Arranging a Funeral in France for a British Person

Finding an English-Speaking Funeral Director

French funeral homes are called pompes funèbres, and selecting one is the first practical decision you will make. In Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Nice, Bordeaux, and the major tourist corridors, several firms employ English-speaking staff or work with interpreters. In rural departments, English-speaking options thin out quickly.

Three ways to find one:

1. The British Embassy can provide reference lists of English-speaking lawyers and funeral directors in France. Call the FCDO consular helpline at +44 20 7008 5000.
2. Your travel insurer, if the deceased held a policy with repatriation coverage and the claim is approved, may appoint a specialist funeral director directly. This is usually the fastest route.
3. International repatriation companies based in the UK (Homeland International, Mears Repatriation, Anubis Group, and others) coordinate with local French firms and handle the cross-border logistics as a single service.

If the death occurred in a hospital, be aware that the hospital may have a standing arrangement with a specific local pompes funèbres. You are not obliged to use that firm — French law gives the family the right to choose.

Costs

A standard French funeral — whether burial or cremation — typically costs €2,500 to €6,000. The range depends heavily on the commune, the funeral director's rates, and the service level chosen. Key cost components:

If the deceased had a French bank account, the bank must release up to €5,000 from the frozen account against the funeral invoice. This applies even to sole accounts — the law is specifically designed to prevent families from being unable to fund immediate funeral costs.

The 14-Day Timeline

Since July 2024 (Decree No. 2024-790), French law allows 14 calendar days from the day after death for burial or cremation. This replaced the previous six-day rule that forced many families into rushed, expensive decisions. Fourteen days is enough to travel from the UK, view the deceased, select a funeral director, and arrange a service.

If the death is under judicial investigation — suspicious, violent, or accidental — the body remains under the prosecutor's control. The funeral cannot proceed until the prosecutor issues a formal release order.

Burial vs Cremation for Foreign Nationals

Burial in France as a foreign national depends on the local mairie and cemetery rules. Ask the funeral director or mairie to confirm whether a plot is available, the required concession, and its renewal terms before committing.

Cremation follows a parallel permit process. French law requires a coffin even for cremation — you cannot present a body without one. After cremation, strict domestic rules apply to the ashes (no home storage, no division, scattering restrictions). If you intend to take the ashes back to the UK, the crematorium and funeral director arrange the transit permit and urn sealing certificate.

What the Funeral Director Handles

A competent French pompes funèbres manages the administrative burden alongside the funeral itself:

• Collecting the body from the hospital, hotel, or residence
• Filing the death registration at the mairie on the family's behalf
• Obtaining the acte de décès copies and the extrait plurilingue
• Coordinating embalming if repatriation is planned
• Applying for the cremation permit or burial authorisation
• Arranging the ceremony (religious, secular, or no service)
• If repatriating: preparing the zinc-lined coffin, coordinating the witnessed sealing, and submitting the laissez-passer mortuaire application

The funeral director's invoice is the document you present to the bank for the €5,000 frozen-account release and to the travel insurer for reimbursement.

Our complete guide includes questions to ask before choosing a funeral director, a bilingual communication template, and a cost comparison worksheet.