Repatriation for health reasons (Further information on the dedicated page of the Italian MoFA website)
In the case of sick persons requiring hospitalisation in Italy, the Consular Office urges family members to identify a medical facility in which the compatriot shall be admitted once arrived in Italy. In the event of difficulty, the Consular Office may ask the Prefecture to identify the medical facility.
The Consular Office shall also acquire a medical certificate confirming that the Italian citizen is in a condition to face the journey (the so-called “air transportability of the patient”).
For medical repatriations, a subsidy may be granted to poor compatriots permanently residing in the foreign country, or a loan with a promise of repayment in favour of transit compatriots in a state of temporary poverty, for their return to Italy on airliners (using, where necessary, the stretcher service and a medical escort on board).
In the case of compatriots suffering from illnesses that do not enable them to sign the promise of loan repayment, medical documentation of temporary incapacity or insanity shall be obtained if their relatives are unable to provide for repatriation.
Repatriation of mortal remains (Further information on the dedicated page of the Italian MoFA website)
Losing a loved one is always cause for great sorrow, but if this should happen abroad, the sorrow is compounded by the need to solve some practical problems.
Below we give some instructions on how to solve these problems.
In order to repatriate the mortal remains of an Italian citizen, it is necessary to contact the Italian Embassy by sending an email at consolato.addisabeba@esteri.it or, outside office hours, by calling the emergency number to report the death and the personal details of the deceased. The Consular Office will send a request to the Italian municipality where the compatriot was resident or registered with AIRE in order to obtain the clearance for the transportation of the body. Once Consular Office has received the clearance from the Municipality, the funeral home, which has been appointed by the family to repatriate the body at its own expense, may proceed with the transportation of the body to Italy.