What to Do When a Citizen of United States Dies in United Kingdom: 5-Step Official Checklist

1. 1

   Medical certification of death and coroner or procurator fiscal clearance in the United Kingdom

   • Death in a hospital or care setting: In England and Wales, an attending doctor prepares the Medical Certificate of Cause of Death (MCCD), which must be independently scrutinised and countersigned by an NHS Medical Examiner before being sent electronically to the local Register Office (for example, Westminster Register Office in London or Manchester Register Office) [1]. In Scotland, the certifying doctor issues Form 11 (Certificate of Registration of Death), subject to random review by the Healthcare Improvement Scotland Death Certification Review Service (DCRS) [1].
   • Death at a private address, hotel, or public place: Call emergency services on 999 (or NHS 111 if a doctor was already treating a terminal illness) so a medical practitioner and, where necessary, the police can attend and confirm the death [1].
   • Sudden, unexplained, or unnatural deaths: In England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, the death is referred to the local Coroner, who must investigate the cause of death and issue clearance (or an interim certificate after a post-mortem) before registration or international transport can proceed [1]. In Scotland, unexpected deaths are reported to the Procurator Fiscal within the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service.
2. 2

   Repatriation insurance, funeral directors in the United Kingdom and the United States, and U.S. consular assistance

   • Check travel or repatriation insurance first: Before signing an independent funeral contract, check whether your family member held travel, medical-assistance, or employer coverage that includes international repatriation. If a policy applies, contact the insurer's 24-hour assistance desk immediately, as the insurer normally appoints the funeral coordinator and manages logistics directly [4].
   • Appointing a UK funeral director: If no insurer is managing the case, appoint an experienced UK funeral director through a recognised UK trade association such as the National Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors (or the National Association of Funeral Directors - NAFD) [4]. The UK provider coordinates mortuary care, UK export permits, and air cargo booking.
   • Appointing a receiving U.S. funeral home: If returning remains to the United States, select a licensed receiving funeral home in the destination U.S. state using the directory of the National Funeral Directors Association [5]. Under the Federal Trade Commission Funeral Rule, U.S. funeral providers must supply an itemised General Price List over the telephone and in person so you can choose only the services required to receive and inter or cremate the remains [6].
   • U.S. consular notification: Report the death to the U.S. Embassy and Consulates in the United Kingdom (in London, Edinburgh, or Belfast) via their online U.S. Citizen Services Navigator or emergency telephone line (+44 20 7499 9000) [2][3]. Consular officers guide next of kin on disposition options, safeguard personal effects if no relative is present, and prepare the U.S. consular death report, though the U.S. government cannot fund funeral or shipping costs [2][3].
3. 3

   Civil death registration in the United Kingdom, apostille legalisation, and the U.S. Consular Report of Death Abroad

   • Civil registration in the UK: Once the Medical Examiner (in England and Wales) or doctor (in Scotland) transmits the medical certificate, register the death at the local Register Office within 5 days in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, or within 8 days at any registration office in Scotland [1]. Request multiple certified copies of the full UK Death Certificate (standard fee GBP 12.50 per copy in England and Wales) and ask the registrar for your unique reference number for the Tell Us Once service [1][9].
   • Consular Report of Death of a U.S. Citizen Abroad (CRDA): Submit a scanned copy of the UK death certificate and the deceased's U.S. passport to the U.S. Embassy and Consulates in the United Kingdom so they can issue the electronic Consular Report of Death of a U.S. Citizen Abroad (Form DS-2060) [2][3]. The CRDA serves as the primary English-language death record accepted by U.S. courts, banks, insurers, and federal agencies [2].
   • Apostille legalisation: Because UK certificates are already in English, translation is not needed for the United States, and neither the UK nor the US uses the multilingual CIEC Form C. If a U.S. state probate court, land registry, or financial institution requires formal authentication of the underlying UK Death Certificate in addition to the CRDA, your funeral director or solicitor can obtain a Hague Apostille from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Legalisation Office [7].
4. 4

   Repatriation of remains or ashes to the United States versus local burial or cremation in the United Kingdom

   • Repatriation of non-cremated human remains: To move a body outside England or Wales, your UK funeral director applies to the local Coroner for an Out-of-England Order (Form 104) at least 4 clear days before departure; in Scotland, advance clearance is required from the Death Certification Review Service [1][4]. The body is embalmed and sealed in a leak-proof inner container inside an international shipping casket [8]. For entry into the United States under regulations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (42 CFR 71.55), non-cremated remains consigned to a licensed U.S. mortuary or cemetery must be in a leak-proof container and accompanied by the official death certificate (or importer certification statement confirming no quarantinable communicable disease applies) [8]. U.S. Customs and Border Protection clears the shipment at the U.S. port of entry, where the receiving funeral home obtains the local state burial-transit permit.
   • Transporting cremated ashes: If cremation takes place in the UK first, cremated remains are exempt from CDC import permits under 42 CFR 71.55 [8]. They may be carried as hand luggage in a security-scannable (non-metallic) urn accompanied by the official UK death certificate and certificate of cremation, subject to airline rules and U.S. Customs and Border Protection inspection [3][8].
   • Local burial or cremation in the UK: If the family chooses burial or cremation in the UK without repatriation, the Register Office issues the Certificate for Burial or Cremation (the Green Form in England and Wales, or Form 14 in Scotland) directly to the UK funeral director once registration is complete [1].
5. 5

   Post-death notifications, survivor benefits, tax filings, and probate in the United States and the United Kingdom

   • United Kingdom notifications, pensions, and probate: Use the Tell Us Once reference number within 28 days of receiving it to notify HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), and local councils in one step [9]. If your family member had UK National Insurance contributions or a UK State Pension, contact the DWP Bereavement Service (or the International Pension Centre if living abroad) regarding Bereavement Support Payment or survivor entitlements [9]. If the deceased held UK real property or substantial UK bank accounts, the executor or administrator may need to report the estate value to HMRC and apply for a Grant of Probate (or Letters of Administration) through HM Courts and Tribunals Service in England and Wales, or Confirmation through the Sheriff Court in Scotland [10].
   • United States Social Security and Veterans benefits: Report the death to the Social Security Administration by calling 1-800-772-1213 (from within the U.S.) or by contacting the Federal Benefits Unit at the U.S. Embassy in London (+44 20 7499 9000) if residing in the UK [3][11]. Eligible surviving relatives may claim the one-time USD 255 lump-sum death payment and monthly survivor benefits, and any Social Security payment received for the month of death must be returned [11]. If the deceased served in the U.S. armed forces, contact the Department of Veterans Affairs regarding burial allowances (VA Form 21P-530EZ), national cemetery interment, or memorial items [12].
   • United States tax filings and state probate: The personal representative or surviving relative must file a final federal income tax return (Form 1040, marked "DECEASED" with the date of death) with the Internal Revenue Service covering income from January 1 through the date of death, due by the regular April filing deadline of the following year (and Form 1041 if the estate generates post-death income) [13]. For U.S. real estate or financial accounts that do not pass automatically by beneficiary designation or joint ownership, petition the local county Probate Court (or Surrogate's Court) in the U.S. state where your family member was domiciled or owned property, submitting the CRDA and original will.

Official Authorities & Verified Contacts

Official Sources Checked by Clarvia

1. [1]
   Register the death: What to do after someone dies — GOV.UK
2. [2]
   Death of a U.S. Citizen Abroad and Consular Report of Death Abroad (CRDA) — U.S. Department of State
3. [3]
   How to Report the Death of a U.S. Citizen in England and Wales — U.S. Embassy and Consulates in the United Kingdom
4. [4]
   Find a Funeral Director Member Directory — National Society of Allied and Independent Funeral Directors (SAIF)
5. [5]
   Funeral Service Resources and Directory — National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA)
6. [6]
   Shopping for Funeral Services: The FTC Funeral Rule — Federal Trade Commission
7. [7]
   Get your document legalised (Apostille) — GOV.UK
8. [8]
   Importation of Human Remains into the United States for Burial, Entombment, or Cremation (42 CFR 71.55) — Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
9. [9]
   Tell Us Once: Organisations you need to contact after a death — GOV.UK
10. [10]
    Applying for probate to deal with an estate — GOV.UK
11. [11]
    What to do when someone dies and Social Security Survivor Benefits — Social Security Administration
12. [12]
    Burial and Memorial Benefits — U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (National Cemetery Administration)
13. [13]
    File the Final Income Tax Returns of a Deceased Person — Internal Revenue Service