The following information regarding the practical arrangements you will need to make in the case of a death in Greece is provided by the British Embassy Athens and the British Consulate in Crete.
The information is also relevant to other Nationalities, who can also obtain help from their relevant Embassy or Consulate.
Consular staff are aware that practical problems in the death of a friend or relative abroad make for even greater distress and the Consulates in Crete are ready to help in any way that they can.
What to Do in the Event of a Death & Who to call
If the deceased was being treated by a local doctor who is willing to come to the house, then he/she can be called to confirm death, otherwise an ambulance should be called to confirm the death.
But ambulances will not carry deceased persons from private property such as homes/hotels, only from public places (such as after a road accident), so after a doctor or paramedics have confirmed a death, a funeral director should be called to transport the deceased to the nearest hospital.
If there are any suspicious circumstances or indication of suicide then the police should also be called.
Local Funeral Directors
The following local funeral directors are experienced in dealing with foreigners and will have someone available who can speak English.
Heraklion
MINAS MARKOULAKIS, Rodamanthous 1, Heraklion Tel: 2810 282080 & 284504 Mobile:6944 471147
ANTONIS PITIKAKIS (local burials only), Nik. Pitsoulaki 36, Pateles, Heraklion. Tel:2810 320106 Mobile: 6932 537193
Chania
ANDREAS SFAKIANAKIS, Mousouron 42, Chania Tel: 28210 50777
Rethymnon
PETROS PAPADOPETRAKIS, 24 Dimakopoulou Street, Rethymnon Tel: 28310 25825 & 28310 55311 Mobile: 6979 987561
Lassithi
HAROULIS & SON, Dimocratias 25, Agios Nikolaos Tel: 28410 28606
GEORGE SFAKIOTAKIS Argiropoulon 20, Aghios Nikoloas Tel: 28410 22699 Mobile: 6944 433378
There are also many other funeral directors who will organise a local burial efficiently. However, for repatriations, they have to be experienced in this. This list may not be comprehensive, but includes all those whom the UK international undertakers deal with. As regards costs, ask when they require payment as some expect money upfront (see also 'costs' below)..
Other Standard Procedures
Following the death of a British national (or other non-Greek national) in Greece, next of kin, or a formally appointed representative, must decide whether to repatriate the deceased, or carry out a local burial. Cremation is not yet available in Greece.
Consular staff will pass on to the Consulate overseas the wishes of the next of kin about disposal of the body. Under Greek law, a deceased person must be buried within one month of death. However, in the case of foreign nationals the authorities will normally allow as much time as necessary.
The death must however be registered within 3 days.
If the deceased was covered by travel insurance, it is important for next of kin to contact the insurance company without delay. If there is no insurance cover, the cost of repatriation or burial will need to be met by the family. Neither the Foreign and Commonwealth Office nor Consulates in Greece have budgets to meet these costs (non British nationalities check with your Embassy or Consulate). It is important to remember that if the deceased was travelling with a tour operator, they can be a valuable source of assistance and advice.
Registering the death
1 Obtained a medical certificate of death, ΙΑΤΡΙΚΟ ΠΙΣΤΟΠΟΙΗΤΙΚΟ ΘΑΝΑΤΟΥ, from the hospital or doctor. 2 You or the funeral director take this to the town hall to obtain a certificate that will allow the burial.
3. After the burial collect the death certificate, ΛΗΞΙΑΡΧΙΚΗ ΠΡΑΞΗ ΘΑΝΑΤΟΥ from the town hall.
Local Burial
If next of kin choose to proceed with a local burial, they will need to instruct a local funeral director. Agios Nikolaos, Heraklion, Rethymnon and Chania have municipal cemeteries where any nationality/faith can be buried. The cemeteries in other places are usually owned by the church so it is at their discretion who they allow to be buried there. In our experience in recent years, if a UK citizen has been resident in the area for some time and there is room in the cemetery, permission for burial is usually granted. The funeral director will liaise with whoever is responsible for the cemetery if necessary.
Cremation
The first (and currently the only) crematorium in Greece is a private one, which received a license in 2018 and opened in September 2019. The facility is located in Ritsona in North-East Attica, near Halkida.
In Heraklion, Crete, the municipality plans to build a crematorium in Alikarnassos.
Cremation in Greece must be organised through a Greek funeral director.
Repatriation
If the deceased was covered by travel insurance, the insurance company will normally appoint an International funeral director to arrange repatriation. If the deceased is not covered by insurance, next of kin will need to appoint an International funeral director themselves. The International funeral director will liaise with local undertakers to ensure that all necessary requirements are met in Greece.
When the deceased is to be repatriated, the remains must be embalmed and placed in a zinc-lined coffin. Local undertakers in Greece are equipped to carry out these procedures.
A local civil registry death certificate, plus the doctor's death certificate (indicating cause of death), a certificate of embalming, and a certificate giving permission to transfer the remains is required to ship the body. This will be arranged by the international funeral director.
In certain circumstances repatriation may not always be possible. Our consular staff will try and inform next of kin as soon as possible if this is the case.
Costs
The full cost of repatriation from Greece to the UK is in the region of 4000€ including paperwork and translations, coffin, embalming, flight costs etc. Additional costs incurred in the UK, organised by a UK funeral director, would be the cost of collection/transportation from the UK airport to home town & burial.
Relatives need to give the Greek funeral director the details of the UK funeral directors to collect the deceased at the UK airport.
Inquests
In the event of a death in Greece, the Examining Magistrate will consider the evidence. If the circumstances of the death were not unusual, registration of the death is permitted and the body will be released for repatriation or burial. However, if the Examining Magistrate is not satisfied after the preliminary examination, an autopsy may be required. Further investigations and interviews with witnesses may also be called for before a decision is made as to cause of death. In cases of accident or misadventure, a report of the Examining Magistrate’s findings will be issued and experience has shown that this can take several months. However, if death was caused by a criminal act, the police will be ordered to conduct a full investigation. The State Prosecutor will then decide whether to prosecute.
Autopsies
Autopsies are carried out by court appointed doctors with forensic qualifications. During an autopsy, organs can be removed for testing at the discretion of the doctor, without consent of next of kin. Next of kin are not informed about the removal of any organs. The deceased’s body can be buried or repatriated before tests on removed organs are completed. Any organs removed are retained for the duration of the tests, after which they are destroyed.
Should the next of kin have a request that any organs removed are returned they must apply for a court order. The British Embassy Athens (and other Embassies) can advise on the procedures to be followed. If the deceased’s body has been repatriated, next of kin should contact their undertaker in the UK (or other country) to proceed with the request for the return of any organs removed.
Organs cannot be removed for any purpose other than testing without prior consent of the deceased (for research) or next of kin (transplants).
Consular Death Registration
British Citizens - There is no obligation for the death overseas of a British national to be registered with the British Embassy. However, there are the advantages that a British form of death certificate is then available, and that a record of the death is afterwards held at the General Register Office in the UK.
To apply from within the UK, you should contact Nationality and Passports Section of Consular Directorate, Old Admiralty Building, London SW1A 2AF Tel: +44 20 7008 0186. If you are applying from Greece, you should contact the nearest Consulate.
Contacts in Crete
British Vice Consul Candia Tower, 17 Thalita Street, Agios Dimitrios Square, 71 202 Heraklion Tel: (0030) 2810 224012 Fax: (0030) 2810 243935 Email: Crete@british-consulate.gr
Open to the public: Monday to Friday, 08.30hrs - 13.30hrs
The British Embassy and all Consulates in Greece have an English-speaking Duty Officer who is available for help and advice regarding consular emergencies out of office hours. They can be contacted by phoning +30 210 7237 727 in the first instance. The Duty Officer will respond to emergency calls within one hour.
Contacts in UK
Consular Directorate - Foreign and Commonwealth Office Greece and Greek Islands Desk Tel: +44 20 7008 0141
Article basic source and further information: British Embassy Athens
