How to cope with death abroad

It is a somewhat sombre thought, but 2,000 Brits die while travelling or holidaying abroad each year.

Statistically the incidence of deaths abroad is very low, with more than 60 million foreign trips made each year by Brits.

But it does happen and dealing with it can be more traumatic than death at home due to language and communication problems, as well as the sheer distance from home.

Consumer magazine Holiday Which? has published advice on what to do in the unlikely event of a tragedy.

It says that if the deceased was on a package holiday, dealing with a death abroad should be straightforward for relatives.

The Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) has a code of conduct which puts a duty of care on tour operators to help customers in this situation.

Independent travellers, on the other hand, should head to their nearest British Embassy as their first port of call, where they will be given help and advice.

All travellers are advised to take out a travel insurance policy that includes adequate repatriation cover, as the cost can run into several thousand pounds.

If your insurance does not cover repatriation, then using a reputable agency will help to reduce the stress and bureaucracy involved.

The magazine also says that relatives of the deceased should never sign anything unless it is crystal clear what it means – particularly if it is in a foreign language.

Of the 2,000 British deaths while abroad that are reported each year, a third are due to natural causes, with the rest caused by accidents and criminal acts. XXX