It is important to be able to count on professional support when repatriating a deceased person. HORIZONT International's repatriation service provides this support with all associated services and can answer your questions around the clock, including at weekends:
In most countries you can choose between transfer in a coffin or local cremation.
We usually recommend choosing a simple model for transfer because not all foreign coffins are permitted for burial or cremation in your country. This prevents duplication of costs. Depending on distance and local circumstances we recommend transport by car or aircraft. You can naturally also opt for a local funeral if you so wish. We will also be happy to provide assistance in these circumstances.
Note that it is not possible to cremate bodies for religious reasons in Islamic countries like Turkey, Egypt, Tunisia and Morocco.
Very catholic or orthodox countries, for instance, have only very few crematories. So there may be waiting periods for cremation.
In some countries – Spain is one of them – it is possible for an urn to be handed over directly to relatives. If this is not the case, a dispatch option to the home country will be chosen depending on local circumstances.
Transfer or repatriation describes the service of returning a deceased person who has died abroad to their native country.
No general information can be given on the documents that must be issued at the place of death in order for the transfer to go ahead. There are huge differences in the issued documents in other countries. Even inside the EU, documents like e.g. international death certificates are not identical in all countries.
In some countries, relatives have to go to the registrar’s office together with our local partner companies to be able to register the case of death. But it is also possible that the relatives have to sign an appropriate power of attorney (e.g. cremation authorisation) on site.
You should always discuss the trip in advance with us to prevent delays in the transportation of the deceased person.
Repatriation depends on many different factors that cannot be influenced: On the one hand, many authorities are typically involved who are responsible for issuing the transfer documentation like authority for moving a corpse or death certificate. This process can take several days.
Organisation of the transfer can only begin once the authorities have given the go-ahead. If the hospital confirms, for example, that the transfer can now go ahead this only means the transfer from the hospital to the local funeral home and not to the funeral location.
It is generally very important that you do not schedule a funeral at the place of burial until transportation is completed.