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

See reviews

Repatriation to and from Malta

£3,500

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 Malta 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 Malta 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 Malta 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 Malta 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 Malta

    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 Malta and the United Kingdom

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

Repatriation from Malta to the United Kingdom

Malta and the United Kingdom have long-standing ties, and a settled British community lives on Malta and Gozo alongside the many people who visit each year. When a death happens in Malta, bringing your loved one home to the UK draws together the Maltese 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 Malta or deal directly with local offices at a time of grief. If you are at the very start of this, our repatriation hub explains the process in plain terms.

Malta is one of the more straightforward routes we handle. English is an official language throughout Malta's public administration, which removes the language barrier families can face elsewhere, and Malta is a member of the Hague Apostille Convention, so where a Maltese public document has to be recognised by a UK authority it can be issued with an apostille rather than going through a longer legalisation chain.

The process in Malta

A doctor at the hospital issues the doctor's death certificate that precedes the formal registration. The death is then registered with the Public Registry. Civil Status (Identità), which draws up and issues the official Act of Death (Att tal-Mewt). The receiving funeral operator in Malta carries out the local steps and prepares your loved one for the transport. We obtain the Act of Death and the transport paperwork 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 suitable for carriage by air, accompanied by an hygienic treatment certificate and a freedom-from-infection certificate for transport. Because Malta is an island in the central Mediterranean, repatriation is by air to a UK airport. Our team collects your loved one from the hospital or funeral director 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 foreign 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 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. We liaise with the coroner's office so the authority is in place without delay.

Timelines and what affects them

A repatriation from Malta usually takes 2 to 7 days from first contact to arrival in the UK, your loved one travelling by air over a distance of roughly 2,100 km. The timing depends on how quickly the Act of Death and transport paperwork are issued, the preparation of your loved one, and flight availability from Malta. Where a death is sudden, unexplained or unnatural and an inquiry is opened, release of your loved one can take considerably 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. We stay with you through the transport home, the arrival in the UK and the final funeral paperwork. The figure depends on the cause of death, local funeral-home and registry fees in Malta, and the airline charge. Families are often unaware that a UK-based estate or an 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

  • Hospital doctor: issues the doctor's death certificate that precedes the formal Act of Death.
  • Public Registry: Civil Status (Identità): registers the death and issues the official Act of Death (Att tal-Mewt).
  • Receiving funeral operator in Malta: carries out the hygienic treatment and preparation and handles the local formalities for transport.
  • UK coroner (or procurator fiscal in Scotland): 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

  • Maltese death certificate (Att tal-Mewt / Act of Death): the official certificate from the Public Registry: Civil Status (Identità).
  • Doctor's death certificate: issued by the hospital, preceding the formal Act of Death.
  • Hygienic treatment certificate: confirming preparation to international transport standard.
  • Free from infection certificate: confirming the coffin may be transported without risk to public health.
  • Coroner's authority (Cremation Form 6): only where a cremation is planned in England and Wales.

Repatriation from the United Kingdom to Malta

When someone dies in the UK and is to be returned to Malta for the funeral, the process brings together the UK coroner's formalities, the receiving formalities in Malta, and the flight itself. Malta is an island in the central Mediterranean, so your loved one travels by air. We manage the transport and the paperwork on both sides, so the family in Malta does not have to travel to the UK or deal with British offices. 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 requirements in Malta then govern the documents that accompany your loved one and the way the coffin is prepared. English is an official language of Malta, so the UK death certificate is read without translation, and Malta 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.

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 Malta: the receiving formalities

In Malta the death is registered with the Public Registry. Civil Status (Identità), which issues the Act of Death (Att tal-Mewt), and the hospital's doctor's death certificate precedes that formal registration where the death occurs there. The receiving funeral operator in Malta takes your loved one into care and handles the local formalities and the funeral arrangements. Your loved one travels with the UK death certificate, the coroner's out-of-England acknowledgement, and certificates of hygienic treatment (embalming) and freedom from infection. We prepare the document file and coordinate directly with the funeral operator in Malta.

Preparation and transport

Your loved one receives hygienic treatment and is placed in a sealed, transport-standard coffin that meets the airline requirements for international carriage. We then arrange a flight to Malta, where the receiving funeral operator takes your loved one into their care. Our team collects your loved one from the UK hospital, mortuary or funeral director and stays with them through to the funeral in Malta.

Timelines and what affects them

A repatriation from the UK to Malta usually takes 2 to 7 days from first contact, your loved one travelling roughly 2,100 km by air. The main factors are the four clear days' notice to the coroner (which can sometimes be shortened at the coroner's discretion) and the availability of suitable flights to Malta. 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. We stay with you through arrival, the final paperwork and registering the death in Malta. The figure depends on the flight arrangements, any UK funeral-home and mortuary fees, and the receiving services in Malta. A UK estate, a life-insurance or travel-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.
  • Public Registry: Civil Status (Identità), Malta: registers the death and issues the Act of Death (Att tal-Mewt).
  • Receiving funeral operator in Malta: takes your loved one into care and arranges the funeral or burial.

Documents required

  • UK death certificate: issued by the registrar once the death is registered; read in Malta in English.
  • Coroner's "out of England" acknowledgement: after at least four clear days' notice.
  • Hygienic treatment certificate: confirming preparation to international transport standard.
  • Free from infection certificate: confirming the coffin may be transported without risk to public health.
  • Sealed transport coffin: as required for international carriage to Malta.

Questions families ask us about bringing someone home from Malta

The core documents are the Maltese death certificate (the Act of Death, Att tal-Mewt, from the Public Registry. Civil Status), the doctor's death certificate issued by the hospital, and hygienic treatment and freedom from infection certificates for transport.

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

Usually 2 to 7 days from first contact to arrival in the UK, your loved one travelling by air over a distance of roughly 2,100 km. English is an official language of Malta and it is a member of the Hague Apostille Convention, so the paperwork is predictable.

The timing depends on how quickly the Act of Death and transport paperwork are issued and on flight availability. Where a death is sudden or unnatural and an inquiry is opened, release can take considerably longer.

No. We deal directly with the Public Registry. Civil Status (Identità), the hospital and the receiving funeral operator, and English is used throughout Malta's administration. The family does not need to travel or contact the Maltese authorities.

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 foreign 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; in Northern Ireland, the coroner).

We liaise with the coroner's office so this authority is in place when your loved one arrives.

The quoted price covers the Maltese documentation, 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. We stay with you through arrival and the final paperwork. The figure depends on the cause of death and local funeral-home, registry and airline fees.

Questions families ask us about repatriation to Malta

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.

In Malta, the death is registered with the Public Registry. Civil Status (Identità), which issues the Act of Death, and the receiving funeral operator handles the local formalities. We prepare the file and coordinate both sides.

Usually 2 to 7 days, your loved one travelling roughly 2,100 km by air. The main factor is the four clear days' notice to the coroner, which can occasionally be shortened at the coroner's discretion, and the availability of suitable flights to Malta.

Where the death has been referred to the coroner for investigation, the timeline can be longer.

English is an official language of Malta, so the UK death certificate is read without translation. Malta is also 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 chain.

The receiving funeral operator in Malta advises on exactly which documents are needed, and we prepare the file accordingly.

No. We handle the UK coroner's formalities and the death registration in the UK, and liaise with the receiving funeral operator and the Public Registry. Civil Status in Malta.

The family provides a simple written authorisation, and we coordinate both sides of the process remotely.

The quoted price covers the coroner notification, hygienic treatment, a sealed transport coffin, the transport certificates, and a flight to Malta 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 the flight arrangements and UK funeral-home fees.

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 Moldova, Netherlands and Poland. 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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