WhenWhat someoneto do after a British person dies in Turkey

Contacting the travel insurance company

If the person who died had insurance, contact their insurance company as soon as possible. ReadInsurance theproviders generalmay guidancehelp onto whatcover toany domedical whenbills someoneand diesthe abroad,cost ifof you’rerepatriation, notas surewell ifas theyany hadlegal, insurance.interpretation and translation fees.

TheIf the person who died had insurance, the insurance company shouldwill appoint a funeral director inboth Turkeylocally and in the UK.

What Theyto maydo alsoif cover the costperson ofwho bringingdied thedidn’t person’shave bodyinsurance

If toyou are not sure whether the UKperson (repatriation)who anddied helphad insurance, check with anytheir medical,bank, legal,credit interpretationcard andcompany translationor fees.employer.

Registering

If the death

Inperson Turkey,who deathsdied aredid recordednot byhave insurance, the hospital,next forensicsof unitkin orwill prosecutor.usually Thishave dependsto onappoint thea circumstancesfuneral indirector whichand thebe personresponsible died.for all costs. The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) provides a list of UK-based international funeral directors.

AThe deathFCDO reportcannot (‘Ölümhelp Belgesi’)with any costs. In some cases, funeral directors and lawyers may provide services on a pro bono basis. Pro bono work is thendone sentfor tofree theor localfor registrya officemuch (‘Nüfusreduced Dairesi’)cost bydepending theon localyour healthcircumstances. authorityThis tois registerdecided theon death. a case by case basis.

Charities and organisations that offer support

TheSome registryUK-based officecharities canand thenorganisations givemay abe localable deathto certificateoffer (‘Formulassistance, C’)support and information to eitherpeople theaffected nextby a death abroad. The FCDO provides a list of kin,UK-based ancharities appointedand localorganisations.

Registering funeralthe directordeath orand getting a solicitor.

death certificate

ContactIn theTurkey, Turkishdeaths embassyare inregistered by the UKhospital, ifforensics youunit needor adviceprosecutor. This depends on gettingthe circumstances in which the person died. The death certificatewill issuedbe inregistered Turkey. 

Theat Formulthe Clocal registry office (Nüfus Dairesi). You can get a death certificate does(Formul notC) statefrom the causeregistry ofoffice. death.You Itcan isalso inappoint botha Turkishfuneral anddirector English.

Postto mortemsget inthe Turkey

Adeath postcertificate mortemfor isyou. aThe medicaldeath examinationcertificate ofis thein body.both ThereTurkish mightand beEnglish. oneDeath certificates issued in Turkey ifdo not state the cause of deathdeath.

You isdo unknown,not unnatural,need suddento orregister violent.the Thedeath Foreign,in Commonwealththe &UK. DevelopmentThe Officelocal (FCDO)death orcertificate localcan Britishusually embassybe orused consulatein cannotthe stopUK orfor interferemost withpurposes, theincluding process. probate.

SmallIf tissueyou sampleswish, andyou organscan mayregister bethe removeddeath forwith testingthe withoutOverseas theRegistration family’sUnit permission.(ORU). You willcan notbuy automaticallya beUK-style tolddeath ifcertificate, thisknown happens.

Ifas organsa areConsular removedDeath theyRegistration certificate. The ORU will normallysend bea returnedrecord beforeto the person’sGeneral bodyRegister isOffice releasedwithin for12 burial.months.

If Inthe exceptionalperson circumstanceswho bodydied partssuffered mayfrom bean keptinfectious withoutcondition, permission.such Thisas mighthepatitis happenor ifHIV, furtheryou investigationmust istell needed. the local authorities, so they can take precautions against infection.

Post

Dealing mortemwith reportsa arelocal notpost-mortem

Post-mortems are usually givenperformed towhen the nextcause of kin.death Ifis youunknown, wantunnatural, asudden copyor ofviolent. thePost-mortems post-mortemare report,carried applyout toby theforensic Turkishdoctors courtappointed dealingby with the death,court. Cultural or ifreligious thesensitivities bodymay hasnot beenbe returnedtaken tointo theaccount. UK,The contactFCDO thecannot coronerstop inor Englandinterfere andwith Wales.the Thereprocess.

During area differentpost-mortem, processessmall intissue Scotlandsamples and Northernorgans Ireland.

Buryingmay thebe bodyremoved inand Turkey

Cremationretained isfor nottesting legalwithout inthe Turkeyconsent andof therethe arefamily. noYou cremationwill facilities.not Youautomatically needbe atold localif funeralthis directorhappens.

If toyou arrangewant a burialcopy inof Turkey.the Thepost-mortem funeralreport, directoryou willmust beapply ablethrough tothe explaincoroner in the localUK process.(in Thethe costcase of a casketrepatriation) isor notto alwaysthe includedlocal incourt funeraldealing directors’with services.the You should ask about this. death.

Bringing the body to the UKhome

If the person who died had insurance, find out if their insurance provider can help cover the cost of repatriation. Repatriation is the process of bringing the body home. If so, they will make all the necessary arrangements.

If the person who died is not covered by insurance, you will need to appoint an international funeral director yourself.

Finding Therean areinternational UKfuneral organisationsdirector

A andrelative charitiesor thata mayformally beappointed ablerepresentative must appoint a UK-based international funeral director for the person who died to offerbe assistancerepatriated withto repatriation.

the UK. The FCDO provides a list of UK-based international funeral directors.

AskLocal your funeral directordirectors about options for bringing the person’s body to the UK from Turkey. They will work with UKUK-based international funeral directors to make sure all the necessary arrangementsrequirements are mademet andboth documentslocally provided,and including:

• in the localUK. registryThis officeincludes deathproviding certificatedocuments (Formulsuch C)as ora thelocal hospitalcivil registry death reportcertificate, ifa thiscertificate isof notembalming readyand yet
• a certificate ofgiving embalming
• permission to transfer the person’sremains body to the UK

UK.

Getting

Advice theand person’sfinancial belongingsassistance back

for repatriation

BelongingsThere theare personUK hadorganisations withand themcharities inthat Turkeymay arebe usuallyable dealtto withoffer byassistance thewith Turkishrepatriation.

Requesting police,a butpost-mortem in the decisionUK

If ofyou whatwant to dohave witha thempost-mortem dependsin onthe UK once the Turkishbody publichas prosecutor.been Thisrepatriated, decisionyou dependscan onrequest theone circumstancesfrom ofa theUK death. 

FCDOcoroner. cannotThe takecoroner responsibilitywill for,then ordecide helpif with,a post-mortem is needed. If you want the costperson ofwho returningdied personalto belongingsbe cremated, you need to apply for a certificate from the family.

Thecoroner belongings(form may‘Cremation be6’).

Burying handedor tocremating the familybody iflocally

Cremation theyis arenot legal in Turkey and thethere prosecutorare agrees.no It’scremation worthfacilities.

To askinghave youra funerallocal directorburial, ifa theyrelative canor organisea collectionformally-appointed ofrepresentative theneeds belongingsto forappoint thea familylocal whenfuneral arrangingdirector.

The theFCDO repatriationprovides ofa thelist person’sof body.

ProvingEnglish-speaking whofuneral thedirectors inheritorsin are

Turkey.

The prosecutorfuneral maydirector decidewill thatbe someable ofto explain the belongingslocal needprocess. toThe becost heldof asa evidence.casket Theis belongingsnot willalways beincluded handedin tofuneral thedirectors’ Turkishservices. ProbateYou Courtshould inask thisabout case.this.

ToIf geta thelocal belongingsburial fromtakes theplace, courtthere youwill neednot tobe showa documentscoroner’s provinginquest whocarried theout legalin inheritorsthe are.UK.

Retrieving Turkishbelongings

Personal nationalsbelongings canfound giveon the courtperson awho documentdied fromat the Turkishtime registryof officedeath listingare allhanded inheritors.to As the UKpolice doesif notthe havefamily thisis system,not familiespresent.

If generallyyou needchoose to followrepatriate, UKinstruct probate rules to establish the inheritors.local Sofuneral director to takecollect theall personal belongings from the courtpolice yourselfor youcourt wouldand needship athem legaltogether documentwith showing that you are the soleperson inheritor.who died.

ToIf bethere acceptedis inan Turkeyinvestigation anyinto UKthe documentsdeath, mustclothing may be legalisedretained inas theevidence UK and translatedwill bynot abe notarisedreturned translator.until the court case is finished.

BereavedThe familiesFCDO shouldcannot gettake localresponsibility legalfor, adviceor ashelp inheritancewith, issuesthe forcost Britishof nationalsreturning inpersonal Turkeybelongings canto bethe complicated.family.

Finding a Turkish translator

You may need a translator to help you understand Turkishinformation rulesfrom orlocal getauthorities documentsor translated.translate Checkcertain officialdocuments. translators in Turkey. The embassyFCDO orprovides consulatea inlist Turkeyof cannotEnglish-speaking providetranslators translationin services or pay for translation costs. Turkey.

Finding a Turkish lawyer

You maycan needapply to appoint a lawyer toin helpcertain youcircumstances, understandsuch theas Turkisha legalsuspicious systemdeath. whenThe someoneFCDO hasprovides died.a Checklist of English-speaking lawyers in Turkey.

Cancelling Thea embassypassport

To oravoid consulateidentity infraud, Turkeythe cannotpassport giveof youthe legalperson advicewho ordied payshould forbe legalcancelled costs.

Tellingwith theHis UKMajesty’s authorities

AlthoughPassport youOffice (HMPO). To do notthis, haveyou need to registercomplete thea deathD1 inform.

If theyou UK,plan whento someonerepatriate diesthe abroadperson youwho stilldied need to tell the UKUK, authorities.you Readmay generalneed guidancetheir onpassport what to do whenthis. someoneIn diesthese abroadcircumstances, toyou findshould outcancel whatthe topassport do.after they have been repatriated.

ContactingChecking theyou Foreign,have Commonwealthdone &everything Developmentyou Officeneed (FCDO)

Youto cando contactin the FCDOUK

Check ifthis youstep-by-step stillguide needfor advice:

• inwhen thesomeone UKdies callto +44make (0)20sure 7008you 5000
• inhave Turkeydone contacteverything theyou nearestneed Britishto embassydo orin consulate