Repatriation of a deceased person from Norway

The funeral director collects the deceased and checks with the receiving country’s embassy which documents are required, and whether embalming is needed. We then obtain a quote from the airline, the coffin is prepared and sealed for air freight, and it is handed over to a funeral director at the destination. Byrå24 also arranges repatriation to Norway after a death abroad.

What happens first when someone dies in Norway

A doctor must confirm the death. If it happens at home, call the out-of-hours medical service on 116 117, or 113 in an emergency; in a hospital or nursing home the staff take care of this. The doctor reports the death to the Norwegian authorities, so the family does not need to register anything.

Byrå24 collects the deceased from a home, hospital or nursing home, day and night, and takes care of the practical steps from there.

Which documents are needed?

The receiving country, and any transit country, decides which documents must travel with the coffin. The current requirements are available from that country’s embassy or consulate in Norway, and some countries require the deceased to be embalmed. We check the requirements with the embassy for you.

For transport to countries outside the Nordic region, Norwegian rules require a metal inner coffin. The rules are set out in the Norwegian regulation on the transport, handling and packaging of human remains.

What does repatriation from Norway cost?

The price depends on the destination, the flight route and the requirements of the receiving country. It is mainly made up of air freight, documents and certificates, a coffin with a metal inner coffin, any embalming, and reception at the destination. We obtain a quote from the airline and give you one written quote before anything is agreed.

NAV, the Norwegian welfare administration, does not cover transport of a deceased person from Norway to another country.

When someone dies abroad and is to be buried in Norway

Contact the police or authorities in the country where the death happened, the deceased’s insurance company, the nearest Norwegian embassy or consulate, and a funeral director in Norway. We receive the deceased in Norway and arrange the funeral here.

The death is registered in Norway by sending the original foreign death certificate, with an apostille or legalisation, by post to the Norwegian Tax Administration (Skatteetaten).

Can an urn be sent abroad?

Yes. After cremation in Norway, the urn can be sent or carried to another country, for example to a family grave. The documents required vary from country to country, and we check them for you.