GLOBAL REPATRIATION SERVICES

At Robson Funeral Services, we are experienced in providing worldwide repatriation with the utmost care, professionalism, and respect. Whether you need to bring a loved one home or arrange for them to be returned to another country, we will guide you through every step of the process with compassion and clarity.

We manage all necessary arrangements on your behalf, ensuring that your loved one is cared for with dignity throughout. While international repatriation can seem complex, our team is here to make the process as smooth and stress-free as possible — offering support, guidance, and reassurance from start to finish. Our service is available from both Minehead and Bridgwater, and we work closely with international partners to ensure every detail is handled efficiently and respectfully.

HOW THE REPATRIATION PROSSESS WORKS

If you wish to repatriate your loved one abroad, we will firstly require from you an original death certificate and original copy of their passport. This will enable us to begin obtaining essential paperwork in order to send the body outside the UK and to bring the person into our chapel of rest. In some instances, we may be required to liaise with an Embassy or Consulate to obtain additional paperwork. 

We shall then appropriately prepare the deceased for travel, which will include embalming and dressing, if you have elected to supply clothing, or a tasteful gown will be provided. Nearer to the date of repatriation, we will liaise with you in greater detail regarding flight times and any additional requirements such as a service at a place of worship or viewing in the chapel of rest. You will need to have given us full detail of the “consignee”, the funeral director or person receiving the body in the country concerned, and they must be contactable at the time. 

Please note that in some instances, additional paperwork is required such as a Waiver (especially for repatriation to Nigeria) which you will need to personally obtain. We are of course available to guide you through these procedures should they be relevant to your arrangements. We may also need to liaise with the Embassy or Consulate here in London that is relevant to the country of destination, to obtain the required paperwork and official stamps that will allow us to proceed with the repatriation. 

If a death happens overseas and you would like your loved one to be buried or cremated in the UK, we can advise you on how to get them back to the UK to the best of our ability. If your loved one has passed away while travelling, we would strongly advise that you check to see if they have travel insurance. If so, most insurance policies will cover the costs of repatriation back to the UK. The insurance company will also liaise with a funeral director in the country where the death occurred, to make all the preparations for the flight back and to arrange a funeral director to collect your loved one from a London airport, and to deliver them to our chapel of rest. If your loved one did not have travel insurance or was living abroad, you will have to liaise with your chosen funeral director in the country concerned to arrange the repatriation back to the UK. We would then act as the consignee and collect your loved one from any London airport. Once your loved one is in our care, we can start proceedings on the documentation for the funeral to take place. We will liaise with the local coroner to issue the formal documentation required and, if necessary, to translate all documents received from the consignor. Once this has all been completed, the funeral arrangements can continue as normal.