Repatriation to Bangladesh from the UK: documents, steps and timings

Many British Bangladeshi families, a large number with roots in Sylhet, want a loved one buried in Bangladesh near family. It is possible, but the official guidance is thinner than for some countries, so it pays to contact the High Commission early and use an experienced Muslim funeral director. This guide sets out what is confirmed and what to check.

Key points

• Register the death and get the coroner’s permission before the person can leave the UK.
• The Bangladesh High Commission doesn’t publish a repatriation checklist. Contact its welfare team to confirm what it needs.
• The High Commission attests UK death certificates, after the FCDO has legalised them.
• Islamic practice favours quick burial, so start the paperwork straight away.
• The Funeral Expenses Payment usually can’t be used for a funeral in Bangladesh.

The UK side: permission to move the person

Register the death within the legal time limit: five days from the medical examiner’s office confirming it can be registered in England and Wales, eight days in Scotland and five days in Northern Ireland. Ask for several certified copies.

Don’t book flights until permission has been given.

Documents and the Bangladesh High Commission

The High Commission in London and the Assistant High Commissions in Manchester and Birmingham don’t publish a procedure for repatriating a body. The confirmed points are:

• Welfare contact: the High Commission’s welfare team supports expatriates and dual nationals. Email welfare@bhclondon.org.uk or call 020 7584 0081.
• Attestation of death certificates: UK documents must first be legalised by the FCDO, then attested.

Some UK funeral directors report that families may also need a High Commission No Objection Certificate, the coroner’s acknowledgement, embalming and free-from-infection certificates, and a sealed, zinc-lined coffin. These aren’t confirmed on official pages, so check with the welfare team and your funeral director.

What affects the timing

The main factors are registration, the coroner’s notice period (up to four clear days in England and Wales unless released sooner), any High Commission paperwork, and airline cargo space. Attestation times vary a lot between offices, so if you need an attested certificate quickly, the London express service is the fastest listed.

Faith considerations: an urgent Muslim burial

Islamic practice favours washing (ghusl), shrouding and burial as soon as possible. Repatriation adds days, so:

• tell the hospital, medical examiner’s office and coroner’s office at once that this is an urgent faith burial
• ask a Muslim funeral director or your mosque to arrange ghusl and the janazah prayer in the UK before the flight if the family wishes
• ask early whether embalming will be needed, as many Muslim families prefer to avoid it.

Cremation isn’t an option in Islam, so there’s no ashes route.

Costs

Costs depend on the airline, the route and how quickly you need to move. Expect the funeral director’s collection, care and paperwork, a coffin suitable for air freight, air cargo, FCDO legalisation and attestation fees, relatives’ flights and burial costs in Bangladesh. Ask for itemised written quotes from more than one specialist.

Bangladesh’s Wage Earners’ Welfare Board gives Tk 35,000 at Bangladeshi airports towards transporting and burying migrant workers’ bodies. It’s designed for migrant workers, so check whether it applies.

The GOV.UK Funeral Expenses Payment needs the funeral to be in the UK, the EEA or Switzerland, so it usually can’t help here. In Northern Ireland the funeral must usually be in the UK, and Scotland’s Funeral Support Payment covers a funeral abroad only in some circumstances. Mosque or community funeral schemes and life insurance may help.

Alternatives

Burial in the UK is often quicker and simpler, and many cemeteries have Muslim sections. Relatives in Bangladesh can hold prayers at home. Search our cemeteries directory.

Where to get help

• Our repatriation guide.
• Muslim funeral directors or funeral directors near you.
• Our guide to Muslim funerals.
• See also repatriation to Pakistan and India.