Guidance

Ukraine: bereavement information

Updated 16 November 2021

1. Disclaimer

This information is not meant to be definitive, nor is it to be taken as a substitute for independent legal advice. Neither His Majesty’s Government nor its staff take any responsibility for the accuracy of the information, nor accept liability for any loss, costs, damage or expense that you might suffer as a result of relying on the information. Some of the information may not be relevant to your circumstances. The language used is intended to be general and factual and is not meant to cause offence.

2. Ukraine: bereavement information

Local services may be unavailable or limited due to the current security situation in country. Any British nationals in Ukraine who require consular assistance should call our 24 hour helpline +380 44 490 3660 (from Ukraine), +44 (0)1908 516666 (from the UK) and select the option for ‘consular services for British nationals’.

3. Introduction

When a relative or friend dies abroad, the different procedures, laws or language can cause additional distress. You may be uncertain about what to do or who to contact.

This country specific information is designed to help you through some of the practical arrangements you may need to make. It supplements the general information on death abroad produced by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, which applies to all countries.

Please note, as each country has its own laws and customs when a death occurs, it may not be possible to make the arrangements that you prefer, or at the time you would like.

4. How to contact the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office

There is a lot of information below, but you may have questions. You can speak to someone by phone 24/7, any day of the year by contacting the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office in London on 0207 008 5000.

If you are not in the UK, you can find the contact details of the nearest British embassy, high commission or consulate online.

The priority of the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office is to provide assistance to British nationals overseas who need the most help. The level and type of assistance they can offer is tailored to the individual circumstances of each case.

5. Next of kin

The next of kin of the person who died will usually need to make decisions and practical arrangements. The next of kin can sometimes appoint another person to act on their behalf.

If you are not the next of kin, they will need to be informed. If required, the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office can help you do this.

There is no legal definition of next of kin in the UK. Please note that if there is a disagreement over who is the next of kin, or the person who died did not choose a next of kin, this can cause additional complications.

When someone dies in Ukraine and the next of kin is in the UK or abroad, Ukrainian authorities normally notify the British Embassy. Consular officers will do whatever they can to trace the next of kin as soon as possible and would ask the UK police to pass on the sad news. However, you might also be notified about the death directly by someone else, for example a doctor, a social worker or a police officer.

5.1 Release of information to next of kin

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office will try to obtain as much information as possible after your relative or friend has died abroad. Some of this may be only available to the next of kin. Consular officers may put you in touch directly with the authorities overseas and provide you with details of others who can advocate on your behalf such as lawyers and funeral directors.

6. Insurance

It is very important to check if the person who died had insurance. If they had insurance, contact the insurance company as soon as possible. They may have a list of approved funeral directors to help you make arrangements, or be able to cover some of the costs.

If the person who died did not have insurance, the next of kin will usually be responsible for all costs. The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office cannot help with these costs.

7. Appointing a funeral director

If you decide to bring the deceased to the UK for the funeral or cremation, you may only need to appoint an international funeral director. The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office produces a list of international funeral directors based in the UK.

Also you may approach local funeral directors for funeral or cremation in Ukraine and repatriation abroad.

The next of kin will be required to send a written permission to the Embassy or FCDO Consular Department for the appointed funeral director to deal with receiving a local death certificate and other relevant documentation, collecting personal belongings and passport of deceased, arranging local burial or cremation and repatriation. Then the Embassy staff will prepare an official letter in the Ukrainian language for local authorities.

8. Registering the death and obtaining a death certificate

You will need to register the death with the local authorities in the country where the person died. You will be given a local death certificate. Funeral director can do this for you. You will usually need documents about you and the person who has died, which include information such as full name, date of birth and passport number.

The local authorities will need to be told if the person suffered from an infectious condition such as hepatitis or HIV so they can take precautions against infection.

According to the Ukrainian legislation, an application for death registration with the local authorities should be made as soon as the post mortem document is complete.

A local death certificate will be issued in the Ukrainian language based on the deceased person’s medical records. The certificate is usually available within 1-2 days. Please note that it may take longer to issue a certificate if death takes place outside the main cities. Ukrainian death certificates do not give details of the cause of death, as would be the case in the UK.

You do not need to register the death with the UK authorities. The local death certificate with a certified translation can usually be used in the UK for most purposes, including probate. You may check with the UK authorities whether the document needs to be legalised by the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine.

9. Consular death registration

You do not have to register the death of a British national that occurs overseas with the UK authorities. You can sometimes apply for a consular death registration. If you wish to do this, you can find more information and apply online. This is not mandatory and cannot be used instead of a death certificate from the country where the person died.

10. Post mortem examinations (autopsies)

Under Ukrainian law, a post mortem is likely to be required for a death of a foreigner occurring in Ukraine. A written permission from the next of kin to carry out an autopsy is required. Permission can be faxed or emailed to the Embassy or FCDO Consular Department and the Embassy staff will then prepare an official letter to the local authority in the Ukrainian language.

A medical certificate with details of the cause of death is normally issued. A full autopsy report may be obtained on request.

11. Mortuary facilities

Mortuary facilities are satisfactory in most large cities. Morgues are generally located in hospitals and have refrigerated facilities. However, they are not ideal and Western standard individual fridges are not available. Standards in other regions are considerably lower. In some provincial areas, only cooler basements are available.

12. Burial, cremation, repatriation

The next of kin of the person who has died will usually need to decide between a local burial, cremation or bringing the person home, which is known as repatriation. Your funeral director will usually be able to explain the options available, the costs, and help you make arrangements.

A body can normally be released for burial, cremation or repatriation once the autopsy is completed. A local death certificate must be obtained prior to burial. Local burial is possible and can be organised by either state or private undertakers.

If the deceased was covered by travel insurance, it is important that you contact the insurance company without delay to check whether they can cover repatriation. If the insurance company grants cover, they will normally have a standing agreement with an International funeral director in Britain to arrange repatriation on your behalf. If there is no insurance cover, the cost of repatriation, local burial or cremation will need to be met by the family. You may think of appointing an international undertaker in the UK or a local funeral company and they will help you through the whole process.

Neither the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office nor our Embassy in Ukraine will be able to meet these expenses.

Please note if a local burial or cremation takes place, then an inquest in the UK will not be possible. For more information on inquests, see the section on UK coroners and inquests.

13. Return of personal belongings

The funeral director usually could help with the return of the belongings.

Please note, the British Embassy cannot take responsibility for the personal belongings of the person who died.

14. Steps to take in the UK

You can find more information on the steps to take in the UK online. This includes information on arranging the funeral, telling the government about the death, UK pensions and benefits, and dealing with the estate of the person who died. There is a step-by-step guide on gov.uk.

15. British passport cancellation

In order to avoid identity fraud, the passport of the person who died should be cancelled with HM Passport Office (HMPO). To do this, you will need to complete a “D1 form”.

The form and instructions on where to send it is available online.

If you plan to repatriate the person who died to the UK, you would need to have their passport for this. In these circumstances, you should cancel the passport after they have been repatriated.

16. Child deaths

Usually, the procedure for registration of the death of a child is the same as for an adult. There is no birth registration for children less than 7 days old and only medical record of birth will be issued.

17. Deaths in road traffic accidents

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is working in partnership with the road safety charity Brake to ensure British people bereaved through road crashes abroad can access specialist support. The Brake helpline (tel 0808 8000 401, email help@brake.org.uk) can offer a range of support, including providing advice on how to cope with the terrible shock and trauma; helping you understand procedures, such as how to seek legal help and court cases; liaising with officials on your behalf if you’re finding it difficult to get answers or don’t have the energy to speak for yourself; helping you access face to face support and counselling from experts.

If required, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office will put you in touch with Brake.

18. Deaths investigated as murder or manslaughter

In case of suspicious or accidental death in Ukraine, the police will lead an investigation. Once the investigation is completed, a report will go to the Prosecutor’s Office. A copy of the report can be requested but it may take weeks.

The Prosecutor’s Office will then decide whether further enquiries are necessary, or whether to submit the case to the Court for a trial to take place. This is usually a lengthy process.

If the local police have confirmed that they are investigating the death as a murder or manslaughter a dedicated team within the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office will be available to provide support, including by referring you to a specialised organisation. You can find more about what they can do online.

You should note that if the deceased is repatriated to parts of the UK a coroner or procurator fiscal may decide to hold an inquest. See the section on UK coroners and inquests below.

19. UK coroners and inquests

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 HM 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

20. Legal Aid

There is a list of English-speaking lawyers in Ukraine online for your convenience in case you need professional legal advice.

21. Compensation

There are no formal Government compensation schemes available in Ukraine but damages can be claimed from the accused and a decision will be made by the judge when the case is heard.

You can find information on UK compensation for victims of terrorism overseas online

22. Translation and Interpretation

The official language is Ukrainian. English is not widely spoken. The local authorities do not provide translation or interpretation in English. For your convenience, there is a list of interpreters online.

23. Additional support

Tell Us Once is a service that lets you report a death to most UK government organizations (HMRC, DWP, DVLA, Passport Office, the local council) in one go.

23.1 Support organisations in the UK

In the UK, there are many organisations that can help bereaved families. Some of these are listed in the guide coping with death abroad

24. Annex: List of local funeral directors