British Bereavement in Hungary

What happens if a close relative or friend dies in Hungary while I am in the UK?

If the death has been reported to the Consular staff in the Embassy, Consular Division of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) in London will pass the details the UK police who will immediately visit to the next of kin and break the news.

Consular staff make every effort to ensure that the relatives do not hear of the death first via the media, but they cannot prevent this from happening.

If you hear of the death from a tour operator, the media, or any third party you should contact the FCO.

Consular staff in London will pass on to the Embassy the wishes of the next of kin about disposal of the body.

They will keep in touch with the family and the Embassy until burial or cremation overseas, or repatriation to the UK has been completed.

It is not always possible to carry out the wishes of the next of kin.

What should I do if a relative or friend dies while I am in Hungary with them?

The local authorities must be informed of all deaths in Hungary in order for a death certificate (halotti anyakönyvi kivonat) to be issued by the registrar (anyakönyvvezeto) of the district. Your tour guide, the local police or the Embassy can advise you how to go about this. If you are anxious about coping in Hungarian or about any other problems, the Embassy will be able to help.

Make sure you have as much documentation as possible about the deceased and yourself. This should include:
Full name
Date of birth
Passport number
Where and when the passport was issued
Next of kin of the deceased person (if you are not the closest relative)
All this information is in the British passport.

If the deceased was known to be suffering from an infectious condition, for example hepatitis or HIV viruses, it is essential that the local authorities be told so that they can take precautions against the infection.

There is no obligation to register a death at the British Embassy. But by doing so you can obtain a UK death certificate, and a permanent copy of it will always be available in English in the UK.

What is the practice when someone dies in Hungary?

If the death occurs outside medical care or there is suspicion of a crime, there is a possibility that a post mortem will be performed. If this is the case the Embassy will notify the next of kin.

As well as helping the Hungarian authorities, the post mortem can help relatives come to terms with their loss as it helps to establish the cause of death.

In Hungary the pathologist does not retain human organs following a post mortem.

The Embassy is not always informed of the details of individual post mortems.

Once the local authorities are satisfied about the cause of death, a death certificate may be issued.

What can the Embassy do?

In addition to keeping next of kin informed,
They can advise on the cost of local burial, local cremation and the transport of the remains and personal property back to the UK.
They can provide contact details of local funeral directors.
They can help transfer money from friends and relatives in the UK to pay for any necessary costs.
Where there is evidence of suspicious circumstances they can press for an investigation and for the results.

BUT THE EMBASSY CANNOT

Investigate a possible crime
Pay burial or cremation expenses
Pay for the return of bodies to the UK
Pay any debts that may be outstanding
Change Hungarian practice and laws on post mortems

You can also find help and advice on bereavement from:
Your Family Doctor
The Social Services Department of your Local Council
Samaritans Tel: 0044 1753 532713
Victim Support Tel: 0044 20 7735 9166
CRUSE - Bereavement Care Tel: 0044 20 8332 7227

It is important to remember that help is available and that there is nothing wrong in knowing that you need help.

Source: British Embassy