When someone dies in Senegal
Source: gov.uk (2025-11-10)

The process when a British national dies in Senegal, including registering the death, funerals and cremations, and bringing the person’s body to the UK.

Contacting the insurance company

If the person who died had insurance, contact their insurance company as soon as possible. Read the general guidance on what to do when someone dies abroad (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/what-to-do-after-a-british-national-dies-abroad), if you’re not sure if they had insurance.

The insurance company should appoint a funeral director in Senegal and in the UK. They may also cover the cost of bringing the person’s body to the UK (repatriation) and help with any medical, legal, interpretation and translation fees.

If the person who died did not have insurance, a relative or a formally appointed representative will usually have to appoint a funeral director and be responsible for all costs. The FCDO provides a list of UK-based international funeral directors (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/international-funeral-directors-in-the-uk/list-of-uk-based-international-funeral-directors--2).

Registering the death

The death must be registered at the local civil registry office in Senegal. Your funeral director can normally do this for you.

You will usually need information and documents about you and the person who has died, which includes:
- your own proof of identity, for example your passport
- a document proving the identity of the deceased, such as their passport
- the death certificate issued by the doctor, the police station, or the gendarmerie
- any other documents concerning the deceased: family record book, identity card, birth or marriage certificate, passport, etc.
The death must be reported immediately, or within one month, by the next of kin of the deceased or by anyone acting on their behalf who can provide the necessary information to the civil registry office. This can also be carried out by a local funeral director (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/list-of-funeral-parlour-directors).

Getting a death certificate

After registering the death, a death certificate stating the cause of death is issued by the town hall.

If you appoint a local funeral director to register the death and collect the death certificate, you must provide a letter authorising them to act on your behalf. The funeral director will advise you on what the letter should include.

The death certificate will be issued in French. If you need to officially inform any other organisations of the death, you should ask for extra copies of the death certificate.

You do not need to register the death in the UK. The local death certificate can usually be used in the UK for most purposes, including probate.

Post-mortems in Senegal

A post-mortem is a medical examination of the body. One might be performed in Senegal if the cause of death is unknown, unnatural, sudden or violent.

Post-mortems are carried out by forensic doctors appointed by the court. Cultural or religious sensitivities may not be taken into account.

During a post-mortem, small tissue samples and organs may be removed and retained for testing without the consent of the family. You will not automatically be told if this happens.

If a post-mortem is carried out in Senegal, you can ask for a copy of the report. If you have a lawyer, they can apply for a copy. The funeral director can also do it for you. If organs are removed, they will normally be returned before the person’s body is released for burial or repatriation.

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) cannot stop or interfere with the process of a post-mortem.

Burying or cremating the body in Senegal.

You can find a funeral director abroad (https://find-a-professional-service-abroad.service.csd.fcdo.gov.uk/find/funeral-directors) to arrange a burial in Senegal. Your funeral director can give you advice and explain the local process, the costs, and help you make arrangements.

For a burial to take place in Senegal a medical certificate stating cause of death would be required.

Senegal is a secular state with a predominantly Muslim population, where cremation is not permitted. Cremation is not available in Senegal and there are no cremation facilities.

If family cannot afford to pay for a funeral, the body will be included in a mass burial.

Bringing the body to the UK.

Repatriation is the process of bringing the body home. Bodies can be repatriated back to the UK using local undertakers, but this is very costly without insurance.

Local funeral directors will work with UK-based international funeral directors to meet all the necessary requirements both locally and in the UK. This includes providing documents such as a local civil registry death certificate, a certificate of embalming and a certificate giving permission to transfer the remains to the UK.

When taking the person’s body to the UK from Senegal you will need to show the:
- death certificate
- permission to remove the person’s body, issued by a coroner
- passport of the person who died
- certificate of cause of death
- certificate of non-contagiousness
- burial permit issued by the town hall
- police report
- authorisation from the Ministry of Interior
- transportation certificate
The funeral director can assist you in obtaining all these documents.

Getting the person’s belongings back

Belongings the person had with them when they died are normally given to you or the Senegal police.

If you bring the person’s body to the UK, you can ask your local funeral director (https://find-a-professional-service-abroad.service.csd.fcdo.gov.uk/find/funeral-directors) to collect all the belongings and transport them together with the person who died.

If they were a Senegal resident, you may not be able to take the belongings as they may be part of their estate. Get legal advice from a lawyer if this happens.

Clothing may be kept as evidence if there is an investigation into the death. This will only be returned when the court case is over.

If the person who died had insurance, check with the insurance company to see if they will cover the return of their belongings.

The FCDO cannot help with the cost of returning personal belongings to the family. The British Embassy in Senegal cannot take responsibility for the personal belongings of the person who has died.

Finding a French translator

You may need a translator to help you understand rules or get documents translated. The FCDO provides a list of English-speaking translators in Senegal (https://find-a-professional-service-abroad.service.csd.fcdo.gov.uk/find?country=senegal&serviceType=translatorsInterpreters). The embassy in Senegal cannot provide translation services or pay for translation costs.

Finding a lawyer in Senegal

You may need a lawyer to help you understand the Senegalese legal system when someone has died. Check the list of lawyers in Senegal (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/senegal-list-of-lawyers/senegal-list-of-lawyers). The embassy in Senegal cannot give you legal advice or pay for legal costs.

Telling the UK authorities

Although you do not have to register the death in the UK, when someone dies abroad you still need to tell the UK authorities. Read general guidance on what to do when someone dies abroad (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/what-to-do-after-a-british-national-dies-abroad) to find out what to do.

Contacting the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO)

You can contact the FCDO if you still need advice:
- in the UK call xx-xxxx-xxxx
- see how to get help from the UK government abroad (https://www.contact.service.csd.fcdo.gov.uk/home)