If someone dies outside Scotland
If someone dies outside Scotland you must:
- register the death in the country where they died
- arrange a burial or cremation
Burials and cremations can:
- be in the country where they died or in another country
- take place with or without a funeral service
Register a death in England, Wales and Northern Ireland
Find out how to register a death on GOV.UK.
Burials and cremations in England, Wales and Northern Ireland
Find out how to arrange a funeral in:
If you want to move the body from England, Wales or Northern Ireland, you must get permission from a coroner. You can find a coroner on:
Register a death outside of the UK
You must follow the laws of the country where the person died. You can find every country's rules and procedures on GOV.UK.
Deaths outside of the UK cannot be registered in Scotland, but you can apply to record an entry in the Book of Scottish Connections.
Burials and cremations outside of the UK
Find out about burials and cremation abroad on GOV.UK.
If you want to move the body to Scotland you must contact Health Improvement Scotland.
Find out how to move the body to another part of the UK on GOV.UK.
Moving ashes
You do not need a permit to bring ashes to the UK. You can usually take them on a plane with you or put them in the hold as part of your luggage, but you should:
- tell the airline in advance that you’re planning to bring them on the plane
- take the cremation certificate with you
If you need more help
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has advice and support on deaths abroad on GOV.UK.