What to do if someone dies in Milan: a complete guide with English-speaking support
For more than 60 years Fontanili e Merli has arranged funerals in Milan and its province. As an English-speaking funeral home in Milan, we assist expatriate families, international students and relatives travelling from abroad, from the registration of the death to the funeral or repatriation. Our office in Via della Commenda 17, next to the Policlinico hospital, and our other offices in the city can be reached at any hour on +39 02 8463220.
This guide explains what to do if someone dies in Milan: who should be contacted first, which documents the Municipality of Milan requires, how a body or ashes are returned to another country and what can be arranged in Milan itself. Where a procedure changes according to the place of death or the nationality of the deceased, we indicate it.
What should you do first if someone dies in Milan?
The first step is to have the death confirmed by a doctor. In hospital this is done by the medical staff; at home or in a hotel, call the deceased's doctor or, if no doctor is available, the emergency number 112. A funeral home can be contacted immediately afterwards.
When the death occurs in hospital, the hospital's medical directorate provides the documentation needed to report the death to the Municipality. The choice of funeral home belongs to the family alone: in Lombardy, any form of soliciting clients on behalf of funeral companies is prohibited.
If the death was sudden or its cause is unclear, the judicial authority may order a post-mortem examination, and the funeral can proceed only after its authorisation. The UK government notes that families are not normally charged for these examinations.
If the deceased had travel or health insurance, the insurer should be informed as soon as possible. Some policies cover repatriation and appoint a funeral home in Italy and one in the home country.
Who registers the death in Milan and which documents are needed?
The death must be reported to the Municipality of Milan within 24 hours. The report can be submitted by a person who lived with the deceased, by a relative or by their delegate; in most cases the funeral home submits it on the family's behalf at the Funeral, Burial and Cremation Office in Via Larga 12.
When no relative is in Milan, the Municipality also accepts the report from another person informed of the death. This allows a colleague, a university international office or the staff of a hotel to start the procedure while the family is travelling.
For the report and the funeral arrangements we need:
- an identity document of the deceased, such as the passport;
- the deceased's Italian tax code (codice fiscale);
- the medical documentation issued by the hospital or by the doctor who confirmed the death;
- a delegation signed by the person arranging the funeral, with a copy of their identity document.
The Municipality does not issue the death certificate automatically: it must be requested, and we request it for the family. A multilingual death certificate can also be obtained; according to the UK government, it can be used in the United Kingdom without translation. If the destination country requires it, the certificate is apostilled by the Prefecture.
How does repatriation from Milan work, and when is a mortuary passport needed?
A body leaves Italy with a mortuary passport issued by the Italian authorities. For the countries that apply the 1937 Berlin International Arrangement the passport is sufficient; for all other countries, the consulate of the destination country must also issue a clearance for the body to enter.
The countries that apply the Berlin Arrangement include France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Belgium and Portugal. The United Kingdom and the United States are not among them, so for British and American families the consular clearance is always part of the procedure, and the Italian authorities may require it to be legalised at the Prefecture.
For the United Kingdom, the funeral home completes the transfer of remains certificate and a copy is sent to the British Embassy in Rome. The UK government indicates that the formalities usually take between 3 and 10 days and that the body cannot be prepared for travel until 24 hours after death. For American citizens, the U.S. embassy or consulate acts as a liaison with the Italian authorities and prepares the Consular Report of Death of a U.S. Citizen Abroad.
Our assistance with the mortuary passport in Milan covers the whole procedure: we prepare the documents, request the consular clearance, provide a coffin suitable for international transport and coordinate the flight with the funeral home that receives the deceased at destination.
The Berlin Arrangement does not apply to ashes. Their transfer abroad requires a separate authorisation decree from the Municipality of Milan, subject to a €16 revenue stamp, and the documents requested by the destination country.
Arranging a funeral or cremation in Milan with an English-speaking funeral home
Anyone who dies in Milan can be buried in one of the city's cemeteries or cremated at the municipal crematorium in Lambrate, regardless of nationality or residence. Funerals are held from Monday to Saturday at 9:00, 11:00 or 14:45, at times agreed with the Municipality.
In 2026 the municipal cremation fee for a person who died in Milan is €325.52, including a steel urn. To authorise cremation, the civil registrar requires evidence of the deceased's wishes, such as a signed will, or a declaration by the relatives entitled to make it. If the deceased had a pacemaker, this must be declared at once, because only certain models are accepted at the Lambrate crematorium.
We organise religious and civil ceremonies for all faiths and agree the details with the parish or the religious community. Throughout the arrangements we explain each document and each decision in English, so that the family can make informed choices before anything is confirmed.
Frequently asked questions
Does the family need to travel to Milan?
Not necessarily. With a signed delegation and a copy of an identity document, we can handle the procedures with the Municipality, while decisions are taken by phone, WhatsApp or email.
Who pays for repatriation?
The costs are borne by the family or, where the policy provides for it, by the deceased's insurer. In Lombardy funeral homes are required by law to make the final costs clear in advance, and we provide a written quotation before the services are confirmed.
If you need assistance in English after a death in Milan, you can call us at any hour on +39 02 8463220, write to us on WhatsApp at +39 349 7784191 or by email at funerali@fontaniliemerli.it. Our office in Via della Commenda 17 is next to the Policlinico hospital in central Milan.