1. you have not been out of the country for more than 3 years at the time of the petition 2. you are not now living in another EU country ( you would need to petition in that country asuming that this is now your centre of main interest ) 3. you will need to arrange for a Lasting Power of Attorney - this allows your "Attorney" to act for you and attend court on your behald to submit your petition. 4. you will need to have your statement of affairs prepared and witnessed by an authorised person abroad ( solicitor / embassy person etc )
lasting power of attorney can be someone you know or a professional firm that can act for you through the process. This can take 16 weeks or more to have the LPA authorised
hope that helps
you could of course return in person and go through the process yourself