When someone dies in Greece
Source: gov.uk (2025-05-19)

The process when a British national dies in Greece, including registering the death, funerals and cremations, and bringing the person’s body to the UK.

Contacting the insurance company

If the person who died had insurance, contact their insurance company as soon as possible. Read the general guidance on what to do when someone dies abroad (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/what-to-do-after-a-british-national-dies-abroad) if you’re not sure if they had insurance.

The insurance company should appoint a funeral director in Greece and the UK. They may also cover the cost of bringing the person’s body to the UK (repatriation) and help with any medical, legal, interpretation and translation fees.

Registering the death

The death must be registered at the local Greek registry office of the dimos (local municipality) in the location where the person died usually within 30 days. In some circumstances you can register it in the local municipality where the burial or cremation will take place. Your funeral director can normally do this for you.

You will need information and documents about the person who has died, including their:
- official identity document (for example their British passport)
- official medical certificate of death
- marital status
- residential address
- parents’ names
- spouse’s details (if applicable)
- the town of final destination, if the funeral arrangements are in the UK
Getting a death certificate

After registering the death, you will get a death certificate [ληξιαρχική πράξη θανάτου (lixiarcheekí práxi thanátou)]. The death certificate will be issued in Greek. You can ask the funeral director for an English translation. Greek death certificates usually give the cause of death, unless it is not concluded by the time of issue. It’s worth asking for extra copies of the death certificate, as you might need them to show to people later.

The local death certificate can usually be used in the UK for most purposes, including probate.

Post mortems in Greece

A post mortem is a medical examination of the body. There might be one in Greece if the cause of death is unknown, unnatural, sudden or violent. Court-appointed doctors or pathologists with forensic qualifications carry out post mortems, at the request of the Greek police. A doctor in a state hospital may also request a post-mortem.

Cultural or religious sensitivities may not be taken into account. Small tissue samples and organs may be removed for testing without the family’s permission. You will not automatically be told if this happens.

The post-mortem report may take several months or more than a year to complete. The report is in Greek and is sent to the court judiciary that has been allocated the case.

Post mortem reports are not usually given to the next of kin. If you have a local lawyer (https://find-a-professional-service-abroad.service.csd.fcdo.gov.uk/find?serviceType=lawyers&country=Greece) they can apply for a copy. Alternatively, you should apply to the Coroner service in Greece.

Burying or cremating the body in Greece

You need a local funeral director (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/funeral-directors-list) to arrange a burial or cremation in Greece. Your funeral director can give you advice.

Burials should take place within one month of death. For foreign nationals, the authorities will usually allow more time if needed.

You need to tell the local authorities if the person suffered from an infectious condition, such as hepatitis or HIV, so they can take precautions against infection.

The person who died can be buried or cremated in Greece or returned to the UK before tests on removed organs or samples are completed. Any organ/samples removed are retained for the duration of the tests, after which they are destroyed. Organs cannot be removed for any purpose other than testing without prior consent of the person who died or the next of kin.

In some Greek cemeteries it is standard procedure that remains are exhumed after 3 years and placed in a charnel house at the cemetery. You should ask for further information on these procedures and the relevant costs from the local undertaker if you are considering a burial in Greece.

If there is no family to pay for funeral arrangements and all avenues have been explored, the local authorities will arrange a ‘pauper’s funeral’. This is usually a cemetery burial without a ceremony in an individual, unmarked grave.

You should not have the person cremated abroad if you want a coroner in England and Wales to conduct an inquest into their death. In Scotland, a further investigation may still be possible.

Scattering ashes in Greece

To scatter ashes in Greece, you do not need permission from local authorities. You can find more information on the Greek crematorium site (https://cremservices.gr/en/home-2/).

Bringing the body to the UK

Ask your funeral director about options for bringing the person’s body to the UK from Greece. Local formalities normally take 8 to 10 days to complete.

When taking the person’s body to the UK from Greece you will need to:

show the local death certificate

get permission to remove the person’s body, issued by a coroner

show the passport of the person who died

show the certificate of embalming

Bringing the ashes to the UK

You may need certain documents before you can take the ashes from the crematorium - your funeral director will arrange this for you. Ask your funeral director about the rules for bringing ashes to the UK.

Bringing the ashes to the UK yourself

If you are taking the ashes with you when you leave Greece you will need to:
- show the death certificate
- show the cremation certificate
- follow local Greek regulations about leaving Greece with ashes - your funeral director can give you more information
- tell the airline in advance
Arranging for the ashes to be taken to the UK

Ask your funeral director for advice if you cannot take the ashes yourself. You may not be able to send them by post or courier. Ashes can be shipped by air freight, although this can be expensive.

Getting the person’s belongings back

Belongings the person had with them when they died are normally given to you or the Greek police.

If you bring the person’s body to the UK, you can ask your local funeral director to collect all the belongings and transport them together.

If they were a resident in Greece you may not be able to take the belongings as they may be part of their estate. Get legal advice if this happens.

Belongings may be kept as evidence if there is an investigation into the death. This will only be returned when the court case is over.

Finding a Greek translator

You may need a translator to help you understand Greek rules or get documents translated. Check official translators in Greece (https://find-a-professional-service-abroad.service.csd.fcdo.gov.uk/find/translators-interpreters). The embassy or consulates in Greece cannot provide translation services or pay for translation costs.

Finding a Greek lawyer

You may need a lawyer to help you understand the Greek legal system when someone has died. Check English-speaking lawyers in Greece (https://find-a-professional-service-abroad.service.csd.fcdo.gov.uk/find/lawyers). The embassy or consulates in Greece cannot give you legal advice or pay for legal costs.

Telling the UK authorities

Although you do not have to register the death in the UK, when someone dies abroad you still need to tell the UK authorities. Read general guidance on what to do when someone dies abroad (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/what-to-do-after-a-british-national-dies-abroad) to find out what to do.

Contacting the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO)

You can contact the FCDO if you still need advice:
- in the UK call xx-xxxx-xxxx
- see how to get help from the UK government abroad (https://www.contact.service.csd.fcdo.gov.uk/home)
Finding support

UK organisations that can help (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/death-abroad-uk-organisations-that-can-help)