Why no one can quote a number
A repatriation is a chain of approvals in two countries, and the chain is only as fast as its slowest link. The same route can take a few days in one case and several weeks in another, with nothing different except the circumstances of the death and which offices are involved.
Anyone who quotes a fixed number without knowing the country, the cause of death and the destination is guessing. What can be given honestly, early, is the shape of the case: which steps exist, which of them are fast, and which one is likely to be the bottleneck.
What sets the pace
The death certificate is first, and everything else waits for it. Where the death was expected and medically attended, it is usually issued quickly. Where it was sudden, unattended, or involved an accident or a crime, an investigation or a post mortem comes first, and that is outside anyone’s influence.
After the certificate come translation and legalisation, the consular registration, and the permits the route requires. Only once those exist can the transport be booked and confirmed, because the airline and the receiving authority both check them.
What lengthens a case
A post mortem or a police investigation is the most common cause, and also the least predictable. After that, the calendar: local weekends differ between countries, public holidays close offices for days at a time, and a religious holiday in either country can stop a case that was otherwise ready.
Two more, both quieter. Consular legalisation between countries that are not party to the Hague Convention takes longer than an apostille. And a route with no direct flight, or one where the aircraft cannot take the shipment, waits for capacity rather than for paperwork.
What shortens it
Starting the document chain before the family has chosen a provider. Notifying an insurer early enough that its authorisation is not itself a delay. And giving accurate details at the outset, because a correction to a name or a date on an issued document can cost more days than the original issue did.
Choosing the fastest lawful routing rather than the cheapest one also shortens a case, and in a family that needs burial without delay, that is usually the right trade.
What can run in parallel
Not everything is sequential. While the certificate is being issued, the local funeral director can be engaged, the container can be sourced, the receiving funeral home can be appointed and the route can be priced.
That is why coordination starting early matters even when no document exists yet. The waiting time is fixed; what is not fixed is how much of the rest is already done when the waiting ends.
This is general information, not advice on a specific case. Requirements differ between countries, between airlines and sometimes between cases. We are a private coordination company, not a government body, embassy or consulate.
Common questions on this subject
Can a flight be booked before the documents are ready?
It can be planned and priced, but not confirmed. The airline requires the documents at acceptance, and a booking made without them is likely to be rebooked.
What happens over a weekend or a holiday?
Offices close and the chain pauses. Local weekends differ between countries, so a case can be idle on days the family does not expect, and a public or religious holiday in either country can add several days.
Can a case be expedited?
Parts of it. Coordination, the container and the routing can all be pushed. An investigation, a post mortem and an authority’s own processing time cannot, and no provider can honestly promise otherwise.