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Landscape in Portugal
“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 Portugal

£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 Portugal 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 Portugal 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 Portugal 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 Portugal 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 Portugal

    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 Portugal and the United Kingdom

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

Repatriation from Portugal to the United Kingdom

Portugal has large British communities in the Algarve, around Lisbon and in the Porto region, and many more visitors each year. When a death occurs in Portugal, bringing your loved one home to the UK brings together the Portuguese 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 Portugal or deal directly with Portuguese offices in a language they may not speak. If you are at the very start of this, our repatriation hub explains the process in plain terms.

Because Portugal is a member of the European Union, the paperwork is comparatively predictable. The Portuguese death certificate is available in an international multilingual form, which the receiving funeral director and registrar in the UK can generally read without a separate translation.

The process in Portugal: from the certidão de óbito to release

A doctor first certifies the death, which is then registered at the Conservatória do Registo Civil, which issues the official death certificate, the certidão de óbito. For international transport, a transport authorisation is issued for your loved one to be carried abroad. We obtain these on the family's behalf while your loved one is prepared by the funeral operator (agência funerária).

Preparation and transport

Your loved one receives hygienic treatment (embalming) and is placed in a sealed coffin as required for international transport. Most repatriations from Portugal come by road in our own funeral ambulances, through Spain and France and across the Channel. Where road transport is not possible or the family needs their loved one home sooner, we book a flight from Lisbon, Porto or Faro to a UK airport. Our team collects your loved one from the Portuguese 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 foreign 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 Portugal usually takes 2 to 7 days from first contact to arrival in the UK, over a distance of roughly 1,585 km. The timing depends on the region of departure, registration at the Conservatória do Registo Civil, and the circumstances of the death: where the death is referred to the authorities 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 departure, the cause of death, and local funeral-home and administrative 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, recording the cause.
  • Conservatória do Registo Civil (Civil Registry): registers the death and issues the official certidão de óbito, available in an international multilingual form.
  • Authority issuing the transport authorisation: authorises your loved one to be carried out of Portugal.
  • Agência funerária (funeral operator): carries out the hygienic treatment and provides the sealed 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

  • Certidão de óbito: the official Portuguese death certificate from the Conservatória do Registo Civil, available in international multilingual form.
  • Transport authorisation: authorising your loved one to be carried out of Portugal.
  • Hygienic treatment certificate: confirming preparation to international transport standard.
  • Free from infection certificate: confirming 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 Portugal

When someone dies in the UK and is to be returned to Portugal for the funeral, the process brings together the UK coroner's formalities, the requirements set by the Portuguese authorities, and the transport itself. Portugal is roughly 1,585 km away, and most repatriations there are driven in our own funeral ambulances. We arrange a flight only when 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 family in Portugal 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 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. For Portugal, an EU member state, 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 Portugal: the receiving formalities

Your loved one travels after hygienic treatment (embalming), placed in a sealed coffin, accompanied by the UK death certificate, the coroner's out-of-England acknowledgement, and certificates of hygienic treatment and freedom from infection. In Portugal, the receiving funeral operator (agência funerária) handles the local formalities and the funeral in the destination area. We prepare the document file and coordinate directly with the funeral operator in Portugal. 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 sealed coffin. Our team collects your loved one from the UK hospital, mortuary or funeral director and stays with them on the road through France and Spain, coordinating with the receiving funeral operator in Portugal. For the cases that need a flight, the coffin goes into the outer case the airline requires, and we book the flight to the Portuguese airport nearest the destination, Lisbon, Porto or Faro, and coordinate the airline's handling on arrival.

Timelines and what affects them

A repatriation from the UK to Portugal usually takes 2 to 7 days from first contact, your loved one travelling over a distance of roughly 1,585 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 step to register the death and issue the repatriation permit, 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 region in Portugal, the transport costs, 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 and provides the sealed coffin.
  • Consulate General of Portugal in London: registers the death, issues the repatriation permit (Alvará de Trasladação) and seals the coffin (see the note above).
  • Agência funerária in Portugal: receives your loved one and arranges 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.
  • Alvará de Trasladação: the Portuguese repatriation permit issued by the Consulate.
  • Hygienic treatment and freedom from infection certificates: for international carriage.
  • Sealed coffin: as Portuguese rules require.

Questions families ask us about bringing someone home from Portugal

The core documents are the certidão de óbito from the Conservatória do Registo Civil (available in international multilingual form), the transport authorisation for your loved one to leave Portugal, 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 Portuguese documents on your behalf.

Usually 2 to 7 days from first contact to arrival in the UK, over a distance of roughly 1,585 km. As an EU member state, Portugal's paperwork is predictable.

The timing depends on the region of departure, registration at the Conservatória do Registo Civil, and the circumstances of the death. Where the death is referred for investigation, release can take longer.

No. We deal directly with the Conservatória do Registo Civil and the funeral operator. The family does not need to travel or communicate with the Portuguese 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).

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

The quoted price covers the Portuguese documentation, hygienic treatment, a sealed coffin, the transport authorisation, 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 region of departure, the cause of death and local fees.

Questions families ask us about repatriation to Portugal

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 coffin, accompanied by the UK death certificate and certificates of hygienic treatment and freedom from infection.

The Portuguese Consulate in London registers the death and issues the repatriation permit, and the receiving agência funerária handles the local formalities. We prepare the file and coordinate both sides.

Yes. For repatriation to Portugal the Consulate General of Portugal in London registers the death, issues the repatriation permit (Alvará de Trasladação) and seals the coffin before it 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, your loved one travelling over a distance of roughly 1,585 km. The main factors are the four clear days' notice to the coroner, the consular step to register the death and issue the repatriation permit, and transport availability.

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

Portugal is a member of the Hague Apostille Convention, so where the Portuguese authorities require a UK public document to be legalised, it can be apostilled in the UK rather than going through a longer legalisation chain.

The Consulate registers the death and issues the repatriation permit, and we assemble the document file accordingly.

The quoted price covers the coroner notification, hygienic treatment, a sealed coffin, the consular repatriation permit, and transport to Portugal, 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 the destination region and transport costs.

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 Republic of Albania, Romania and Russia. 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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