This guide gives advice about the death of a British person in Botswana, including information on burial, cremation and repatriation.

If you are dealing with the death of a child, multiple deaths, a suspicious death or a case of murder or manslaughter, call +267 3952841.

ContactingContact 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 abroadthe 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 Botswanalocally and in the UK.

What Theyto maydo alsoif coverthe person who died didn’t have insurance

If you are not sure whether the costperson ofwho bringingdied had insurance, check with their bank, credit card company or employer.

If the person’sperson bodywho died did not have insurance, a relative or a formally appointed representative will usually have to theappoint UKa (repatriation)funeral director and be responsible for all costs. The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) provides a list of UK-based international funeral directors.

The FCDO cannot help with any medical,costs. legal,In interpretationsome cases, funeral directors and translationlawyers fees.may provide services on a pro bono basis. Pro bono work is done for free or for a reduced cost depending on your circumstances. This is decided on a case by case basis.

RegisteringCharities theand deathorganisations that offer support

Some UK-based charities and organisations may be able to provide help and information to people affected by a death abroad. The FCDO provides a list of UK-based charities and organisations.

Register the death and obtain a death certificate

Deaths must be registered atin the localcountry registrywhere office. the Youperson candied. findTo register a death in Botswana, you will need to obtain a ‘Death Notification tear-off’ from the doctor who initially examined the body and certified the death.

Take the ‘Death Notification tear-off’, along with an identity document for citizens or passports for non-citizens, to any branch of the National Registration Office to obtain a death certificate. You can find a branch at all government hospitals.

Death Yourcertificates funeralare directorprovided in English and can normallybe docollected thisthe forsame youday during working hours (7:30am to 4:30pm). Funeral directors can do this if they have written authorisation from you to act on your behalf, along with your notarised form of identity.

You Deathscan shouldget beyour registeredidentity withindocuments 30notarised daysby a local notary or commissioner of occurrence.

Youoaths willin needBotswana. informationThe andFCDO documentsprovides abouta thelist personof whoEnglish-speaking haslawyers died,in including:Botswana.

• death

  UK notificationdocuments tear-offthat (givenare certified by thea doctorUK whonotary certifiedcan thealso death)

• thebe passportused ofin theBotswana. personMore whoinformation died
• statementon fromthe declarantdeath andregistration certifiedprocess copyis ofon theirthe validRepublic nationalof identityBotswana document

government website.

ForYou latedo registrationnot (afterneed 30to days)register orthe deathsdeath thatin occurredthe outsideUK. healthThe facilities,local youdeath willcertificate needcan additionalusually documents,be including:

• letterused ofin confirmationthe ofUK deathfor frommost localpurposes, chiefincluding orprobate.

  If authority

• statementsyou fromwish, twoyou witnessescan whoregister know of the death andwith certifiedthe copiesOverseas ofRegistration theirUnit valid(ORU). nationalYou identitycan documents

Gettingbuy a UK-style death certificate

Aftercertificate, registeringknown theas death,a youConsular Death Registration certificate. The ORU will getsend a deathrecord certificate.to Deaththe certificatesGeneral areRegister providedOffice inwithin English.12 It’smonths.

If worththe askingperson forwho extradied copiessuffered offrom thean deathinfectious certificate,condition, such as hepatitis or HIV, you mightmust needtell themthe tolocal showauthorities, toso peoplethey later.can take precautions against infection.

Post-mortemsMortuary in Botswanafacilities

AMortuary post-mortemfacilities isvary athroughout medicalBotswana. examinationMost ofmajor thetowns body.and Therecities mighthave mortuaries with temperature-controlled storage facilities, but these may not be oneavailable in Botswanarural ifareas. This may mean the body cannot be preserved in a good condition.

Deal with a local post-mortem

Post-mortems are normally performed when 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. SmallThe tissueFCDO samplescannot andstop organsor mayinterfere bewith removedthe forprocess.

In testingBotswana, withoutpost-mortems theare family’sperformed permission.in Yougovernment willhospitals notthat automaticallyhave bepathologists. toldThe ifprocess thisusually happens.takes a week although it can take longer (due to a shortage of pathologists).

IfThere organsis areusually removed,no theyfee willfor normallya forensic post-mortem. Clinical post-mortems conducted on non-citizens or non-residents cost P2500 and must be returnedpaid beforefor by the person’snext bodyof iskin.

If releasedthere forhas burial.not Inbeen exceptionala circumstancespost-mortem, bodythe partsnext mayof bekin keptcan withoutask permission.for Thisone. mightHowever, happenthe attending medical team may reject this if furtherthe investigationcause of death is needed.very clear. The post-mortem request form requires written consent by both next of kin and the pathologists of the investigating body e.g. police.

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 informedtold if this happens.

Post-mortem reportsThese tissues are not usuallyreturned givenand toare thedisposed next of kin.by the hospital.

If you havewant a lawyer,copy theyof canthe post-mortem report, you must apply forthrough athe copycoroner in the UK (if you bring the body home) or request the preliminary report from the medical or forensic team.

Burying orYou crematingshould theask bodyfor inthis Botswana

Youwhen needyou arequest localthe funeralpost-mortem. directorThe toattending arrangepathologist awill burialprovide orthe cremationreport in Botswana.English, usually within one week of the examination, unless further testing is ongoing.

Bring the body home

BotswanaIf lawthe statesperson thatwho foreignersdied mayhad onlyinsurance, befind buriedout inif Botswanatheir withinsurance theprovider permissioncan ofhelp theircover countrythe cost of nationality.repatriation. ThisRepatriation meansis the nextprocess of kinbringing mustthe obtainbody ahome. letterIf fromso, thethey Britishwill Highmake Commission.all the necessary arrangements.

YouIf should not have the person crematedwho abroaddied ifis younot wantcovered aby coronerinsurance, inyou Englandwill andneed Wales to conductappoint an inquestinternational intofuneral theirdirector death.yourself.

Find Inan Scotland,international afuneral furtherdirector

A investigationrelative mayor stilla beformally possible.

Bringingappointed therepresentative bodymust toappoint thea UK

AskUK-based yourinternational funeral director aboutfor optionsthe forperson bringingwho thedied person’sto bodybe repatriated to the UKUK. fromThe Botswana.FCDO provides a list of UK-based international funeral directors.

WhenLocal takingfuneral thedirectors person’swill bodywork with UK-based international funeral directors to make sure all the UKnecessary fromrequirements Botswanaare youmet willboth needlocally toand show:

• in the deathUK. certificate
• copyThis ofincludes passportproviding ofdocuments thesuch personas whoa died
• local civil registry death certificate, a certificate of embalming
• and a certificate giving permission to transfer the remains to the UK

UK.

Bringing

Advice theand ashesfinancial assistance for repatriation

There are UK organisations and charities that may be able to offer assistance with repatriation.

Requesting a post-mortem in the UK

AskIf youryou funeralwant directorto abouthave a post-mortem in the rulesUK foronce bringingthe ashesbody has been repatriated, you can request one from a UK coroner. The coroner will then decide if a post-mortem is needed. If you want the person who died to be cremated, you need to apply for a certificate from the UK.coroner (form ‘Cremation 6’).

Bringing

Bring the ashes tohome

If you arechoose takinglocal cremation and wish to take the ashes withback to the UK yourself, you whencan usually do so. Check with your airline about specific restrictions or requirements, for example whether you can carry the ashes as hand luggage. To leave Botswana with human ashes you will need to:

• show the death certificate
• show theof cremation certificate
• showfill thein Ministrya ofstandard Healthcustoms letterform confirmingwhen theyou ashesarrive are disease-freehome
• follow

If anyit localis Botswananot rulespossible for takingyou ashesto outtransport of the country.ashes Youryourself, a funeral director canwill advisebe you

informable to make the airlinenecessary inarrangements. advance

ArrangingThe forFCDO theprovides ashesa tolist beof takenUK-based tointernational thefuneral UK

directors.

Ask

Bury youror funeralcremate directorthe forbody advicelocally

To ifhave youa cannotlocal takeburial theor ashescremation, yourself.a Yourelative mayor nota beformally ableappointed representative needs to sendappoint thema bylocal postfuneral ordirector.

The courier.FCDO Ashesprovides cana belist shippedof byEnglish-speaking airfuneral freight,directors althoughin thisBotswana.

The canfuneral director will be expensive.

Gettingable theto person’sexplain belongingsthe back

local process.

BelongingsBotswana thelaw personstates hadthat foreigners may only be buried in Botswana with themthe whenpermission theyof diedtheir arecountry normallyof givennationality. toThis means the next of kin ormust obtain a letter from the BotswanaBritish police.High Commission.

If youa bringlocal theburial person’sor bodycremation totakes theplace, UK,there youwill cannot askbe youra localcoroner’s funeralinquest directorcarried toout collectin all the UK.

Retrieve belongings

Personal andbelongings transportfound themon together.

Ifthe theyperson werewho adied Botswanaat resident,the theirtime personalof belongingsdeath mayare begiven consideredto partthe ofpolice theirif estate,the whichfamily meansis thatnot present.

If you maychoose notto berepatriate, ableinstruct the local funeral director to collect them.all Getpersonal legalbelongings advicefrom ifthe thispolice isor thecourt case.

Belongingsand mayship bethem kepttogether aswith evidencethe ifperson who died.

If there is an investigation into the death.death, Thisclothing may be retained as evidence and will onlynot be returned whenuntil the court case is over.finished.

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

FindingFind a Botswana lawyer

You maycan needapply to appoint a lawyer toin helpcertain youcircumstances, understandsuch theas Botswanaa legalsuspicious systemdeath. whenThe someoneFCDO hasprovides died.a Checklist of English-speaking lawyers in Botswana.

Cancel Thea Highpassport

To Commissionavoid inidentity Botswanafraud, cannotthe givepassport youof legalthe adviceperson orwho paydied forshould legalbe costs.

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AlthoughMajesty’s youPassport Office (HMPO). To do notthis, haveyou need to registercomplete thea deathD1 inform.

If theyou UK,plan whento someonerepatriate diesthe abroadperson youwho stilldied need to tell the UKUK, authorities.you Readmay generalrequire guidancetheir onpassport what to do whenthis. someoneIn diesthese abroadcircumstances, toyou findshould outcancel whatthe topassport do.after they have been repatriated.

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