What to do after a British person dies in South Korea
This guide gives advice about the death of a British person in South Korea, including information on burial, cremation and repatriation.
If you are dealing with the death of a child, multiple deaths, a suspicious death or a case of murder or manslaughter, call +82 (0)2 3210 5500 and select Consular Emergency. If you are in the UK, call +44 (0) 207 008 1500.
Contact the insurance company
If the person who died had insurance, contact their insurance company as soon as possible. Insurance providers may help to cover any medical bills and the cost of funeral and repatriation, as well as any legal, interpretation and translation fees.
If the person who died had insurance, the insurance company might appoint a funeral director both locally and in the UK.
What to do if the person who died didn’t have insurance
If you are not sure whether the person who died had insurance, check with their bank, credit card company or employer.
If the person who died did not have insurance, the next of kin will usually have to appoint a funeral director and be responsible for all costs. The FCDO provides a list of UK-based international funeral directors.
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office cannot help with any costs incurred by a bereavement.
Charities and organisations that offer support
Some UK-based charities and organisations may be able to offer assistance, support and information to people affected by a death abroad. The FCDO provides a list of UK-based charities and organisations.
Register the death and obtain a death certificate
You do not need to register the death in the UK. The local death certificate can usually be used in the UK for most purposes. To register a death locally, the next-of-kin or some other responsible person, such as an appointed undertaker, must notify the local district office of the death. A ‘notice/report of death’ (사망신고서: sa-mang-sin-go-seo) needs to be filled in, submitted, and a small fee paid. Simultaneously, A ‘death certificate’ (사망진단서: sa-mang-jin-dan-seo or 사체검안서: sa-chae-geom-an-seo) already issued by the medical authorities, needs to be submitted to prove actual death. The corresponding death will then officially be reflected in the central family registry, etc.
For foreigners in South Korea, deaths are investigated by the local police, while the body is kept at a hospital morgue. (Note: An accruing fee for storage may need to be paid upon retrieval of the body by next-of-kin or a duly appointed undertaker.) In case of death due to non-natural causes, retrieval/release of body must be sanctioned by the local police and prosecutor: the local police - at the direction of a prosecutor - will issue a ‘completion of examination of body certificate’ (검시필증: geom-si-pil-jeung) to the next-of-kin or a duly appointed funeral director. Meanwhile, a British next-of-kin can obtain a ‘death certificate’ from the hospital in the same manner a Korean would. But a separate request must normally be made in order to obtain an English version.
If you wish, you can register the death with the Overseas Registration Unit. You can buy a UK-style death certificate, known as a Consular Death Registration certificate. A record will be sent to the General Register Office within 12 months.
You need to tell the local authorities if the person who died suffered from an infectious condition, such as hepatitis or HIV, so they can take precautions against infection.
The local Korean death certificate can usually be used in the UK for most purposes, including probate. If it is not in English, you will need to obtain and pay for an official translation and apostille services if needed. The FCDO provides a list of official translators in South Korea. For apostille service enquiries, please call the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) Apostille Call Centre: +82 (0)2 6747 0404.
Deal with a local post-mortem
In South Korea, post-mortems are carried out by the National Forensic Service (NFS).
A post-mortem is mandatory for any foreign national whose death occurs in South Korea, except in cases where the cause of death is already known or has been established. Permission is generally sought from the next-of-kin before a post-mortem takes place. In cases of death where the circumstances are deemed to be suspicious or unnatural, a post-mortem can and will be carried out regardless of the wishes of the family or next-of-kin.
After a post-mortem has been carried out, the body may be released to the next-of-kin or to a duly appointed funeral director for repatriation. The National Forensic Service (NFS) will issue a post-mortem report. This can take up to 3 months in some cases. The report will be written in Korean and is normally passed on to the Embassy to be forwarded to the next-of-kin. (The FCDO provides a list of official translators in South Korea.) As post-mortem reports are not always automatically shared, the next-of-kin may request separately - via the Embassy - a copy from the police or NFS.
Bring the body home
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. Documents required to transport the body of the person who died back to the UK from South Korea will be prepared by the duly appointed international funeral director.
Find an international funeral director
A relative or a formally appointed representative must appoint a UK-based international funeral director for the person who died to be repatriated to the UK. The FCDO provides a list of UK-based international funeral directors.
Local funeral directors will work with UK-based international funeral directors to make sure all the necessary requirements are met both locally and in the UK. This includes providing documents such as:
- a local death certificate (translated and notarised)
- a certificate of embalming
- a certificate of non-contagious disease
- a certificate giving permission to transfer the remains to the UK
- a quarantine certificate issued by the airport authorities
- The deceased person’s original passport is also required
The FCDO provides a list of English-speaking funeral directors in South Korea.
Advice and financial assistance for repatriation
For organisations and charities that may be able to offer assistance with repatriation, see information on LBT Global in Coping with death abroad: specialist support and advice or repatriation charities in Northern Ireland and Wales.
If you want to have a post-mortem in the UK once the body has been repatriated, you can request one from a UK coroner. The coroner will decide if a post-mortem is needed. If you want the person who died to be cremated, you need to apply for a certificate from the coroner (form ‘Cremation 6’).
Bring the ashes home
If you choose local cremation and wish to take the ashes back to the UK yourself, you can usually do so. Check with the airline about specific restrictions or requirements, for example whether you can carry the ashes as hand luggage. When leaving Japan with human ashes you will need to present documents such as:
- a local death certificate (translated and notarised)
- a local cremation certificate (translated and notarised)
- a certificate giving permission to transfer the ashes to the UK
- a quarantine certificate issued by the airport authorities
- The deceased person’s original passport is also required
You should not have the person cremated abroad if you want a UK coroner to conduct an inquest into their death. If it is not possible for you to transport the ashes yourself, a funeral director may be able to make the necessary arrangements. The FCDO provides a list of UK-based international funeral directors.
Bury or cremate the body locally
To have a local burial or cremation, a relative or a formally appointed representative needs to appoint a local funeral director.
The FCDO provides a list of UK-based international funeral directors.
The FCDO also provides a list of English-speaking funeral directors in South Korea.
If a local burial or cremation takes place, there will not be a coroner’s inquest carried out in the UK.
Retrieve belongings
The personal effects of someone who dies are usually collected by their next-of-kin, employer or sponsors, who will need to make arrangements to ship these back to the UK if required.
Please note, the British Consulate cannot take responsibility for the personal belongings of the person who died.
Find a translator
You may need a translator to help understand information from local authorities or get certain documents translated (and notarised). The FCDO provides a list of official translators in South Korea.
Find a lawyer
You can apply to appoint a lawyer in certain circumstances, such as a suspicious death. The FCDO provides a list of English-speaking lawyers in South Korea.
Cancel a passport
To avoid identity fraud, the passport of the person who died should be cancelled with Her Majesty’s Passport Office (HMPO). To do this, you need to complete a D1 form.
If you plan to repatriate the person who died to the UK, you may require their passport to do this. In these circumstances, you should cancel the passport after they have been repatriated.
Check you have done everything you need to do in the UK
Check this step-by-step guide for when someone dies to make sure you have done everything you need to do in the UK after someone has died. You can find information on how to tell the government about the death, UK pensions and benefits and dealing with the estate of the person who died.
Disclaimer
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) provides lists of service providers for information only, to assist British nationals who may need support overseas. This list is not exhaustive, and is subject to change at any time. None of the service providers are endorsed or recommended by the FCDO. You should research whether a service provider will be suitable. The FCDO does not accept any liability arising to any person for any loss or damage suffered through using these service providers or this information.