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Landscape in Ireland
“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 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 Ireland

£1,800

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 Ireland 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 Ireland 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 Ireland 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 Ireland 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 Ireland

    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 Ireland and the United Kingdom

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

Repatriation from Ireland to the United Kingdom

Ireland is our closest international route, and one of the most straightforward. The two countries share the Common Travel Area, so there is no passport control between them and your loved one can travel by road and ferry as readily as by air. When a death occurs in Ireland, bringing your loved one home to the UK brings together the Irish 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 or deal with offices directly. If you are at the very start of this, our repatriation hub explains the process in plain terms.

Because of the Common Travel Area and the two countries' close administrative ties, this route is lighter on formalities than most. The Irish death certificate is issued in English and is read by the receiving funeral director and registrar in the UK without translation.

The process in Ireland: registration and release

A doctor first certifies the death, which is then registered with the local Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages (part of the Civil Registration Service), who issues the Irish death certificate. Where the death was sudden, unexplained or reportable, the coroner is involved and must release your loved one before travel. The Irish funeral director prepares your loved one for the transport; we obtain the documents and coordinate release on the family's behalf.

Preparation and transport

Your loved one is placed in a sealed, transport-standard coffin, with hygienic treatment (embalming) where the route or the receiving funeral requires it. Because Ireland is so close, most repatriations travel by road and ferry, typically Dublin to Holyhead, though a flight to a UK airport is also available. Our team collects your loved one from the Irish 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 Irish 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 Ireland usually takes 2 to 7 days from first contact to arrival in the UK, and can be quicker still where the death is straightforward and the road-and-ferry crossing is used. The timing depends chiefly on whether the coroner was involved and on ferry or flight availability.

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 place of departure, whether your loved one travels by road or air, and local funeral-home 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 doctor: certifies the death and completes the medical certificate of cause of death.
  • Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages (Civil Registration Service): registers the death and issues the Irish death certificate.
  • Coroner (where the death was sudden, unexplained or reportable): investigates and releases your loved one for travel.
  • Irish funeral director: prepares your loved one and provides the sealed transport 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

  • Irish death certificate: issued by the Registrar once the death is registered.
  • Coroner's release: where the death was sudden, unexplained or reportable.
  • Hygienic treatment certificate: where the route or the receiving funeral requires it.
  • 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 Ireland

When someone dies in the UK and is to be returned to Ireland for the funeral, the process brings together the UK coroner's formalities, the receiving arrangements in Ireland, and the transport itself. Ireland is the UK's nearest neighbour and the two countries share the Common Travel Area, so your loved one travels easily by road and ferry or by air. We manage the transport and the paperwork on both sides. 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; Ireland's receiving requirements then set the standard for the documents that accompany your loved one. Because of the Common Travel Area and the two countries' close administrative ties, this route is lighter on formalities than most.

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 Ireland: the receiving formalities

Your loved one travels in a sealed, transport-standard coffin, accompanied by the UK death certificate, the coroner's out-of-England acknowledgement, and certificates of hygienic treatment (embalming) and freedom from infection. In Ireland, where the death was sudden or unexplained the coroner for the district your loved one is taken to is notified, and the receiving funeral director handles the local arrangements. We prepare the document file and coordinate directly with the funeral director in Ireland. You can read more about repatriating a loved one from the UK in our guidance.

Preparation and transport

Your loved one is placed in a transport-standard sealed coffin, with hygienic treatment where the transport requires it. For Ireland we most often arrange a road transfer with a dedicated funeral vehicle via the ferry, typically Holyhead to Dublin, or a flight to an Irish airport where that is quicker. Our team collects your loved one from the UK hospital, mortuary or funeral director and stays with them through to the receiving funeral director in Ireland.

Timelines and what affects them

A repatriation from the UK to Ireland usually takes 2 to 7 days from first contact. The main factors are the four clear days' notice to the coroner (which can sometimes be shortened at the coroner's discretion) and ferry or flight availability.

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 in Ireland, the mode of transport, 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 and preparation to international transport standard and provides the sealed transport coffin.
  • Coroner in Ireland (where the death was sudden or unexplained): is notified for the district your loved one is taken to.
  • Receiving funeral director in Ireland: handles the local arrangements and the funeral in the destination area.

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.
  • Hygienic treatment certificate: where the transport requires it.
  • Free from infection certificate: confirming no public-health risk in transit.
  • Sealed transport coffin: as required for international carriage.

Questions families ask us about bringing someone home from Ireland

The core documents are the Irish death certificate from the Registrar and, where the death was sudden, unexplained or reportable, the coroner's release. Hygienic treatment and freedom from infection certificates are provided where the route or the receiving funeral requires them.

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

Usually 2 to 7 days from first contact to arrival in the UK. The Common Travel Area and the short Dublin-Holyhead crossing keep Ireland the quickest of our routes.

The timing depends chiefly on whether the coroner was involved and on ferry or flight availability.

Yes. Ireland and the UK share the Common Travel Area, so there is no passport control between the two countries and your loved one can travel by road and ferry as readily as by air.

The route is lighter on formalities than most, though the death is still registered in Ireland and the coroner is involved where the death was reportable.

No. We deal directly with the Irish Registrar, the coroner where relevant, and the Irish funeral director. The family does not need to travel or communicate with the authorities.

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

The quoted price covers the Irish documentation, a transport coffin suitable for the UK funeral (with hygienic treatment where required), coroner liaison where the death was reportable, transport 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. The figure depends on the place of departure and the mode of transport.

Questions families ask us about repatriation to Ireland

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 in a sealed, transport-standard coffin, accompanied by the UK death certificate and certificates of hygienic treatment and freedom from infection.

In Ireland, where the death was sudden or unexplained the coroner is notified, and the receiving funeral director handles the local arrangements. We prepare the file and coordinate both sides.

Yes. Ireland and the UK share the Common Travel Area, so there is no passport control between the two countries and your loved one can travel by road and ferry as readily as by air.

The route is lighter on formalities than most, though the coroner's four clear days' notice is still required to take your loved one out of England and Wales.

Usually 2 to 7 days, and sometimes quicker where the death is straightforward and the road-and-ferry crossing is used. The main factor is the four clear days' notice to the coroner, which can occasionally be shortened at the coroner's discretion.

Ferry or flight availability also affects timing, and where the death has been referred to the coroner for investigation the timeline can be longer.

No. We handle the UK coroner's formalities and registration in English, and liaise with the receiving funeral director in Ireland.

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.

The quoted price covers the coroner notification, a sealed transport coffin (with hygienic treatment where required), the transport certificates, and road-and-ferry or air transport to Ireland with handover to the receiving 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 destination and 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 Italy, Latvia and Lithuania. 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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