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Landscape in Iran
“Reliable, professional, a reasonable price, and most important of all, my brother arrived exactly on time.”
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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

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Repatriation to and from Iran

£4,500

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 Iran 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 Iran 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 Iran 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 Iran 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 Iran

    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 Iran and the United Kingdom

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

Repatriation from Iran to the United Kingdom

Bringing a loved one home from Iran is a long-haul transport with more paperwork than a route within Europe, but it is a well-trodden path and we manage it from beginning to end. The process brings together the formalities of the Iranian authorities where the death occurred, the certification and legalisation of documents for use in the UK, and the receiving arrangements here at home. We coordinate the whole process across the time difference and the language, so the family does not have to deal with Iranian offices, translators or airlines directly. If you are just starting, our repatriation hub explains the process in plain terms.

Because Iran is not part of the European Union, there is no multilingual EU death certificate. The Iranian documents are issued in Farsi and are certified and translated by the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs; where a UK document is required it is legalised through the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and the Iranian embassy. This certification is the main factor in the timeline. We are also mindful that many families wish to observe Islamic tradition, which favours a swift burial, and we discuss the practical implications sensitively and early.

The process in Iran

The death is first registered locally. The National Organization for Civil Registration (Sazman-e Sabt-e Ahval) issues the official Iranian death certificate (گواهی فوت). The Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs then certifies and translates the certificate, and the British Embassy provides a no-objection-to-repatriation letter, which is relayed to the Iranian authorities. Your loved one is prepared for transport with hygienic treatment (embalming) and freedom from infection certificates. We obtain these on the family's behalf.

Preparation and transport

Your loved one receives hygienic treatment and is placed in a sealed, transport-standard coffin, with certificates of hygienic treatment and freedom from infection issued for the flight. Because of the distance, the transport is made by air from Tehran to a UK airport. Our team collects your loved one, arranges the flight, with the documents accompanying them, 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. A burial can generally proceed on the strength of the Iranian death certificate and its certified translation. For a cremation in England and Wales, the coroner must first give authority using the Cremation Form 6, once satisfied that no further investigation is needed (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. Cremation is uncommon in Iran and contrary to Islamic practice, so most families we assist plan a burial; we liaise with the coroner's office in either case so the receiving arrangements are ready when your loved one arrives.

Timelines and what affects them

A repatriation from Iran usually takes 2 to 7 days from first contact, your loved one travelling roughly 4,400 km by air. The main factors are how quickly the death is registered, the certification and translation of the documents by the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the British Embassy no-objection letter, and flight availability from Tehran to a UK airport. Where a death is sudden or unexplained and referred 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 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 in Iran, the certification and translation fees, and the airline routing to the UK. 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

  • National Organization for Civil Registration (Sazman-e Sabt-e Ahval): registers the death and issues the official Iranian death certificate.
  • Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs: certifies and translates the death certificate for use abroad.
  • British Embassy: provides the no-objection-to-repatriation letter that is relayed to the Iranian authorities.
  • 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

  • Iranian death certificate: issued in Farsi by the National Organization for Civil Registration.
  • Certification and certified English translation: by the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
  • No-objection-to-repatriation letter: from the British Embassy, relayed to the Iranian authorities.
  • Hygienic treatment certificate: confirming preparation to international transport standard.
  • Free from infection certificate: confirming 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 Iran

When someone dies in the UK and is to be returned to Iran for the funeral, the process brings together the UK coroner's formalities, the requirements of the Iranian authorities, and the flight itself. Iran lies roughly 4,400 km from the UK, so your loved one travels by air, usually to Tehran with an onward transfer to the home province. We manage the transport and the paperwork on both sides so the family 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; Iran's own entry requirements then set the standard for the documents that accompany your loved one. Because Iran is not part of the European Union, the UK death certificate must be legalised before your loved one can be entered into Iran, which is the main factor in the timeline.

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 Iran: the receiving formalities

For Iran to admit your loved one, the UK death certificate must be recognised there. Because Iran is not part of the European Union, the certificate is legalised through the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and the Iranian embassy in London, usually with a certified Persian translation. Your loved one travels in a sealed, transport-standard coffin, accompanied by the UK death certificate in legalised form and certificates of hygienic treatment (embalming) and freedom from infection. On arrival at Tehran, the receiving family or funeral agent takes your loved one into their care for onward transfer to the town or province where the burial will take place.

Preparation and transport

Your loved one receives hygienic treatment and is placed in a sealed, transport-standard coffin, with certificates of hygienic treatment and freedom from infection issued for the flight. Our team collects your loved one from the UK hospital, mortuary or funeral director, books your loved one's flight, with the documents accompanying them, and manages clearance at both ends. Most families repatriating to Iran observe Islamic practice, in which burial is expected as soon as possible; while the legalisation and long-haul flight mean a same-day burial is rarely possible, we work to move each stage as quickly as the authorities allow and can advise on the washing and shrouding arrangements the receiving community may prefer once your loved one has arrived.

Timelines and what affects them

A repatriation from the UK to Iran usually takes 2 to 7 days from first contact, your loved one travelling roughly 4,400 km by air. The main factors are the four clear days' notice to the coroner, the legalisation and certified translation of the UK documents, and flight availability to Tehran. 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 province in Iran, flight availability, and any UK funeral-home 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 legalised, accompanies your loved one.
  • Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and the Iranian embassy in London: legalise the UK death certificate so it is recognised in Iran.
  • Embalmer / UK funeral director: carries out hygienic treatment to international transport standard and provides the sealed transport coffin.
  • Receiving family or funeral agent in Iran: collects your loved one and arranges burial in the home town or province.

Documents required

  • UK death certificate: issued by the registrar once the death is registered.
  • FCDO and Iranian embassy legalisation: the certificate legalised in the UK, usually with a certified Persian translation, so Iran will recognise it.
  • Coroner's "out of England" notice: the acknowledgement of removal, 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 Iran.

Questions families ask us about bringing someone home from Iran

Your loved one travels with the Iranian death certificate and its certified English translation, both certified by the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a no-objection-to-repatriation letter from the British Embassy, and hygienic treatment and freedom from infection certificates.

Where a UK document is required, it is legalised through the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and the Iranian embassy. We obtain and prepare everything on your behalf.

Usually 2 to 7 days from first contact, your loved one travelling roughly 4,400 km by air.

The timing depends on how quickly the death is registered, the certification and translation of the documents by the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the British Embassy no-objection letter, and flight availability from Tehran.

Yes. The Iranian death certificate is issued in Farsi and is certified and translated by the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for use in the UK. Where a UK document is required, it is legalised through the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and the Iranian embassy.

This certification is the main factor in the timeline. We manage the whole chain so the paperwork is accepted without delay.

Yes. A burial can generally proceed on the Iranian death certificate and its certified translation. 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).

Cremation is uncommon in Iran and contrary to Islamic practice, so most families we assist plan a burial. We liaise with the coroner's office so the receiving arrangements are ready when your loved one arrives.

The quoted price covers the Iranian documentation, the certification and translation, hygienic treatment, a sealed transport coffin suitable for the UK funeral, the transport certificates, a flight to the UK 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.

Questions families ask us about repatriation to Iran

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 legalised through the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and the Iranian embassy in London, usually with a certified Persian translation, before Iran will recognise it.

Your loved one travels in a sealed transport coffin with hygienic treatment and freedom from infection certificates. We complete the coroner notification and arrange the Iranian requirements on your behalf.

Usually 2 to 7 days from first contact, your loved one travelling roughly 4,400 km by air.

The main factors are the four clear days' notice to the coroner, the legalisation and certified translation of the UK documents, and flight availability to Tehran. Where the death has been referred to the coroner for investigation, the timeline can be longer.

Because Iran is not part of the European Union, it recognises the UK death certificate only once it has been legalised. In practice it is legalised through the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and the Iranian embassy in London, usually with a certified Persian translation.

We arrange this legalisation and liaise with the embassy directly, so the family does not have to attend in person.

We understand the wish for a prompt burial that Islamic practice calls for, and we are sorry that an international transfer makes a same-day burial very difficult. The legalisation and long-haul flight to Iran usually take longer than that allows.

We move each stage as quickly as the UK and Iranian authorities permit, keep you informed of realistic timings, and can help coordinate the washing and shrouding arrangements the receiving community prefers once your loved one has arrived.

The quoted price covers the coroner notification, the legalisation and translation, hygienic treatment, a sealed transport coffin, the transport certificates, and air transport to Iran with handover to the receiving family or funeral agent.

We put a firm price in writing on the first call, and that is the figure on the invoice.

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 Iraq, Lebanon and Turkey.

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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