When somebody dies in Serbia
The process when a British national dies in Serbia, 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 if you’re not sure if they had insurance.
The insurance company should appoint a funeral director in Serbia 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 registry office. 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)
- place of birth
- marital status
- parent’s name and surname
Getting a death certificate
After registering the death, you will get a death certificate in Serbian, and you can also request for an international death certificate in English. Local death certificates do not give the cause of death, that information can be found in Death Confirmation (Potvrda o smrti) which is issued usually before death certificate.
There is no legal obligation for the death overseas of a British national to be registered with the British Embassy. However, there are the advantages that a British style death certificate is then available and that a record of the death is afterwards held at the General Register Office in the UK.
To apply you should see the register a death information on our website
A registration cannot, in any case, be made without presenting the death certificate issued by the local civil authorities. The death certificate issued by the local authorities will be sufficient for all purposes in the UK, but it will need to be translated into English.
Post-mortems in Serbia
A post-mortem is a medical examination of the body. Whilst the procedures involved around a post-mortem can be harrowing for family and friends, the British Embassy has no powers to change procedures or challenge local laws and is often not informed of the details surrounding each individual post-mortem. This document has been drawn up to help you understand under what circumstances a post-mortem would be carried out.
Under Serbian law, post-mortems will be mandatory in the following cases:
- the person who has died at a health institution in Serbia, and the exact cause of death has not been established
- upon request of the medical doctor (MD) who has medically treated the deceased person
- the person brought to the health institution with an unknown cause of death
- upon request of MD assigned to establish the cause of death
- upon request of the family member of the deceased
- if requested by the investigation authority based on a suspicion that the death was caused by a criminal offence or related to a criminal offence
- when it is of special relevance for the protection of health of citizens or when epidemiological and sanitary reasons call for it
The cost of the post-mortem will be borne by the state, except in situations 5 and 6, when the cost will be carried out by the person or the investigation authority which has requested the post-mortem.
Embalming is not an obligatory requirement but can be requested by the next of kin especially when repatriation is considered.
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.
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.
Please note that the waiting time for the post-mortem results can take up to 3 months and up to 6 months for toxicology report.
Visiting a mortuary
The police or the Public Prosecutor may ask a family member or friend of the deceased to view the body for identification purposes before a post-mortem. If, immediate family members may wish to see the deceased before burial or repatriation takes place, you may ask assistance from the consular officer to help you to arrange a visit to the mortuary.
Burying or cremating the body in Serbia
You need a local funeral director to arrange a burial or cremation in Serbia.
Prices of a local burial can vary between approximately £1000 to £2500. If the next-of kin choose to proceed with a local burial, they will need to instruct a local funeral director.
Cremation charges differ depending on which undertaker you use. However, cremation in Serbia with the ashes repatriated to the United Kingdom can cost between approximately £500 to £1500. If the next-of-kin choose local cremation, they will need to instruct a local funeral director to arrange the necessary paperwork.
After cremation, the ashes can be taken to the UK. The next of kind may request from the local funeral director to arrange the transportation or choose to transport the ashes themselves. In either case, the local funeral director should be able to assist with the necessary paperwork and logistic.
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
If the deceased was covered by travel insurance, the insurance company will normally have a standing agreement with an international funeral director in UK to arrange repatriations. If the deceased is not covered by insurance the next-of-kin will need to appoint an undertaker in Serbia or an international funeral director themselves. Ask your funeral director about options for bringing the person’s body to the UK from Serbia.
Local undertakers will obtain the necessary documents for transportation of the body to the UK:
- local/international death certificate
- medical death confirmation (indicating cause of death)
- cremation certificate
- certificate of embalming
- certificate of permission given to transfer the remains to the UK
Getting the person’s belongings back
Personal belongings found on the person who died are either handed over to the family, if they are present, or taken by the police. If the next of kin chooses repatriation, it is advisable to instruct the local undertaker to collect the belongings from the police and to ship personal belongings together with the coffin. If there is an investigation into the death, the deceased’s clothing can be retained as evidence and is not returned until the court case is finished.
Please note, the British Embassy cannot take responsibility for the personal belongings of the person who died.
UK coroners
If you repatriate the person who died to England and Wales, there may be an inquest. The decision on when to hold an inquest is made by His Majesty’s Coroner. Please note, an inquest will usually only happen in certain situations, for example, when someone has died in suspicious, unnatural, and violent circumstances or whilst in detention. If the person who died is cremated and only their ashes are brought home, there will not be an inquest.
If you repatriate the person who died to Scotland, the Procurator Fiscal may decide to call for a Fatal Accidents or Injuries Inquiry.
If you repatriate the person who died to Northern Ireland, there will be no coronial inquest or further inquiry.
Please note, Procurators Fiscal and Coroners do not have jurisdiction in another country, nor do they seek to apportion blame to a named individual.
You can find more information on Coroners and the Procurator Fiscal in the FCDO guide on death abroad
Finding a Serbian translator
You may need a translator to help you understand Serbian rules or get documents translated. Check the List of translators and interpreters in Serbia. The British Embassy in Serbia cannot provide translation services or pay for translation costs.
Finding a Serbian lawyer
You may need a lawyer to help you understand the Serbian legal system when someone has died. Check the List of English-speaking lawyers in Serbia. The British Embassy in Serbia cannot give you legal advice or pay for legal costs.
Contacting the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) and the British Embassy in Belgrade
You can contact the FCDO if you still need advice:
- in the UK call +44 (0)20 7008 5000
- see how to get help from the UK government abroad
If you require any form of assistance or help, please contact the British Embassy Consular Section in Belgrade. The Consular staff will be ready to help you in any way they can. Contact address:
British Embassy Belgrade
Consular Section
Resavska 46
11000 Belgrade
Serbia
Telephone: +381 11 306 0900