When someone dies in Kosovo
Source: gov.uk (2025-05-16)

Information to help you deal with practical arrangements following the death of a British national in Kosovo.

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?utm_source=Passport&utm_medium=Bereavement&utm_campaign=Germany), if you’re not sure if they had insurance.

The insurance company should appoint a funeral director in Kosovo 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 Kosovan registry office. Your funeral director can normally do this for you. You’ll need information and documents about the person who has died, including their:
- birth certificate, showing their place of birth and parents’ names
- official identity document (for example their British passport)
- proof of residence address
Getting a death certificate

After registering the death, you’ll get a death certificate (“Certifikatë vdekje”). You can ask for an international version which includes an English translation. Kosovan death certificates do not give the cause of death. It’s worth asking for extra copies of the death certificate, as you might need them to show to other people later.

Post mortems in Kosovo

A post-mortem is a medical examination of the body. There might be one in Kosovo if the cause of death is unknown, unnatural, sudden, violent or in cases of child deaths.

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’ll not automatically be told if this happens.

If organs are removed they will normally be returned before the person’s body is released for burial. In exceptional circumstances body parts may be kept without permission. This might happen if further investigation is needed. The next of kin will be told if this happens.

Direct family members or your local lawyer (https://find-a-professional-service-abroad.service.csd.fcdo.gov.uk/find/lawyers?country=Kosovo) can apply for a copy of the post-mortem report.

Burying or cremating the body in Kosovo

You need a local funeral director (https://find-a-professional-service-abroad.service.csd.fcdo.gov.uk/find/funeral-directors?country=Kosovo) to arrange a burial in Kosovo. Your funeral director can give you advice.

Cremation is not available in Kosovo. You may be able to have the body cremated in a neighbouring country. You will need to arrange this with a funeral director.

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.

Bringing the body to the UK

Ask your funeral director about options for bringing the person’s body to the UK from Kosovo.

When taking the person’s body to the UK from Kosovo your funeral director will need to:
- show the death certificate
- get permission to remove the person’s body
- provide a special casket for transporting the person’s body
- show the passport of the person who died
Getting the person’s belongings back

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

If you bring the person’s body to the UK, you can ask your local funeral director (https://find-a-professional-service-abroad.service.csd.fcdo.gov.uk/find/funeral-directors?country=Kosovo) to collect all the belongings and transport them together.

Clothing may be kept as evidence if there’s an investigation into the death. This will only be returned when the investigation is over.

Finding a Kosovan translator

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

Finding a Kosovan lawyer

You may need a lawyer to help you understand the Kosovan legal system when someone has died. Check English-speaking lawyers in Kosovo (https://find-a-professional-service-abroad.service.csd.fcdo.gov.uk/find/lawyers?country=Kosovo). The embassy in Kosovo 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
- in Kosovo contact the nearest British embassy or consulate (https://www.gov.uk/world/embassies)