Repatriation to and from Macedonia

Repatriation from North Macedonia to the United Kingdom

When a loved one dies in North Macedonia and is to be brought home to the United Kingdom, the arrangements bring together the North Macedonian 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 North Macedonia or deal directly with local offices. If you are at the very start of this, our repatriation hub explains the process in plain terms.

North Macedonia is not a member of the European Union, so the multilingual EU death certificate does not apply. The civil-registry death certificate is issued in Macedonian, and where the receiving authorities require it, the paperwork is legalised with an apostille, North Macedonia is a party to the Hague Apostille Convention, and accompanied by a certified English translation. The distance is roughly 1,900 km, and most repatriations from North Macedonia come to the UK by road in our own funeral ambulances, crossing the Channel at the end. We book a flight from Skopje only where the road is not possible or the family needs their loved one home sooner, and we arrange the documentation and the transport as one service.

The process in North Macedonia

A doctor first certifies the death, which is then registered with the local registry office (matична служба). The registry issues the extract from the register of deaths, the Macedonian death certificate (извод од матичната книга на умрените), in Macedonian. The local funeral director obtains a certificate giving permission to move your loved one, which allows your loved one to leave the country. We obtain these on the family's behalf while your loved one is prepared.

Where a death is sudden, unexplained or referred for investigation, release can take longer while those enquiries are completed. We keep the family informed if any such step applies.

Preparation and transport

Before international transport, your loved one is given hygienic treatment (embalming) by the local funeral director, who issues an hygienic treatment certificate. A separate freedom-from-infection certificate confirms there is no public-health risk in transit. Your loved one is placed in a sealed, transport-standard coffin, which also meets airline requirements if a flight from Skopje is needed. Our team manages the road route or the airline formalities, and the handover in the UK.

Bringing your loved one into the UK

Once in the UK, the family can arrange the funeral. For a burial, the North Macedonian 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 without delay.

Timelines and what affects them

A repatriation from North Macedonia usually takes 2 to 7 days from first contact. The timing depends on how quickly the registry office issues the death certificate, the hygienic treatment and preparation, any legalisation and translation of the documents, and the transport arrangements from North Macedonia. Where the death is referred for investigation, 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 region of North Macedonia, local funeral-home and administrative fees, and the transport route to the UK. 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 issues the medical certificate.
• Matична служба (local registry office): registers the death and issues the extract from the register of deaths: the Macedonian death certificate: in Macedonian.
• Local funeral director: obtains the certificate giving permission to move your loved one, and carries out the hygienic treatment and preparation required for carriage.
• 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

• Macedonian death certificate (извод од матичната книга на умрените): issued in Macedonian by the local registry office.
• Apostille: legalising the certificate for use in the UK where required (North Macedonia is a party to the Hague Apostille Convention).
• Certified English translation: of the death certificate and supporting documents, which are issued in Macedonian.
• Certificate giving permission to move your loved one: allowing your loved one to leave the country.
• Hygienic treatment and freedom from infection certificates: for international carriage.
• Coroner's authority (Cremation Form 6): only where a cremation is planned in England and Wales.

Repatriation from the United Kingdom to North Macedonia

When someone dies in the UK and is to be returned to North Macedonia for the funeral, the process brings together the UK coroner's formalities, the requirements set by the North Macedonian authorities, and the transport itself. The distance is roughly 1,900 km. Most repatriations to North Macedonia still go by road in our own funeral ambulances, and a flight, usually to Skopje, is booked only when the road is not possible or the family asks for a faster option. We manage the transport and the paperwork on both sides so that the family in North Macedonia 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 destination country's requirements then set the standard for the documents that must accompany your loved one and for the way the coffin is prepared. North Macedonia sits outside the European Union, so its own receiving requirements apply, and where UK documents need to be legalised they can be apostilled. North Macedonia is a party to the Hague Apostille Convention.

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 North Macedonia: the receiving formalities

Your loved one travels after hygienic treatment (embalming), placed in a sealed, transport-standard coffin, accompanied by the UK death certificate, the coroner's out-of-England acknowledgement, and certificates of hygienic treatment and freedom from infection. Where the receiving authorities require a UK document to be legalised, it is apostilled before departure. In North Macedonia the local registry office (matична служба) records the death and the local funeral director obtains the certificate giving permission to move your loved one to the place of burial and handles the local formalities in the town where the funeral will take place. 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 transport-standard sealed coffin. The route is normally by road, across the Channel and on through Europe to the destination town. Where a flight is needed, it goes to Skopje or to a neighbouring gateway with an onward road transfer, whichever better suits the destination. Our team collects your loved one from the UK hospital, mortuary or funeral director, manages the road route or the airline formalities, and hands over to the receiving funeral director in North Macedonia.

Timelines and what affects them

A repatriation from the UK to North Macedonia usually takes 2 to 7 days from first contact, your loved one travelling roughly 1,900 km. The main factors are the four clear days' notice to the coroner (which can sometimes be shortened at the coroner's discretion), any legalisation of the UK documents, and transport availability. 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 town in North Macedonia, the transport route, 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.
• Matична служба (registry office) in North Macedonia: records the death in the local register.
• Local funeral director in North Macedonia: obtains the certificate giving permission to move your loved one and arranges the funeral in the destination town.

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: where the receiving authorities require a UK document to be legalised (North Macedonia is a party to the Hague Apostille Convention).
• Certificate giving permission to move your loved one: obtained locally, for transfer to the place of burial.
• Hygienic treatment and freedom from infection certificates: for international carriage.
• Sealed transport coffin: as required for international carriage.