Getting a patient home is a medical act, not a travel booking
Once the acute phase is over, the question every insurer, family and patient asks is the same: when can they go home? The honest answer depends on clinical stability, the airline's medical rules, the right seat, the right escort, and a receiving physician who actually knows what happened. Medical repatriation is the discipline of answering that question safely.
As the Gulf arm of Eagle Group — whose repatriations span Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas — EGS plans and executes the journey home from the UAE, or coordinates it for Gulf policyholders who fall ill abroad.
What we coordinate
- Fit-to-fly assessment — clinical review with the treating team and issuance of the fit-to-fly (FTF) certificate the airline requires.
- Mode of transport — commercial flight with or without medical escort, stretcher, extra oxygen, business-class medical seating, or air ambulance where clinically indicated.
- Airport & cabin coordination — airline medical clearance (MEDIF), wheelchair assistance, priority boarding, suitable cabin seating and ground transport at both ends.
- Translated medical file — operative notes, imaging, labs, prescriptions and findings, translated and transmitted to the home physician before arrival.
- Continuous monitoring & handover — travel monitoring en route, admission or rehabilitation arranged at home, and follow-up until the case is closed.
- Repatriation of mortal remains — handled with dignity, discretion and full documentary support for the family and the insurer.
How it works
Clinical readiness
Our medical team reviews the case with the treating physicians and defines what "safe to travel" means for this patient — and when.
Plan & approvals
Transport mode, escort, equipment and dates proposed to the insurer with a cost estimate; airline medical clearance requested.
The journey
Ground transport, airport assistance, in-flight support and continuous travel monitoring by our desk.
Handover & closure
Reception at home, translated file with the receiving physician, rehabilitation started, and a full closure report to the insurer.
A real case, end to end
A 65-year-old Brazilian traveller, a trimalleolar fracture in Türkiye, same-day surgery, a secondary chest finding, a fit-to-fly certificate, wheelchair assistance, cabin seating and a rehabilitation programme that started 48 hours after landing in Brazil. The case was published in ITIJ's Assistance & Repatriation Review — read the full case study.
Frequently asked questions
Who decides whether the patient is fit to fly?
The treating physician issues the fit-to-fly certificate; our medical team reviews it against the airline's medical requirements and the planned journey before anything is booked.
Commercial flight or air ambulance?
Most patients travel safely on commercial flights with the right seating, escort and equipment. Air ambulance is reserved for cases where clinical need justifies it — and we advise the insurer transparently either way.
Do you repatriate from the UAE only?
No. We handle repatriations from the UAE, and coordinate journeys home for Gulf policyholders who fall ill abroad through the Eagle Group network.
What does the insurer receive?
A plan and estimate before travel, updates during it, and a full closure report — including the fit-to-fly certificate, travel documentation and the handover confirmation from the receiving physician.