Guidance

What to do if a British national dies in Gabon

Updated 20 July 2023

1. Introduction

When a relative or friend dies abroad, the different procedures, laws or language can cause additional distress. You may be uncertain about what to do or who to contact.

This country-specific information is designed to help you through some of the practical arrangements you may need to make. It supplements the general information on death abroad produced by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, which applies to all countries.

Please note, as each country has its own laws and customs when a death occurs, it may not be possible to make the arrangements that you prefer, or at the time you would like.

2. How to contact the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO)

There is a lot of information below, but you may still have questions. You can speak to someone by phone 24/7, any day of the year by contacting the FCDO in London on 0207 008 5000.

If you are not in the UK, you can find the contact details of the nearest British embassy, high commission or consulate online

The priority of the FCDO is to assist British nationals overseas who need the most help. The level and type of assistance they can offer is tailored to the individual circumstances of each case.

3. Next of kin

The next of kin of the person who died will usually need to make decisions and practical arrangements. The next of kin can sometimes appoint another person to act on their behalf.

If you are not the next of kin, they need to be informed. If required, the FCDO can help you to do this.

There is no legal definition of next of kin in the UK. Please note that if there is a disagreement over who is the next of kin, or the person who died did not choose a next of kin, this can cause additional complications.

There is no legal requirement in Gabon for a death to be registered by the next of kin. However, a death is usually registered by the NOK, who will take care of all necessary procedures in Gabon. The services of an international undertaker are normally necessary to help with these arrangements if you wish to repatriate the body to the UK.

3.1 Release of information to next of kin

The FCDO will try to obtain as much information as possible after your relative or friend has died abroad, but it can be a bureaucratic and slow process in Gabon. Some of this information may be only available to next of kin, and the funeral director appointed in Gabon is in the best place to gather information on your behalf. The Honorary Consul, with support from Consular officers in Cameroon, may be able to obtain these themselves, or they may be able to provide you with details of others who can advocate on your behalf such as lawyers, charities, or other organisations.

4. Insurance

It is very important to check if the person who died had insurance; if the answer is yes, contact the insurance company as soon as possible. They may have a list of approved funeral directors or be able to cover some of the costs.

If the person who died did not have insurance, the next of kin will usually have to appoint a funeral director and will usually be responsible for all costs. The FCDO cannot help with these costs.

5. Appointing a funeral director

If you decide to bring the deceased to the UK for the funeral or cremation, you may only need to appoint an international funeral director. The FCDO produces a list of international funeral directors based in the UK.

If you decide to hold a funeral in Gabon, you can find a list of local funeral directors on GOV.UK - Find a funeral director abroad. It is the next of kin’s responsibility to appoint and instruct a funeral director as soon as possible after being notified of the death, by making direct contact with them. Once the funeral director has the next of kin’s signed authority to proceed, they will liaise with Gabon authorities to organise funeral arrangements, burial or repatriation and assist with the issuing of the deceased’s death certificate.

Payment for these arrangements is a private agreement between the next of kin and the funeral director. Services offered vary from agency to agency so we would recommend that you make enquiries with different funeral directors to find the one who can best assist you. If the person who died had insurance, the insurance company will appoint their own international or local undertaker. You should not enter into an arrangement with an undertaker without speaking to the insurance company first.

The local funeral director may liaise with the funeral director in the UK. Please note that to sign consent and give instructions to a funeral director in Gabon, the next of kin does not need to be physically in country and may keep in direct contact with the funeral director via telephone or email.

5.1 Funeral directors in Gabon

Coffins and containers that comply with international standards are available in Gabonese funeral homes:

1. GABOSEP
Av. Monseigneur Bessieux
Libreville
GABON
BP : 1155
(+241)01720722
(+241)01 76 07 23
Fax : (+241) 01 77 22 96

gabosepp@gmail.com

2. SAAF
Carrefour SOGATOL à coté de la Mairie du 5ème Arrondissement,
Libreville
GABON
BP: 15623
(+241) 01 77 58 38

3. CASEPGA
Zone industrielle d’Oloumi, face à la Direction Générale de la Documentation et de l’Immigration
Libreville
Gabon
BP: 14189
(+241) 01 77 49 49
(+241) 07 88 94 43
Fax: (+241) 01 77 48 48

6. Registering the death and obtaining a death certificate

In Gabon, when certifying a death, it is mandatory to contact:

• Funeral directors in order to preserve the body and provide a funeral pass;
• The Town Hall in order to establish the death certificate;
• The Ministry of Foreign Affairs via the Directorate of Consular Affairs for the translation of death certificates and other necessary documents;
• The Police, if applicable;
• The Honorary Consul for the establishment of a letter addressed to the Ministry of the Interior authorising the transfer of the remains;
• The Ministry of the Interior for the issuance of a document named ‘definitive authorization’ to transfer the body.

The death will need to be registered with the Gabonese Civil Registration Office; the NOK can normally do this. They will need the passport of the person who has died, and to know what their marital status and parents’ names were. They will also need to be informed if the person suffered from an infectious condition such as COVID-19, hepatitis or HIV, so the local authorities can take precautions against infection.

Please note that the registration procedures may take some time. If there has been a post-mortem examination, the cause of death might not be known for some months and the post-mortem report will not be released until the end of the inquiry.

The local death certificate can usually be used in the UK for most purposes, including probate. As the death certificate will be in french, you will need to obtain and pay for an official translation. The funeral agent can obtain copies of the death certificate and provide the official translations for you. You do not need to register the death with the UK authorities. You can sometimes apply for a consular death registration. This is not mandatory and cannot be used instead of a death certificate from the country where the person died. It is only available in some countries. If you wish to do this, you can find more information on registering a death and apply online.

7. Post mortem examinations (autopsies)

Autopsies are usually only performed when the cause of death is suspicious. This is the case when complaints from relatives or other reliable sources suggest an unnatural death such as suicide or murder.

It should be noted that it is often difficult to obtain autopsy reports. This is usually done at the request of the Police, the Court and/or a legal representative. However, even in such circumstances, the autopsy may not be performed due to a lack of qualified or available medical personnel in the hospital concerned.

It should also be noted that the level of autopsies performed in Gabon is lower than in the United Kingdom. In most cases, it will be preferable to have an autopsy done in the UK once the body is repatriated.

In the event of an autopsy performed, the British Honorary Consul in Gabon may request a copy of the report; although this process can be very lengthy and does not always allow for the report.

8. Mortuary facilities

The deceased will normally be held at a local hospital morgue. However, you should be aware that storage facilities could vary depending on the part of the country, and in many places are significantly worse than the standard you would expect in the UK.

There is no maximum retention period for remains prior to burial.

9. Burial, cremation, repatriation

Cremation services are not yet available at GABON.

Currently, to perform a cremation, it will be necessary to have the remains transferred to Cameroon to Yaoundé (General Hospital, Military Hospital, Engineering-Obstetrics Hospital) or Douala (General Hospital).

The ashes are collected in a small bag, placed in a hardwood box and welded to facilitate their repatriation.

The international funeral home “Fun service Belgium” has a branch in Yaoundé, Cameroon. They are able to repatriate the ashes to the United Kingdom.

10. Return of personal belongings

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.

Please note: the British High Commission cannot take responsibility or become involved in storing, collecting or forwarding personal belongings. If legal assistance is required, you can find a list of local lawyers on GOV.UK - Find a lawyer abroad.

11. Steps to take in the UK

You can find more information on the steps to take in the UK on GOV.UK - When someone dies. This guide includes information on arranging the funeral, telling the government about the death, UK pensions and benefits, and dealing with the estate of the person who died.

12. British Passport cancellation

To avoid identity fraud, the passport of the person who died should be cancelled with His Majesty’s Passport Office (HMPO). Instructions on how to do this and where to send the passport are available on GOV.UK - What to do with a passport when the passport holder has died.

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 only cancel the passport after they have been repatriated.

13. Deaths investigated as murder or manslaughter

If the local police have confirmed that they are investigating the death as a murder or manslaughter, a dedicated team within the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office will be available to provide support and refer you to a specialised organisation. You can find more information on GOV.UK.

You should note that if the deceased is repatriated to the UK, a coroner or procurator fiscal might decide to hold an inquest. See the section on UK Coroners and inquests below.

14. UK coroners and inquests

If you repatriate the person who died abroad to England and Wales, there may be an inquest. The decision on when to hold an inquest is made by His Majesty’s Coroner. Please note, an inquest will usually only happen in certain situations, for example, when someone has died in suspicious or violent circumstances or whilst in detention. If the person who died was cremated and only their ashes are brought to the UK, there will not be an inquest.

If you repatriate the person who died to Scotland, the Procurator Fiscal may decide to call for a Fatal Accidents or Injuries Inquiry.

If you repatriate the person who died to Northern Ireland, there will be no coronial inquest or further inquiry.

Please note, Procurators Fiscal and Coroners do not have jurisdiction in another country, nor do they seek to apportion blame to a named individual. You can find more information in the FCDO guide on death abroad.

15. Legal Aid

There is no legal aid available in Gabon. Some local lawyers will take pro-bono cases, but they would decide this depending on the merits of the case. Please find further information on GOV.UK - Find a lawyer abroad.

16. Compensation

You can find information on GOV.UK about UK compensation for victims of terrorism overseas. There is no local government compensation scheme in Gabon.

17. Supporting organizations in the UK

In the UK, many organisations can help bereaved families. Some of these are listed in the guide coping with death abroad.

18. Useful links on GOV.UK:

What to do if someone dies abroad (part of the guide ‘What to do when someone dies’)

What to do after a British national dies abroad

Coping with death abroad

International funeral directors based in the UK

Professional services abroad (includes funeral directors, lawyers etc.)

Find a British embassy, high commission or consulate

19. Disclaimer

This information is not meant to be definitive, nor is it to be taken as a substitute for independent legal advice. Neither His Majesty’s Government nor its staff take any responsibility for the accuracy of the information, nor accept liability for any loss, costs, damage or expense that you might suffer as a result of relying on this information. Some of the information may not be relevant to your circumstances. The language used is intended to be general and factual and is not meant to cause offence.