.
  • Mortuary passport (laissez-passer for a corpse): authorising international transport of your loved one out of Hungary.
  • 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 Hungary

When someone dies in the UK and is to be returned to Hungary for the funeral, the process brings together the UK coroner's formalities, the requirements set by the Hungarian authorities, and the transport itself. Hungary lies roughly 1,450 km away, a distance we mostly cover by road in our own funeral ambulances, crossing the Channel and continuing through Europe. A flight to a Hungarian airport such as Budapest is kept for the cases where the road is not possible or the family needs a faster option. We manage the transport and the paperwork on both sides so that the Hungarian community here in the UK, many of whom settled after Hungary joined the EU in 2004, 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 Hungarian consular and import requirements then set the standard for the documents that must accompany your loved one and for the way the coffin is prepared. Because Hungary 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 Hungary: 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 Hungary, a funeral operator (temetkezési szolgáltató) receives your loved one and, where the funeral is held there, the death is recorded with the local registry office (anyakönyvi hivatal) ahead of the burial or cremation. We prepare the document file and coordinate directly with the funeral operator in Hungary. 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 Hungarian requirements. Our team collects your loved one from the UK hospital, mortuary or funeral director, and one of our own funeral ambulances brings them by road to the receiving funeral operator in Hungary, who takes your loved one into their care for the funeral. If a flight is the better option, we book it to the appropriate Hungarian airport, complete the airline's documentation, and arrange collection at the destination.

Timelines and what affects them

A repatriation from the UK to Hungary usually takes 2 to 7 days from first contact, over a distance of roughly 1,450 km. The main factors are the four clear days' notice to the coroner (which can sometimes be shortened at the coroner's discretion), the consular formalities in the UK, and, when the transport is by air, flight 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 where in Hungary the funeral will be, whether your loved one goes 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.
  • Hungarian embassy or consulate in the UK: issues the laissez-passer for a corpse required to bring your loved one into Hungary (see the note above).
  • Receiving funeral operator (temetkezési szolgáltató) in Hungary: receives your loved one at the destination and arranges the funeral locally.

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.
  • Laissez-passer for a corpse: issued by the Hungarian embassy or consulate to bring your loved one into Hungary.
  • 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 Hungary.

Questions families ask us about bringing someone home from Hungary

The core documents are the halotti anyakönyvi kivonat (the official Hungarian death certificate) from the registry office, a mortuary passport (a laissez-passer for a corpse) authorising international transport, and hygienic treatment and freedom from infection certificates.

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

Usually 2 to 7 days from first contact to arrival in the UK, your loved one coming home by road over roughly 1,450 km.

The timing depends on the district of departure, the issuing of the death certificate and mortuary passport, and the circumstances of the death. Where an examination into the cause of death is ordered, release can take several days longer.

No. We deal directly with the registry office, the funeral operator and the authorities handling the transport. The family does not need to travel or communicate with the Hungarian 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 Hungarian 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 Hungarian documentation, hygienic treatment, a transport coffin suitable for the UK funeral, the mortuary passport, road transport to the UK (or a flight where one is 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 Hungary

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.

Hungary also requires a laissez-passer for a corpse, issued by its embassy or consulate in the UK, to bring your loved one into the country. We prepare the file and coordinate both sides.

Yes. Repatriation to Hungary is coordinated with the Hungarian embassy or consulate in the UK, which issues the laissez-passer for a corpse required to bring your loved one into Hungary before the coffin is dispatched.

We prepare and lodge the consular application on the family's behalf, so no one needs to attend the consulate in person.

Usually 2 to 7 days, for a road route of roughly 1,450 km. The main factors are the four clear days' notice to the coroner, which can occasionally be shortened at the coroner's discretion, and the consular formalities in the UK.

When a flight is used, its 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.

Hungary 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.

In practice the Hungarian embassy or consulate advises which documents are needed for the laissez-passer, and we prepare the file accordingly.

The quoted price covers the coroner notification, hygienic treatment, a sealed transport coffin, the transport certificates, the Hungarian laissez-passer, and transport to Hungary by road, or by air where needed, 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 where in Hungary the funeral takes place and on the mode of transport.

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 Ireland, Italy and Latvia. 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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