What to do after a British person dies in The Gambia
This guide gives advice about the death of a British person in The Gambia, 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 +44 1908 51 6666.
Contact the travel insurance company
If the person who died had insurance, contact their insurance company as soon as possible. Insurance providers may help to cover the cost of repatriation. Repatriation is the process of bringing the body home. Insurance providers may also help with any medical, legal, interpretation and translation fees.
If the person who died had insurance, the insurance company will appoint a funeral director both locally and in the UK.
What to do if the person who died didn’t have insurance
If you are not sure whether the person who died had insurance, check with their bank, credit card company or 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 FCDO provides a list of UK-based international funeral directors.
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office cannot help with any costs. In some cases, funeral directors and lawyers may provide services on a pro bono basis. Pro bono work is done for free or for a much reduced cost depending on your circumstances. This is decided on a case by case basis.
Charities and organisations that offer support
Some UK-based charities and organisations may be able to offer assistance, support 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 in the country where the person died. In The Gambia, you need to register the death at the Births and Deaths registry office in Banjul. A funeral director can also do this, with authorisation from the next of kin. You will need documents which can identify both yourself and the person who died, such as a passport, identity card, or driver’s licence.
To get a death certificate, you need to submit either a ‘medical certificate of death’ or a ‘brought in dead certificate’ to the Registry of Births and Deaths. These are issued at the time of death. A hospital will issue a ‘medical certificate of death’, the mortuary will issue a ‘brought in dead certificate.’ You can ask for multiple copies of the death certificate at this time. If you ask for copies at a later date, you will need to pay a fee and go to the Registry of Births and Deaths in person. All documents are produced in English.
If a post-mortem is carried out, the death certificate can be delayed by several weeks. Delays can also happen if there is an ongoing police investigation.
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.
If you wish, you can register the death with the Overseas Registration Unit. You can buy a UK-style death certificate, known as a Consular Death Registration certificate. A record will be sent to the General Register Office within 12 months.
You need to tell the local authorities if the person who died suffered from an infectious condition, such as hepatitis or HIV, so they can take precautions against infection.
Deal with a local post-mortem
Post-mortems are normally performed when the cause of death is unknown, unnatural, sudden or violent. In the Gambia, the next of kin can also ask for a post-mortem to be performed by writing to the Coroner at the local district’s Magistrates court. Post-mortems are carried out by forensic doctors appointed by the court. Cultural or religious sensitivities may not be taken into account.
If you do not want a post-mortem to be carried out, you can make your case to the coroner at the local magistrates court. If you have appointed a local funeral director, they can deliver the post-mortem letter for you.
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office cannot stop or interfere with the process.
In The Gambia, a post-mortem is carried out by a government appointed pathologist at Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital, Banjul.
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.
It can take several weeks for the post-mortem report to be issued. If the police have ordered a post-mortem there is no charge. You will need to pay a fee for a post-mortem that you have requested. Post-mortem reports are usually made available for the next of kin. A post-mortem conducted in The Gambia will not provide the detail that you might find in a UK post-mortem report.
Bring the body home
If the person who died had insurance, find out if their insurance provider can help cover the cost of repatriation. Repatriation is the process of bringing the body home. If so, they will make all the necessary arrangements.
If the person who died is not covered by insurance, you will need to appoint an international funeral director yourself.
Local funeral directors also provide repatriation services. The FCDO provides a list of English-speaking funeral directors in The Gambia.
Bodies that are going to be repatriated must be embalmed. A local or international funeral director can make all of the necessary arrangements and secure the necessary authorisations and documentation for repatriation.
Find an international funeral director
A relative or a formally appointed representative must appoint a UK-based international funeral director for the person who died to be repatriated to the UK for burial or cremation. The FCDO provides a list of UK-based international funeral directors.
Local funeral directors will work with UK-based international funeral directors to make sure all the necessary requirements are met 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.
Advice and financial assistance for repatriation
For organisations and charities that may be able to offer assistance with repatriation, see information on LBT Global in Coping with death abroad: specialist support and advice or repatriation charities in Northern Ireland and Wales.
If you want to have a post-mortem in the UK once the body 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 coroner (form ‘Cremation 6’).
Bury the body locally
Cremation is against the law in The Gambia.
To have a local burial, a relative or a formally appointed representative needs to appoint a local funeral director. The funeral director will be able to explain the local process.
The FCDO provides a list of English-speaking funeral directors in The Gambia.
If you choose a local burial, you will need to instruct a local funeral director who can make the necessary arrangements. There are no ready-made coffins available in The Gambia. It usually takes about 72 hours for a coffin to be fitted and made. Most remains are not embalmed if buried locally.
Both Islamic and Christian burials and cemeteries are available around the country. Following Muslim law, a body should be buried the same or next day and Islamic burial generally occurs within 24 hours of death. There are no time constraints for Christian burials.
All burials must be paid for.
If a local burial takes place, a coroner’s inquest will not be carried out in the UK.
Retrieve belongings
Personal belongings found on the person who died at the time of death are handed to the police if the family is not present.
If you choose to repatriate, instruct the local funeral director to collect all personal belongings from the police or court and ship them together with the person who died.
If there is an investigation into the death, clothing may be retained as evidence and will not be returned until the court case is finished.
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office cannot take responsibility for, or help with the cost of returning personal belongings to the family.
Find a lawyer
You can apply to appoint a lawyer in certain circumstances, such as a suspicious death. The FCDO provides a list of English-speaking lawyers in The Gambia.
Cancel a passport
To avoid identity fraud, the passport of the person who died should be cancelled with Her Majesty’s Passport Office (HMPO). To do this, you need to complete a D1 form.
If you plan to repatriate the person who died to the UK, you may require their passport to do this. In these circumstances, you should cancel the passport after they have been repatriated.
Check you have done everything you need to do in the UK
Check this step-by-step guide for when someone dies to make sure you have done everything you need to do in the UK after someone has died. You can find information on how to tell the government about the death, UK pensions and benefits and dealing with the estate of the person who died.
Updates to this page
Last updated 19 August 2024 + show all updates
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The information provided in this guidance document has been reviewed and is still relevant with the most up to date information, as at August 2024.
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First published.