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Repatriation of a body from France to Lebanon: documents, consulate, costs
- What it is
- Having the body of a relative who died in France transported to Lebanon: prefect's authorisation, sealed coffin, then the record of transfer of remains at the Lebanese consulate.
- What it costs
- Consular record free in Marseille (fees recorded on 23.10.2026); funeral costs and air freight paid by the family, on quotation.
- How long
- No official overall wait time: it depends on the French documents and the flight. Transport without a coffin within 48 hours of the death.
The steps
- 24 hours
Have the death certified and registered
Doctor's certificate, registration at the town hall of the place of death (24 hours if the death occurred in hospital). Ask for several full death certificates.
- as soon as possible
Choose a funeral director
Several quotes; check that the firm handles the prefecture, the consulate and collection in Beirut.
- before departure
Embalming and placing in the coffin
Embalming declared to the town hall; authorisation to close the coffin; sealed coffin for the flight.
- variable
Obtain the health documents and the authorisation to leave France
Certificate of non-contagion (doctor), certificate of no epidemic (ARS), authorisation from the prefect of the place where the coffin is closed (Préfecture de police in Paris).
- variable
Book the air freight
The funeral director obtains the air waybill (LTA).
- variable
Submit the file to the Lebanese consulate
An heir hands in the documents and the deceased's passport; the consulate draws up the record of transfer of remains.
- day of the flight
Flight and collection in Beirut
The originals travel with the coffin; a funeral director in Lebanon collects it.
- about 3 months
Register the death in Lebanon
Separate procedure, at the consulate, free in Marseille.
What it really costs
| Record of transfer of remains (Marseille) | free |
| Record of transfer of remains (Paris, archived 2025 version) | €44 |
| Death registration in Lebanon (Marseille) | free |
| Certificate of no epidemic (ARS Île-de-France, download) | free |
| Funeral services and air freight | on quotation |
| Observed total | On quotation (funeral costs and air freight paid by the family) |
Amounts recorded on 23.10.2026.
What most often gets stuck
- “Obstacle médico-légal” ticked on the death certificate: nothing can happen before the prosecutor's authorisation.
- Application submitted to the consulate by someone who is not an heir (Marseille).
- Deceased's Lebanese passport missing: the consulate asks for it to cancel it.
- Entries on the death certificate (widowed, divorced, spouse of…) that differ from the Lebanese civil register.
- Gallicised surname or first name without the certificate or decree proving it.
- No air waybill: the Marseille consulate requires it before issuing the record.
- Epidemic declared in the region: the ARS may not issue the certificate of no epidemic.
The repatriation of a body from France to Lebanon requires two sets of documents: the authorisation to take the body out of France, given by the prefect of the place where the coffin is closed, and then the record of transfer of remains issued by the Lebanese consulate, free of charge in Marseille. The funeral director chosen by the family handles most of the French formalities; the body travels by air in a hermetically sealed coffin. No official source sets an overall timeframe: it depends on how quickly the documents are gathered and on the flight.
Short answer
- Who does what: the funeral director deals with the town hall, the prefecture and the air freight booking; an heir of the deceased submits the file to the Lebanese consulate (rule published by the Marseille consulate).
- What France issues: death certificate (town hall), authorisation to close the coffin (town hall), authorisation to transport the body out of France (prefect; in Paris, the Préfecture de police), certificate of no epidemic (regional health agency, ARS).
- What Lebanon issues: the record of transfer of remains (procès-verbal de transfert de dépouille), at the consulate covering the deceased’s area. The deceased’s Lebanese passport is handed in there to be cancelled.
- What the family pays: funeral costs and transport. The consular record is free in Marseille; in Paris, an older version of the website stated €44.
The first hours
A doctor certifies the death and issues the medical death certificate. The death is then registered at the town hall of the place of death, whatever the nationality of the deceased. In a hospital or care home, the institution registers it within 24 hours. At home, any adult can do it, preferably a relative, with their own ID and a document showing the identity of the deceased. The town hall then draws up the death certificate (acte de décès): ask for several full copies, as the consulate requires one.
The body can stay free of charge for three days in the hospital mortuary. Transport without a coffin, for example to a funeral home, must take place within 48 hours of the death, in a vehicle reserved for transporting the dead.
Then choose a funeral director. None can be imposed on you, wherever the death occurred. Ask for several quotes: the City of Paris points out that they must separate compulsory services from optional ones. For a repatriation, check that the firm handles the prefecture and Lebanese consulate formalities, and the collection of the coffin in Beirut.
If the death was violent or suspicious, the doctor ticks “obstacle médico-légal”: nothing can go ahead until the public prosecutor authorises it. The repatriation is then delayed.
In France: prefect, sealed coffin, embalming
- Closing the coffin: authorised by the mayor of the place of death. In Paris, the arrondissement town halls issue it. Placing the body in the coffin is recorded in a report (procès-verbal de mise en bière), which the consulate asks for.
- Authorisation to leave France: for a body transported abroad, it is given by the prefect of the département where the coffin is closed. In Paris, this is the Préfecture de police (office for environmental policing and funeral operations). The Marseille consulate calls this document a “laissez-passer mortuaire issued by the Prefect”.
- Hermetically sealed coffin: compulsory for transport by air (metal casing), according to service-public.fr.
- Certificate of no epidemic: it states that the region where the coffin was closed has no epidemic within the meaning of the International Health Regulations. It is issued by the regional health agency (ARS), and the prefecture may ask for it. In Île-de-France, the ARS publishes a dated certificate on its website, to download (the latest one checked is dated 1 October 2026). Do not confuse it with the certificate of non-contagion, issued by the doctor who certifies the death.
- Embalming: not compulsory under French law. But the Lebanese consulates in Marseille and, according to an older version of its website, in Paris ask for an embalming certificate. In Paris, embalming must be declared in advance to the town hall of the arrondissement where the body lies.
On the Lebanese side: the consular record and cancelling the passport
The Lebanese consulate checks the French documents and draws up the record of transfer of remains. It is therefore the last step before the flight. List from the Consulate General in Marseille, updated in September 2026 (full copy and photocopy of each document):
- the full death certificate issued by the town hall;
- the death certificate issued by the hospital;
- Lebanese proof of identity (civil status extract, identity card or passport);
- the deceased’s Lebanese passport, to be cancelled;
- a medical certificate stating that the death was not caused by a contagious disease;
- the certificate of no epidemic issued by the ARS;
- the laissez-passer mortuaire issued by the prefect;
- the coffin report (procès-verbal de mise en bière) and the authorisation to close the coffin;
- the embalming certificate;
- the air waybill (LTA), giving the details of the flight booking;
- if the deceased’s surname or first name was gallicised: a French birth certificate mentioning it, or the naturalisation decree.
The Marseille consulate states that only the heirs of the deceased may submit the application. It does not say whether a funeral director holding a mandate can do so, or whether an appointment is needed: call the consulate (04 91 71 50 60, open to the public Monday to Friday, 9 am to 1 pm, except public holidays).
In Paris, the embassy website could not be reached from France on 23 October 2026. Its archived version from June 2025 gives a similar list (plus a body transport report) and a consular fee of €44. Since 1 March 2026, the Embassy of Lebanon in the United States has announced that the transfer of remains is exempt from consular fees; we could not check whether this exemption also applies in Paris.
The Marseille consulate covers the South-East, the South-West, the Massif Central, part of the Centre-West and Corsica; the other départements come under Paris. The list of départements is on the Marseille consulate’s website.
Laissez-passer mortuaire: prefecture or consulate? In France, the authorisation for the body to leave is a prefect’s document, and the Marseille consulate asks for it under the name “laissez-passer mortuaire”. In Belgium, the Lebanese consular section issues its own laissez-passer mortuaire. So do not rely on lists from other countries: in France, the Lebanese document is the record of transfer of remains.
Registering the death in Lebanon is a separate procedure from repatriation. In Marseille, it is free, done by post, reserved for heirs and takes about three months: form, full death certificate, copy and original of the deceased’s passport, Lebanese civil status record showing the deceased’s name, two stamped envelopes. The entries on the death certificate (widowed, divorced, spouse of…) must match the Lebanese civil register.
The flight and arrival at Beirut airport
The coffin travels as air freight. The funeral director books the transport with the airline and obtains the air waybill, which the Marseille consulate requires before issuing its record. The originals of all documents travel with the coffin.
We found no official Lebanese page describing the formalities on arrival (customs, health check, release of the body to the family). Before departure, ask your funeral director who will collect the coffin at Beirut airport, which documents that person must show, and whether transport to the place of burial is included.
How much it costs and who pays
Repatriation costs are borne by the family, service-public.fr points out. There is no official scale of fees. One Paris funeral director advertises a starting price of €1,980 for Lebanon, excluding air freight, which depends on weight and airline. To compare quotes, check what each one includes:
- the sealed coffin and embalming;
- the formalities at the town hall, prefecture, ARS and consulate;
- air freight to Beirut and the air waybill;
- collection at Beirut airport and transport to the place of burial;
- tickets for relatives travelling with the body, usually extra.
Who can pay instead of the family: service-public.fr advises checking the deceased’s repatriation insurance, bank card insurance, home insurance or personal liability insurance, and whether there is a funeral plan. At the heirs’ request, the bank can also release funds from the deceased’s accounts to pay for the funeral, up to the funds available and €5,965.
Burial in Lebanon
The French legal limit of 14 days for burial or cremation applies to a burial in France; the official guides we read set no time limit for departure abroad. For Lebanon, we found no official source on the burial formalities for a body arriving from abroad. Keep the originals of the consular record and the death certificate: you will be asked for them there and to register the death.
Did the consulate ask you for another document, or have the fees changed? Report it.
Sources
- Consulate General of Lebanon in Marseille, “État civil” (in French) (repatriation of remains, death registration), updated 22 September 2026.
- Consulate General of Lebanon in Marseille, “Frais consulaires” (in French), updated 4 September 2026.
- Embassy of Lebanon in France, civil status page, archived version (in French) of 16 June 2025 (website unreachable from France on 23 October 2026).
- Embassy of Lebanon in Belgium, “Rapatriement de corps” (in French), updated 18 March 2026.
- Embassy of Lebanon in the United States, “Transfer of Body”, accessed 23 October 2026.
- Service-public.fr, “Transport d’une personne décédée” (in French), checked 28 January 2026.
- Service-public.fr, “Déclaration de décès” (in French), checked 9 October 2026.
- Service-public.fr, “Un proche est décédé” (in French), checked 1 October 2026.
- City of Paris, “Formalités liées au décès d’un proche” (in French), updated 14 August 2026.
- ARS Île-de-France, certificate of no epidemic for the transfer of a body or ashes (in French), updated 2 October 2026.
- ARS Pays de la Loire, “Certificat de non épidémie” (in French) (may be suspended during an epidemic), accessed 23 October 2026.
Checked on 23.10.2026.