On this page

The steps, in order

  • The cause of death is confirmed. In England and Wales a medical examiner reviews it before the medical certificate of cause of death goes to the register office; if the death is sudden or unexplained it is referred to the coroner instead, and everything waits for the coroner.
  • The death is registered. Register offices ask for this within 5 days of the medical examiner contacting the family, unless the death has gone to a coroner. The registrar issues the green form and the death certificates; order several certified copies, because more than one office will ask for one.
  • Notice goes to the coroner. Anyone intending to take a body out of England must give notice to the coroner for the area where the body is lying, on Form 104, which the registrar, the coroner or the funeral director can provide. The law says the body may not leave until four clear days after the coroner receives it, unless the coroner confirms sooner that no further enquiries are needed. If it is urgent, speak to the coroner's office directly.
  • The coroner releases the body. The coroner signs the Out of England form (Form 103); where the coroner is not investigating the death, Hertfordshire's coroner service says this usually takes up to 4 working days.
  • The body is embalmed and sealed. Nigerian missions ask for an embalming statement and confirmation that the body is in a sealed metal casket.
  • The Nigerian permit is issued and the flight booked. Nigerian missions abroad issue a burial transit permit for remains going home; for a death in the UK, ask the Nigeria High Commission in London what it requires. The coffin then flies as air cargo to Nigeria, where a named receiving person collects it.

Documents the Nigerian side asks for

Nigerian missions publish their own lists, and the London list is the one that counts for a death in the UK. A Nigerian consulate's published list gives the usual shape, and families should check the London requirements before booking a flight:

  • A copy of the death certificate.
  • A letter confirming the person did not die of a communicable disease (the freedom-from-infection certificate).
  • The embalmer's statement of how the body was embalmed, and a letter from the funeral director confirming the sealed casket.
  • The deceased's Nigerian passport; if it cannot be found, a sworn statement from a relative who holds a Nigerian passport, giving the relationship and confirming the person was Nigerian.
  • The name, address and phone number of the person receiving the body in Nigeria.
  • A waiver from Port Health Services at the Federal Ministry of Health in Abuja, which that list names as a requirement for bringing remains in.

What it costs

  • Prices are set by UK funeral directors and repatriation specialists and vary with the flight. Ask whether a quote includes the flight, the sealed coffin and the paperwork.
  • The repatriation does not include the funeral in Nigeria; the funeral costs page has 2026 prices for mortuary, burial and ceremony.
  • If the person who died was visiting the UK, check their travel insurance first: some policies pay for repatriation, and only the insurer can say whether this one does.

What slows it down

  • A coroner's investigation. Registration, the Form 103 and everything after it wait until the coroner releases the body.
  • The calendar. The coroner's Form 103 timing is counted in working days, so a death late in the week usually loses the weekend.
  • A missing Nigerian passport. The sworn statement takes time to arrange, so look for the passport on the first day.

If the family chooses cremation in the UK

Some families cremate in the UK and carry the ashes home, which avoids the sealed coffin and the cargo booking. Airlines and the Nigerian mission set their own rules for carrying ashes, so ask both before travelling, and keep the cremation certificate with the urn.

Questions people ask

How long does it take to repatriate a body from the UK to Nigeria?

The legal minimum after notice to the coroner is four clear days, and the coroner's Out of England form usually takes up to 4 working days where there is no investigation. A coroner's investigation, a missing passport or the Nigerian permit can add days or weeks.

Does this apply in Scotland and Northern Ireland?

No. This page covers England and Wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own rules for registering a death and moving a body.

Who can give notice to the coroner?

The law puts the duty on the person intending to move the body. Form 104 is available from the registrar, the coroner or the funeral director, and Hertfordshire's coroner service says the funeral director provides the Out of England form (Form 103).

How much does a funeral cost in Nigeria?

The other half of the bill: mortuary, burial and ceremony costs in Nigeria, with 2026 prices.

How much does a funeral cost in Nigeria?

Related

Sources

  1. The Removal of Bodies Regulations 1954, regulations 4 and 6 (legislation.gov.uk)
  2. When a body is to be taken out of England and Wales (Coventry City Council)
  3. Take a body out of England: Forms 103 and 104 (Hertfordshire County Council)
  4. Register a death: medical examiner and the 5-day rule (London Borough of Havering)
  5. Register a death within 5 days (Royal Borough of Greenwich)
  6. Requirements for shipping human remains to Nigeria (Consulate General of Nigeria, Atlanta)

Prices in naira are quoted with their date because they move. Where a figure comes from a commercial provider, the source is described rather than named, and nothing on this page recommends a provider.

This page is information, not advice. Kinship wrote it from the sources listed above and checked it on the date shown. It is not medical, legal, financial or insurance advice, and it does not take account of any one person's circumstances. Decisions about treatment belong with the person and their doctor; decisions about money, insurance or immigration with the person and a qualified adviser. Our platform terms apply.