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

Many families with roots in India want a loved one’s final rites to take place there. Some repatriate the body; many Hindu and Sikh families cremate in the UK and take the ashes. This guide explains both routes, using the published requirements of the Indian High Commission and consulates.

Key points

• A body needs coroner’s permission to leave the UK, a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Indian mission and eCARe clearance from India’s health ministry.
• The NOC is handled directly by the mission, not VFS. It’s free if the person held an Indian passport, and normally issued the same day once you attend.
• Ashes go through VFS Global, take 7 to 10 days and also need eCARe clearance.
• The Funeral Expenses Payment can’t be used for a funeral in India.

The UK side: permission to move the person

Register the death first: within five days of the medical examiner’s office confirming it can be registered (England and Wales), eight days (Scotland) or five days (Northern Ireland).

No coroner’s permission is needed to take ashes abroad.

Which Indian mission to use

Documents for repatriating a body

Register on the Ministry of External Affairs’ online consular portal, linked from the mission’s website, and upload the documents. After checks, attend in person with the originals:

• miscellaneous application form and photo
• your passport and proof of UK address
• the funeral director’s letter taking responsibility
• death certificate
• the coroner’s out-of-England order
• free-from-infection certificate and embalming certificate
• the funeral director’s certificate that the body is packed and sealed to international regulations
• flight details and the name of the consignee in India
• the deceased’s original Indian passport, or OCI or PIO card, for cancellation
• the escort’s passport and undertaking, or a next-of-kin affidavit if the body travels unescorted.

At the time of writing, the NOC is free if the person held an Indian passport and £16 otherwise, cash only.

eCARe clearance: the funeral director or next of kin then registers on eCARe and uploads the embalming certificate, death certificate, NOC, cancelled passport and packaging certificate. It’s free and processed within 48 hours, and the airport health officer needs 48 hours’ notice. Originals travel with the body.

Taking ashes to India

Ashes are handled by VFS Global. At the time of writing:

• fee £47.78 (embassy £16, ICW £2, VFS £29.78)
• an appointment is mandatory, and it takes 7 to 10 days
• documents include the death certificate, cremation certificate, the funeral director’s certificate that the urn contains the ashes, and proof of Indian origin
• the ashes need their own eCARe clearance, stating whether they travel as checked baggage, hand baggage or cargo.

Check the airline’s rules too. GOV.UK notes airlines may want a non-metallic container so it can be X-rayed.

Faith considerations

Hindu and Sikh traditions favour cremation soon after death, so many families cremate in the UK and take the ashes to India for immersion. Hindu families often choose the Ganges; many Sikh families go to Kiratpur Sahib in Punjab. This avoids the time and expense of moving a body. Some Hindu families still repatriate the body for cremation at home, and Christian and Muslim families from India may repatriate for burial.

Costs

Repatriating a body involves the funeral director’s care and paperwork, embalming, a sealed coffin, air freight and costs in India, so it usually costs far more than taking ashes. Get itemised written quotes. The GOV.UK Funeral Expenses Payment requires the funeral to be in the UK, the EEA or Switzerland, so it can’t be used for one in India, and Scotland’s Funeral Support Payment covers a funeral abroad only in some circumstances. If the cremation takes place in the UK, help paying for a funeral explains what may be available.

Out-of-hours help

For genuine emergencies, the Birmingham consulate lists an out-of-hours WhatsApp number (+44 (0)74245 45269) and Edinburgh an emergency line (+44 7983 029591). London takes urgent appointment requests at cons2.london@mea.gov.in.

Where to get help

• Our repatriation guide.
• Hindu funeral directors, Sikh funeral directors or funeral directors near you.
• Faith guides: Hindu and Sikh funerals, and what happens at a cremation.
• See also repatriation to Pakistan and Bangladesh.