Take a body out of England
If someone dies in Birmingham or Solihull and you want to move their body out of England, you will need to ask the coroner to sign a completed Out of England form (Form 103).
There’s no restriction on moving bodies within England and Wales.
On a Saturday, Sunday or Bank Holiday it is only possible to obtain permission from the Coroner to take a body out of the country if the death has been registered and a Death Certificate issued.
Documents you will need
To apply to move a body you will need the following documents:
- A Form 104 (‘Form of Notice to a Coroner of Intention to Remove a Body out of England’) - you can get this from either the Registrar who registered the death or from your funeral director
- A complete (2 page) ‘application for removal of body out of a country’ questionnaire - you get this from your funeral director or download the form
- A doctor’s identification certificate
- The deceased’s passport
- The passport of the person applying to the Coroner to ask to move the body out of England
- The death certificate issued by the Registrar (where the death isn’t being investigated by the Coroner).
If the death isn’t being investigated by the Coroner and your application is approved, the Coroner will issue Form 103 to your funeral director. This will usually be within 1 to 2 working days. You should not make travel arrangements until your funeral director has received the Form 103 from the Coroner.
If the death is being investigated then it will take longer, especially in cases where a post mortem is needed.
To arrange for a coroner to sign an Out of England form, see the contact details below.
