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What to do if someone dies away from home
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Published on
Last updated on
The Coroner in the relevant district must be notified if a body has to be removed from Ireland, whether or not there has been a Coroner’s inquiry, a post mortem examination or inquest.
The Coroner should also be notified even if a death was due to natural causes and has been certified by a doctor (that is, it was not originally a Coroner’s case).
Contact the Coroner who works in the district where the body lies.
If the Coroner is satisfied with the cause of death they will issue a certificate usually to the funeral director. This certificate can be presented to authorities to allow removal of the body out of the country.
If a body is brought back to Ireland the Coroner will not usually be involved unless the person died in unnatural circumstances abroad.
If the person died in unnatural circumstances, the Coroner who is appointed to the district that the body is brought to needs to be informed.
The Coroner will grant authorisation to the Funeral Director for the burial or cremation of the body. In some cases, the Coroner may direct a post mortem examination (or an additional examination) of the body.
Related information: Record a Death Abroad