What happens if someone dies overseas

Last Updated
Wednesday, 24/09/2025

 

On this page:

Read this page with Consular Services Charter and death overseas factsheet.

What to do before you travel

While a death overseas is usually unexpected, being prepared before you go is important. It can help reduce the stress on your family during an already difficult time.

Get your affairs in order

  • Update your last will and testament. Leave a copy with your next of kin or lawyer.
  • Appoint someone as Power of Attorney.

Get travel insurance that covers death

Get travel insurance as soon as you start planning your trip. Ensure it covers death. If you die, your insurer can help your family with logistics and costs.

  • Make sure your policy covers all your destinations, activities and health conditions.
  • Read the fine print before you buy. You need to be clear about what's covered.
  • Ensure your coverage includes returning your remains, if you want this. It may not be possible, depending on how and where the death happens.

Your next of kin will be faced with all expenses related to your death if you're not properly covered.

Read the CHOICE travel insurance buying guide to learn more about choosing the right policy.

If you die on a cruise, there are other challenges and things to consider. See our general advice about going on a cruise.

What happens if an Australian dies overseas

Local authorities decide how to deal with a person's death in their country. This includes legal aspects and how the remains are handled.

Local law enforcement may choose to investigate the death. They may conduct an autopsy. Travel companions of the person who died may need to be interviewed or attend court. They may not be able to leave the country during the investigation.

Local authorities may need an autopsy before they issue a death certificate.

How we notify the family of an Australian who has died

When we find out an Australian has died overseas, we first confirm the death with local authorities. We always confirm the death before notifying anyone. Particularly if we hear about it through a third party or the media. 

After we have confirmed the death, we contact the police in Australia. They will contact the family. Consular officials can then guide the family on what happens next.

We try to ensure the family doesn't hear about a death from the media first. But we can't always prevent it. We can provide advice on how to manage media enquiries.

If you learn from the media or a third party that your family member has died overseas, contact:

The next of kin of the person who died will have some responsibilities. Read more about the role of the next of kin.

Role of the next of kin when an Australian dies overseas

Next of kin means a person's closest living legal or blood relative.

If you are the next of kin, you will have to make some decisions and work with the local authorities. You don't need to travel to the country unless you want to. Consular officials or the person's travel insurer can help liaise with local authorities.

You must work within local laws and regulations. These can vary greatly. They may not align with the will or religious beliefs of the person who died.

Local authorities may decide how to deal with the remains without asking you. They may have laws dictating only cremations or burials. Or they may have specific timeframes for when burial or cremation must happen. You may need to make decisions quickly.

As next of kin, you may need to:

  • pay the authorities or a funeral director to release the remains
  • appoint a funeral director in the country where they died
  • appoint an Australian funeral director, if returning the remains to Australia
  • work with local police, if there's an investigation into the death.

If the person had travel insurance, the travel insurer can help. Read more about how travel insurers help when someone dies. 

You may have trouble returning the remains to Australia. You will have to work with export regulations overseas and quarantine regulations in Australia. Read more about returning remains to Australia.

You don't have to register the death in Australia. If you want to register it, contact the registrar of births, deaths and marriages in your state or territory.

What to do if your travel companion has died overseas

You must report the death of any Australian overseas to us. Contact:

The more detail you can give us, the better. Tell us your travel companion's:

  • full name and date of birth
  • passport number, place and date of issue
  • details of an immediate family member or close friend
  • travel insurance details.

The local police will be involved if the death is unexpected and didn't happen in a hospital. We can help you notify local police if needed.

The CEC can also transfer you to a telephone counsellor.

How travel insurers can help

If the person who died had travel insurance, the insurer can help. They may help you navigate the local legal system and administrative processes.

Insurance companies can usually:

  • cover costs
  • give you a list of funeral directors in the foreign country
  • give you advice on local funeral services
  • arrange a local funeral service or return the deceased to Australia.

Travel insurance companies often have 24-hour helplines available globally. Contact them as soon as possible after someone has died.

Returning remains to Australia

There are strict quarantine requirements for importing human remains or ashes to Australia.

Funeral directors in both countries can work together to try to help you.

It can take several weeks to bring someone's remains home. This can be longer if there's an autopsy or coronial enquiry to determine the cause of death.

How the Australian Government can help

Our knowledge of the local environment can help. But we must work within the legal and administrative processes of the foreign country.

Read the Consular Services Charter for what the Australian Government can and can't do to help you overseas.

What we can do

  • We can help you understand some of the administrative processes.
  • We can provide a list of local funeral directors and lawyers.
  • We can make the local funeral director aware of Australian quarantine regulations.
  • We can give you a list of translators.
  • We can estimate the cost for local burial, local cremation or transport back to Australia.
  • We can tell you how to transfer funds from Australia to meet costs.
  • We can give you advice on managing media enquiries.

What we can't do

  • We can't recommend a specific funeral director or lawyer.
  • We can't investigate the death of an Australian citizen.
  • We can't interpret or translate documents.
  • We can't give legal advice or get involved in legal matters.
  • We can't pay for or organise a burial or cremation.
  • We can't pay for, or organise, the return of the deceased person's belongings to Australia.
  • We can't pay any of the deceased person's outstanding debts.

Read more

See also

Related content

Fact sheet: Death overseas

This brochure is designed to provide information to help you understand what consular staff in Australia and overseas can do to assist during this difficult time.

View details