When a person dies, life changes for many. It is an extremely difficult experience for family and friends, and it can feel even more overwhelming when it happens in another country. There are, however, several practical steps must be taken should a death occurs abroad.
The most important practical points are:
- Check whether the deceased had travel insurance. If they were insured, the insurance company must be contacted. The insurance company will normally take care of all practical arrangements (including those listed below).
- Notify the family of the deceased. If you are not a family member, you must ensure that the family o the deceased is informed of the death. If you do not know the family, or if you do not wish to notify them yourself, you may contact the Embassy for assistance. The Embassy/Ministry of Foreign Affairs will then contact the police, who will notify the next of kin. Please note: Notification of death can only take place after the Embassy has received written confirmation of the death from Belgian authorities.
- A local funeral home must be contacted to assist with all practical arrangements. If the deceased is to be buried in Norway, a Norwegian funeral home should be contacted to handle arrangements from the Norwegian side.
- To register the death in the Norwegian National Registry, the original death certificate must be submitted to the Embassy or the nearest Consulate. The certificate must have a Belgian apostille stamp. This should be done as soon as the death certificate is available. This is the only way to register a death in Norway. The death certificate cannot be submitted directly to Norwegian authorities.
Repatriating a deceased person from abroad to their home country is very expensive for the bereaved. For short stays abroad, check whether travel insurance covers repatriation. For longer stays, you may need a separate funeral repatriation insurance which must be taken out in the country to which you would wish to be repatriated.