When someone dies in Senegal
The
Find processout whenabout alocal Britishprocedures, nationalburials dies in Senegal, including registering the death, funerals and cremations, and bringingreturning the person’s body to the UK.
- From:
-
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office - Published
- 26 May 2023
- Last updated
- 10 November 2025 — See all updates
If you are dealing with the death of a child, multiple deaths, a suspicious death or a case of murder or manslaughter, call +221 33 868 60 31.
Contacting the travel insurance company
If the person who died had insurance, contact their insurance company as soon as possible. ReadInsurance providers may help to cover the generalcost guidanceof onrepatriation. whatRepatriation tois dothe whenprocess someoneof diesbringing abroad,the ifbody you’rehome. notInsurance sureproviders ifmay theyalso hadhelp insurance.with medical, legal, interpretation and translation fees.
TheIf the person who died had insurance, the insurance company shouldwill appoint a funeral director inboth Senegallocally and in the UK.
What Theyto maydo alsoif cover the costperson ofwho bringingdied thedidn’t person’shave bodyinsurance
If toyou are not sure whether the UKperson (repatriation)who anddied helphad insurance, check with anytheir medical,bank, legal,credit interpretationcard andcompany translationor fees.employer.
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 FCDOForeign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) provides a list of of UK-based international funeral directors.
Registering the death
The deathFCDO mustcannot behelp registeredwith atany thecosts. localIn civilsome registrycases, officefuneral indirectors Senegal. Yourand funerallawyers directormay canprovide normallyservices doon thisa forpro you.
Youbono willbasis. usuallyPro needbono informationwork andis documentsdone aboutfor youfree andor thefor persona whoreduced hascost, died,depending whichon includes:
- your own
circumstances.proofThisofisidentity,decidedforonexample your passport - a document
caseprovingbythecaseidentitybasis.Charitiesofandtheorganisationsdeceased,thatsuchofferassupportSometheirUK-basedpassport - the
charitiesdeathandcertificateorganisationsissuedmaybybetheabledoctor,totheprovidepolicehelpstation,andorinformationthetogendarmerie - any
peopleotheraffecteddocumentsbyconcerningathedeathdeceased:abroad.familyTherecordFCDObook,providesidentityacard,listbirthoforUK-basedmarriagecharitiescertificate,andpassport, etc.
The
Registering the death mustand begetting reporteda immediately,death orcertificate
You withinmust oneregister month, by the nextdeath ofin kinthe ofcountry where the deceasedperson ordied. byIn anyoneSenegal, actingyou onneed theirto behalfhave whothe candeath providedeclared by the necessarystate informationregistrar to register the civildeath. registryThe office.next of kin usually registers the death. This can also be carried out by a local firm of funeral director.directors.
Getting
Take athe following documents to the state registrar:
yourownproofofidentity,forexampleyourpassportthedeath certificateissuedbythedoctor,thepolicestationorthegendarmerieAfter
proofregisteringofidentityforthe death,personwhodied,forexamplea deathfamilycertificaterecordstatingbook,identitycard,birthormarriagecertificate,orpassport
Following the causedeclaration of death, a death iscertificate will be issued by the town hall.
If you appoint a local funeral director to register the death on your behalf and collect the death certificate, you mustwill providealso need to give them a letter‘letter authorisingof authorisation’ stating that you authorise them to act on your behalf. The funeral director will advisetell you on what the letter shouldneeds to 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
If inyou Senegalwish, you can register the death with the Overseas Registration Unit (ORU). You can buy a UK-style death certificate, known as a Consular Death Registration certificate. The ORU will send a record to the General Register Office within 12 months.
AIf post-mortemthe isperson awho medicaldied examinationsuffered from an infectious condition, such as hepatitis or HIV, you must tell the local authorities, so they can take precautions against infection.
Next of kin
The next of kin for the body.person Onewho mightdied beneeds performedto incarry Senegalout ifthese legal procedures. In Senegal, the causenext of deathkin is unknown,defined unnatural,as suddentheir married partner or violent.closest living blood relative.
Same-sex partners, whether married or not are not recognised as next of kin in Senegal.
If you are not the next of kin, you may need authorisation from that person to register the death or carry out other legal procedures.
Mortuary facilities
Hospitals in Dakar have mortuaries and cold storage facilities. Hospitals outside of the capital may not have cold storage facilities. This may mean the body cannot be preserved in a good condition.
Dealing with a local post-mortem
In Senegal, post-mortems are usually only carried out when the police believe a death is suspicious.
Post-mortems are carried out by forensic doctors appointed by the court. Cultural or religious sensitivities may not be taken into account. The FCDO cannot stop or interfere with the process.
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 iswas carried out in Senegal, you can ask for a copy of the report.report Ifby contacting:
yourlocalUKcoronerifyou havebringathelawyer,bodytheybackcantoapplytheforUKtheaBritishcopy.EmbassyTheinfuneralDakarthedirectorForeign,canCommonwealthalsoanddoDevelopmentitOfficeforinyou.theUK
If organsyou arebring removed,the theybody willback normallyto bethe returnedUK, before the person’sUK bodycoroner iswill releasedautomatically forassume burialresponsibility orand repatriation.
Theopen Foreign,an Commonwealthinquest. &The Developmentcoroner Officecan (FCDO)investigate cannotthe stopcause orof interferedeath, and help with thetranslation processand interpretation of aany post-mortem.medical findings.
BuryingBringing or cremating the body in Senegal.home
YouIf canthe findperson awho funeraldied directorhad abroadinsurance, tofind arrangeout aif burialtheir ininsurance Senegal.provider Your funeral director can givehelp youcover advicethe andcost explainof therepatriation. localRepatriation process,is the costs,process andof helpbringing youthe makebody arrangements.home.
ForIf aso, burialthey towill takemake placeall inthe Senegalnecessary a medical certificate stating cause of death would be required. arrangements.
SenegalIf isthe aperson secularwho statedied with a predominantly Muslim population, where cremation is not permitted.covered Cremationby isinsurance, notyou availablewill inneed Senegalto andappoint therean areinternational nofuneral cremationdirector facilities.yourself.
If
Finding familyan cannotinternational affordfuneral todirector
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Repatriationperson iswho thedied processto of bringing the body home. Bodies can be repatriated back to the UKUK. usingThe localFCDO undertakers,provides buta thislist isof veryUK-based costlyinternational withoutfuneral insurance. directors.
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
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Burying you or cremating the body locally
Cremation is not legal in Senegal police.and there are no cremation facilities.
IfTo youhave bringa thelocal person’sburial, bodya torelative theor UK,a youformally canappointed askrepresentative yourneeds to appoint a local funeral directordirector. toYou collectwill allneed thea belongingsmedical andcertificate transportstating themthe togethercause withof thedeath personfor whoa died.local burial.
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The funeral director will be able to takeexplain the belongingslocal asprocess.
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Retrieving belongings
ClothingPersonal maybelongings befound kepton asthe evidenceperson ifwho theredied isat anthe investigationtime intoof thedeath death.are Thisgiven willto onlythe bepolice returnedif when the courtfamily case is over.not present.
If you choose to repatriate the personbody, whoinstruct diedthe hadlocal insurance,funeral checkdirector withto collect all personal belongings from the insurancepolice companyor tocourt seeand ifship theythem willtogether coverwith the returnbody. They may need to show some form of theiridentification belongings.for the person who died.
The FCDO cannotIf helpthere withis an investigation into the costdeath, ofclothing returningmay personalbe belongingsretained toas theevidence family.and Thewill Britishnot Embassybe inreturned Senegaluntil cannotthe takecourt responsibilitycase foris thefinished.
The personalFCDO belongingscannot ofhelp with the personcost whoof hasreturning died.personal belongings to the family.
Finding a French translator
You may need a translator to help you understand rulesinformation from local authorities or gettranslate documentscertain translated.documents. TheThe FCDO provides a list of of English-speaking translators in Senegal.
Finding Thea embassylawyer
You can apply to appoint a lawyer in Senegalcertain cannotcircumstances, providesuch translationas servicesa orsuspicious paydeath. forThe translationFCDO costs.
Findingprovides a lawyerlist of English-speaking lawyers in Senegal.
Cancelling a passport
YouTo mayavoid needidentity afraud, lawyerthe topassport helpof youthe understandperson thewho Senegalesedied legalshould systembe whencancelled someonewith hasHis died.Majesty’s CheckPassport theOffice list(HMPO). ofTo lawyersdo inthis, Senegal.you Theneed embassyto incomplete Senegala cannotD1 giveform.
If you legalplan adviceto orrepatriate paythe forperson legalwho costs.
Tellingdied to the UKUK, authorities
Although you domay notneed havetheir passport to registerdo thethis. deathIn inthese circumstances, you should cancel the UK,passport whenafter someonethey dieshave abroadbeen repatriated.
Checking you stillhave done everything you need to telldo in the UK
Check authorities.this Readstep-by-step generalguide guidancefor on what to do when someone dies abroad to findmake outsure whatyou tohave do.
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Updates to this page
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Annual review completed
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First published.