When someone dies in Gabon
Source: gov.uk (2025-12-11)

The process when a British national dies in Gabon, 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 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 Gabon and 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.

Registering the death

To declare a death in Gabon and obtain a death certificate, you’ll need information and documents about the person who has died, including their:
- full names
- dates of birth
- official identity document (for example their British passport)
- passport of the person who died
- the cause of death certificate – the hospital where the person died usually issues this within a week
- the post-mortem report if the person died outside a hospital
Further, you need to follow these steps according to official information: Where to make the declaration?

The death declaration must be made at the civil status services of the town hall of the place of death.

Documents to provide:
- death certificate issued by a doctor or health facility.
- copy of the identity card or birth certificate of the deceased.
- copy of the identity card of the declarant (the person making the declaration).
Who can declare a death?
- a relative of the deceased.
- any person with accurate information about the civil status of the deceased.
- in case of death in a hospital, hotel, or public/private establishment, the declaration can be made by the director of the establishment.
- for military personnel, the declaration is made by the unit commander, except in special cases.
Issuance of the death certificate:

Once the declaration is made and the documents provided, the civil status services issue an official death certificate.

Post-mortems in Gabon

Medical Certification:

if the death occurs in a hospital, a death certificate or medical report is issued by the attending physician.

if the death occurs at home, the municipal hygiene service issues a certificate based on a declaration from the neighborhood chief.

Autopsy (if required):

autopsies are typically ordered by judicial authorities in cases of suspicious or unexplained deaths.

they are conducted in authorized medical facilities and may require family consent unless mandated by law.

Please note: The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) is not able to cover the cost of a post-mortem.

Procedure for Body Transfer and Burial

Documents Required:
- death certificate or medical report
- official death certificate (acte de décès)
- burial permit (permis d’inhumer)
- authorization for body transfer (if applicable)
- embalming report (procès-verbal de mise en bière)
Steps:

obtain all necessary documents from the town hall and funeral home.

if the body is to be transported (domestically or internationally), obtain a mortuary pass or transfer authorization from the Ministry of the Interior.

final approval and signatures are obtained from the Police Prefecture and Ministry of the Interior

### Special Cases:
- for international repatriation, an embassy authorization is also required.
Burying or cremating the body in Gabon

You need a local funeral director: Find a professional service abroad - Results for Funeral Directors in gabon (https://find-a-professional-service-abroad.service.csd.fcdo.gov.uk/find/funeral-directors/gabon/result?) to arrange a burial or cremation in Gabon. Your funeral director will usually be able to explain the options available and the costs, and help you plan.

Bringing the body to the UK

Ask your funeral director about options for bringing the person’s body to the UK from Gabon.

When taking the person’s body to the UK from Gabon, you will need:

official death certificate issued by the Gabonese civil registry or hospital.

embalming certificate confirming the body has been embalmed to international standards

non-contagious disease certificate certifying that the deceased did not die from a contagious disease

sealed coffin certificate confirming the coffin is hermetically sealed for air transport

authorisation for body export issued by the Ministry of the Interior or relevant Gabonese authority

consular authorization, the embassy or consulate of the destination country must approve the repatriation

The body must be embalmed and placed in metal casket to be brought to the UK. Embalming usually takes place after post-mortem.

Bringing the ashes to the UK

Ask your funeral director about the rules for bringing ashes to the UK.

Arranging for the ashes to be taken to the UK

If it is not possible for you to transport the ashes yourself, a funeral director will be able to make the necessary arrangements. The FCDO provides a list of UK-based international funeral directors - GOV.UK (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/international-funeral-directors-in-the-uk/list-of-uk-based-international-funeral-directors--2)

Getting the person’s belongings back

Personal belongings are normally returned to the family by the authorities. If the family is outside Gabon, the authorities may hand them over to a designated person in Gabon (usually a friend or family member) or to the British Honorary Consul who will make an inventory of the items and await further instructions from the family of the deceased.

The FCDO cannot help with the cost of returning personal belongings to the family.

The British High Commission in Gabon cannot take responsibility for the personal belongings of the person who died.

Finding a Gabon lawyer

You may need a lawyer to help you understand the Gabon legal system when someone has died. Check Find a professional service abroad - Find a lawyer abroad (https://find-a-professional-service-abroad.service.csd.fcdo.gov.uk/find/lawyers). The British High Commission in Gabon 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 What to do when someone dies abroad - GOV.UK (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 GOV.UK - Help for British people abroad (https://www.contact.service.csd.fcdo.gov.uk/home)