Dubai has one of the largest British communities anywhere outside the UK. Add the holidaymakers, the business travellers and the people stopping over on the way somewhere else – it's no surprise that it's a place we're asked about often. 

When a British national dies in Dubai, the family back home is usually thousands of miles away, dealing with a system they've never had to think about. This guide explains what happens, in roughly the order it happens, so it feels a little less unknown. 

Read more: Repatriation from the UAE 

What to Do First

There are a few calls worth making early: 

The travel insurer, if there was a policy. Many insurers want to manage repatriation themselves. 

The British Embassy or consulate. They can't pay for anything, but they can offer support and are involved in the paperwork. 

The employer, if your loved one lived and worked in the UAE. They'll have a role in cancelling the residency visa, and they may be responsible for repatriation costs. 

A repatriation specialist, like us, who can coordinate everything between Dubai and the UK. 

If someone was travelling with your loved one, they'll often make the first of these calls. But it's fine if you're making them from the UK. You don't need to fly out. 

The First Few Hours

What happens first depends on where the death took place. 

If your loved one died in hospital, the hospital takes care of them and starts the medical paperwork. It's the simpler route, if any of this can be called simple. 

If they died anywhere else (at a hotel, an apartment, on the road),  the police are called. That happens even when the death was expected. Your loved one will be taken to a mortuary while the police and forensic department establish the cause of death. 

That can feel quite formal and distressing, particularly if the death was from natural causes. It's just how the UAE handles every death outside a hospital. It isn't a sign that anything is wrong. 

Post-Mortems and Investigations

If the cause of death isn't clear, the authorities may order a post-mortem. Families generally can't opt out of this, and it can add several days. 

We understand how hard that wait is. There isn't a great deal anyone can do to speed up a forensic process, but we'll make sure the next steps are ready to go the moment it's complete, so no extra time is lost. 

Your Options

Most British families want their loved one brought home, and that's what we arrange most often. But there are other options, and it's worth knowing about them. 

Repatriation to the UK. Your loved one is embalmed, which is compulsory, placed in a sealed coffin and flown home as air cargo. A UK funeral director takes over on arrival. 

Cremation in the UAE. Cremation facilities exist, though they're limited. Ashes can then be brought home, which is simpler and costs less. 

Burial in the UAE. This is possible in the designated non-Muslim cemeteries, although it's less common for British families. 

For Muslim families, local custom means burial usually takes place very quickly, sometimes within a day. Repatriation is still possible, but decisions need to be made fast, so let us know as soon as you can. 

Bringing Them Home

Once the paperwork is done, your loved one travels on a scheduled flight, usually direct from Dubai to a UK airport. Flights run several times a day, which helps. Family members can often travel on the same flight, although your loved one travels in the cargo hold, not as a passenger booking. 

When they arrive, they're collected and taken to your chosen funeral director. In England and Wales, the coroner is informed about any death abroad, and may need to look into it before the funeral can go ahead. In most cases this is quick. 

From start to finish, repatriation from Dubai often takes between one and two weeks. Sometimes quicker. It depends mostly on the forensic side and how fast the documents come through. 

Read more: What Documents Are Required for Repatriation from the UAE? 

A Few Things People Don't Expect

Families often tell us, afterwards, about the things that surprised them. A few come up again and again. 

Bank accounts in the UAE tend to be frozen when the account holder dies, which can affect family members who shared finances. Personal belongings are usually sent home separately, not with the coffin. And rented homes, cars and phone contracts in the UAE may need dealing with too, especially for residents. 

None of this needs sorting on day one. It's just helpful to know it's coming. 

We're Here to Help

If someone close to you has died in Dubai, you don't have to work through all of this alone. Rowland Brothers International has been bringing people home from the UAE for many years, and our team can take on as much or as little as you need. 

Read more: How Much Does It Cost to Repatriate a Loved One from Dubai to the UK? 

Contact Rowland Brothers International for a no-obligation repatriation quote. 

Frequently Asked Questions

If the death happens outside hospital, the police are called and a forensic examination takes place. Once the cause of death is confirmed, the family can arrange repatriation, local cremation or local burial. 

Usually not. A repatriation company can coordinate everything from the UK on your behalf. 

Often one to two weeks, although a post-mortem or delays with paperwork can extend this. 

No. The embassy can offer support and help with documents, but it doesn’t cover costs. These are usually met by the family, an insurer or an employer. 

Rowland Brothers Team Headshots

Fiona Greenwood is the Operations Director at Rowland Brothers International

She is a bilingual English/Spanish speaker with 26+ years extensive Operations Management experience in the Emergency Assistance & Travel Claims Industry, her Teams managed complex travel medical emergencies involving emergency medical treatment abroad, emergency medical evacuations/repatriations along with organising repatriations for those insured members that passed away abroad.

Fiona has worked both in the UK & USA and joined Rowland Brothers International in 2011.

She now has almost 40 years’ experience in managing complex situations, repatriations and assisting families during most difficult circumstances.