Someone died while traveling far from home

Start with the local authorities

If you have not already, contact the local police or the emergency service where the death happened. They are usually the first to record what occurred and to say who else needs to be told. Ask for the name and direct line of the officer handling it, and write both down.

Then call the nearest consulate or embassy for the country they were in. They can explain the local steps, give you a list of local funeral homes that work with families from abroad, and help with paperwork. They will not arrange everything for you, but they know the sequence.

If the person died on a cruise, a tour, or in a hotel, tell the company's local manager as well. They often have a procedure and a person assigned to help.

What you will be asked for

Keep a single folder, paper or digital, with copies of everything. You will be asked for the same details several times, and having them ready saves hours.

• Full legal name, date of birth, and passport number
• A copy of the passport photo page and any visa
• The date, time, and place of death as recorded locally
• The name and contact details of the person handling the case locally
• Your own ID and your relationship to the person
• Travel insurance details, if they had a policy

Ask for the local death record or the document that stands in for it. Names and formats vary by country. You will need it later, and getting extra copies now is easier than requesting them from abroad.

Bringing them home

Repatriation, the formal name for bringing someone's body back, is handled by a funeral home that works internationally. The consulate can give you names. Ask the funeral home directly what they need from you, what the local authorities must release first, and how long each step usually takes where the death occurred.

Costs and timelines differ enormously by country and by distance. Ask for a written estimate before you agree to anything, and ask what happens if a step is delayed. If the person had travel insurance, call the insurer's assistance line before you commit, because they may have their own process and their own providers.

Cremation locally and bringing the ashes home is another route some families choose. The rules on moving ashes across borders vary, so ask the consulate and the airline what is required before you decide.

The people to call at home

While the practical steps are moving, someone needs to tell the people close to them. Split the list so one person is not making every call. Ask each person you tell to pass the news to two others, and say clearly what is still unknown.

Tell their employer, their landlord if they rent, and anyone who was expecting them, such as a dog sitter or a neighbor collecting mail. If they were traveling with someone, make sure that person has support and a way home.

If they lived alone, ask a neighbor or a friend to check the home, collect the mail, and make sure nothing is running that should not be. Our guide to the first 48 hours covers the household side in more detail.

Their phone, accounts, and papers

A death abroad often means the family has no access to the person's phone, email, or travel bookings. The confirmation emails, insurance policy, and ticket details are usually in there. If you can get into the phone, do it calmly and write down what you find. If you cannot, contact the airline and the insurer directly with the booking reference if you have it.

Do not change passwords or close accounts yet. You may need access to receive confirmations and to settle bills. Our guide on what to do when you are locked out of their email explains the usual routes.

What can wait

Most of the paperwork at home can wait until the person is back and you have had a few days. Closing accounts, notifying every company, and sorting out the estate are not urgent in the first week. The death certificate process at home can start once you have the local record, and our guide on how many death certificates you need helps you order the right number.

What cannot wait is anything with a deadline you did not set: a return flight, a hotel checkout, a rental car, a pet alone in a house. Deal with those first and let the rest sit.

Write this down before anyone travels

The hardest part of a death abroad is not knowing who to call or where the papers are. A short list in your envelope, kept up to date, turns a scramble into a sequence. Note the consulate for the country you are visiting, your travel insurer's assistance line, and the name of the person at home who should be called first.

SuddenGone keeps that list sealed on your own device and hands it over only when it is needed. You can see how it works on the how it works page, and start a list whenever you are ready at signup.