Body Repatriation From UK | Print |

In April 2010, two women made headlines after being quote trying to check the body of a relative on to a plane in Liverpool.

Gitta Jarant and Anke Anusic allegedly arrived at check-in with the body of Curt Willi Jarant for a flight to Berlin at Liverpool John Lennon Airport.

The women - his widow and step-daughter - said they thought the 91-year-old, who was wearing sunglasses and was in a wheelchair, was asleep, but the pair were arrested on suspicion of failing to give notification of a death.

Once gone, an individual cannot do much about the expenses that occur at the end of one’s life. For the sake of you loved ones, your family and friends, and of course your dignity, it is imperative that these expenses are planned for in advance. For planning is bringing the future into the present so that you can do something about it now!

Bereavement results in serious emotional drain on the family. For the two ladies to be bereaving and going through such an elaborate, illegal plan demonstrates the importance of having funeral insurance similar to the Diaspora Funeral Cash Plan: www.diasporafuneralcashplan.com.

After years of working and supporting your loved ones it’s always sad to have such undignified closure where the bereaved family has to appeal for help or end up trying to smuggle the body. In certain parts of the world, there have been numerous reports of corpses being smuggled through border posts in taxis or car boots.

UK Body Repatriation Process

But what is the proper procedure if the unthinkable happens and the body of a loved one needs to be repatriated from the UK?

The most important step is to consult a doctor to confirm the person is deceased and provide a death certificate.

This fulfils the need for the death to be registered in the country where the person passed away, which is a legal requirement.

The arrangements that need to be made after this stage are extremely complex and, although there is no legal requirement to do so, a funeral director would almost certainly be contacted to complete the process of gathering the necessary paperwork.

Once you have the death certificate, a funeral director like CJ Reilly Funeral Services - http://www.cjreilly.co.uk/ can take over the whole process of body repatriation and all you have to do it wait for the departure date if you are accompanying the body.

The funeral director will liaise with the coroner to gather the relevant documents needed to arrange transportation which are:

• A "free from infection" certificate

• An embalming certificate

• An "out of" certificate [or fiscal certificate in Scotland]

In addition to the aforementioned documents, those wishing to transport a loved one need to provide the person's passport or a photocopy of it to the funeral director.

In some cases, consular staff representing the country that the body is being sent to may arrange to inspect the coffin and seal it. However, such arrangements would be made through the funeral director.

Although the body can be clothed, under no circumstances should the bereaved place other items - such as some of their loved one's belongings - in the casket.

Under regulations imposed by the International Air Transport Association, coffins being used for repatriation must be lined with zinc to create a hermetic seal.

Zinc is used because it doesn't prevent checks by X-ray machines, which are a necessary part of airline security.

In the case of people who have been cremated, the urn containing ashes must be hermetically sealed but it doesn't have to be zinc-lined.

And planes are the usual mode of transport and it is rare for bodies to be repatriated by sea, rail or car because it usually isn't economically viable or practical.

However, in such instances, the same documentation is needed and it is best to check with the carrier whether they would be prepared to take a coffin.

Consular staff representing the country the casket is being sent to can also be contacted for advice.

The whole burden of bereavement and body repatriation can be alleviated if there enough cash to pay service providers. A simple funeral cash plan guarantees that cash is immediately available for your dignified send-off.

Don’t let your funeral bills burry your bereaved family and loved ones in debt.

Get Covered! 24/7 Online Quote & Apply: www.diasporafuneralcashplan.com. It takes less than 5 minutes to protect yourself and your loved ones.