Deaths abroad

You will need a 'certificate of no liability to register' issued by the registrar in the area you intend to bury the body. The registrar will need a death certificate showing the cause of death issued in the country where the death occurred. If any documents are not in English, you will need an authenticated translation.

If the death was in Scotland, Northern Ireland, Channel Islands or Isle of Man, the registrar in the area you intend to cremate the body may issue the 'certificate of no liability to register'. The registrar will need a death certificate showing the cause of death issued in the country where the death occurred.

To arrange a cremation if the death occurred elsewhere other than in part of the British Isles, the matter will be referred to the coroner. If any documents are not in English, you will need an authenticated translation. After the coroner has completed the necessary investigations, they can issue a Form 6 which allows the cremation to proceed.

However, you may also need to obtain additional documents before the cremation can take place. You should ask the crematorium staff or your funeral director (if you are using one) for an application form to complete and details about other documents you may need.