Guidance

Zambia: bereavement information

Updated 28 November 2024

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 the 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.

Zambia: bereavement information

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.

How to contact the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office

There is a lot of information below, but you may have questions. You can speak to someone by phone 24/7, any day of the year by contacting the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office 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.

The priority of the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office is to provide assistance to 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.

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 will need to be informed. If required, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office can help you 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.

In Zambia, the next of kin is described in law as a widower or widow of a deceased person or any other person who by law would be entitled to letters of administration in preference to a creditor or legatee of the person who died. In practice, this can be the spouse, siblings, parents, children, or any adult considered a close relative. Same sex partners or spouses are not recognised in Zambia under local law or practices.

If the next of kin is in the UK or a third country, the police will usually notify the British High Commission. The High Commission will try to trace the next of kin as soon as possible and would normally ask the UK police to relay the notification of death.

Release of information to next of kin

The Foreign & Commonwealth Office will try to obtain as much information as possible after your relative or friend has died abroad. Some of this may be only available to next of kin. Consular officers may be able to obtain this themselves, or they may put you in touch directly with the authorities overseas.

Insurance

It is very important to check if the person who died had insurance. If they had insurance, contact the insurance company as soon as possible. They may have a list of approved funeral directors to help you make arrangements, 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 Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office cannot help with these costs.

Appointing a funeral director

If you decide to bring your loved one to the UK for the funeral or cremation, you may only need to appoint an international funeral director. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office produces a list of international funeral directors based in the UK

If you decide to hold a funeral or cremation in Zambia, you can find a list of funeral directors in Zambia

A relative or a formally appointed representative or next of kin must instruct a local funeral director Zambia for the body to be buried or cremated in Zambia. If you wish to return the person who died for burial in the UK, you must appoint an international funeral director in the UK. However if the person who died was insured you should contact the insurance company to establish if they are able to cover for the repatriation expenses and make the necessary arrangements. Funeral Directors are usually very helpful in explaining and handling the whole process, including all steps involved for a local burial, cremation and repatriation.

Registering the death and obtaining a death certificate

You will need to register the death with the local authorities in the country where the person died. Sometimes a funeral director can do this for you. You will usually need documents about you and the person who has died, which include information such as full name, date of birth and passport number.

The local authorities will need to be told if the person suffered from an infectious condition such as hepatitis, COVID-19 or HIV so they can take precautions against infection.

In Zambia, it is necessary for the person who died to be identified visually by the next of kin. If a body is damaged beyond recognition, DNA tests and in some instances, dental records and fingerprints may be used to aid identification. In the event that there is no next of kin in country, any person who knew the person who died and has written consent from the family to act as next of kin can perform the identification. This could be a co-worker, friend, partner not recognized by the law, etc. The police, hospital, and appointed representative then together make the identification.

You do not need to register the death with the UK authorities. The local death certificate can usually be used in the UK for most purposes, including probate.

Deaths should be registered with The Office of Registrar General, Department of Births, Marriages and Deaths. The Death Certificate can be obtained by contacting the department of The Registrar General Births, Marriages and Deaths, located at Kambendekela House off Independence Avenue in Lusaka., or at your local Boma Offices in other towns/cities. Tel: +260 211 228196/7, +260 211 221128.

Death certificates are printed in English and can be collected within 48 hours. Funeral directors are able to assist with this process upon a written request (with a notarised form of identity) from next of kin to act on their behalf.

Consular death registration

You do not have to register the death of a British national that occurs overseas with the UK authorities. If you wish to do this, you can find more information and apply online

Post mortem examinations (autopsies)

In Zambia, a post-mortem, which is also known as an autopsy, is normally performed under the following circumstances:

• where a person is believed to have died from natural causes, but the cause of death is unclear – this would be requested by a doctor in a state hospital

• where the cause of death is believed to be unnatural or suspicious. A suspicious death is determined by the police or reported to the police as such by family member. In some instances, a death is treated as suspicious if a person is brought into the hospital dead

• in some circumstances, the coroner will agree to a request from an autopsy from family members. The police will need to agree to the request, and next-of-kin may be charged for the procedure

Forensic doctors appointed by the hospital or by the court sometimes called pathologists carry out post-mortems. During a post-mortem, small tissue samples and organs may be removed and retained for testing, including toxicological studies. This is done in order to better understand the cause of death and to evaluate any disease or injury that might be present. It can be crucial to establish cause of death in cases where criminal or civil legal procedures may eventuate.

It is possible for the next of kin to object to an autopsy taking place or to request only an external or partial autopsy. The Coroner will take into account cultural or religious sensitivities. Coronial staff will often contact next of kin to explain the need for an autopsy and to inform them of the possible complications in the event that one is not undertaken. If a post-mortem is not conducted because of a request from next of kin, it can result in a death certificate having limited information as to cause of death, which can effect on matters involving travel insurance and estate settlement. In the case of a suspected homicide, the Coroners in Zambia will not agree to requests for autopsy exemptions.

• in some cases, it may be necessary to have a further autopsy in the UK even though one has been carried out overseas and when repatriation is to England or wales, it is probable that the Coroner will wish to hold an inquest.

• if your loved one’s body is repatriated to England and Wales, a Coroner may order an inquest to establish who died, when, where, and how. In certain circumstances, an inquest must be held

• if there is an inquest, a post-mortem might also be carried out in the UK (even if a post-mortem has already been carried out overseas)

• an inquest may be adjourned until any legal proceedings in the country of death have concluded. In some cases, this can take a number of years

• the Coroner will decide when the body may be released to the family for burial or cremation

• correspondence with coroners should be conducted through the Coroner’s Liaison Officer (CLO) in Consular Assistance Department. All requests for documentation from local authorities should be dealt with promptly

Mortuary facilities

The body of the person who died will normally be cared for by the hospital morgue. Public hospital mortuaries do not have good condition refrigeration facilities and most are open trays in a cold-room. Private facilities, usually funeral directors, have better and sufficient facilities. The next of kin will need to present themselves to the morgue to secure admittance and release of the body, although a nominated designate may do this on their behalf with written permission from the next of kin. Local funeral directors will advise on this procedure.

Burial, cremation, repatriation

The next of kin of the person who has died will usually need to decide between a local burial, cremation or bringing the person who died home, which is known as repatriation. Your funeral director will usually be able to explain the options available, the costs, and help you make arrangements.

If you choose a local burial, you will need to instruct either a local funeral director or they can make the necessary arrangements with a private or government owned cemetery. A ceremony can be organised by the funeral director. You may make specific arrangements depending on your cultural and/or religious beliefs.

Cremation is widely available in Zambia’ if this links to a particular religious or ethnic group. If you are thinking of arranging a local cremation, please take advice from your local funeral director. Most crematoriums in Zambia are able to host a funeral service; you can make specific arrangements with your funeral director depending on your cultural or religious beliefs.

The funeral director will have more information on designated areas that allow ashes to be scattered in publicly owned areas according to the local restrictions. If you wish for the ashes to be repatriated from Zambia to the UK, your funeral director will guide you on the local authority requirements, which they obtain on your behalf from the registry and airline.

The British High Commission will provide UK guidelines with regards ashes importation. Should any of these institutions require further information or documentations beyond the usual procedures, you will be notified by the funeral director or representative of the institution.

If you are unable to afford a funeral or to repatriate remains, then the local council will conduct a public health funeral. It includes a coffin and a funeral director to transport the body of the person who died to the cemetery. This may be a single or mass grave depending on the cause of death and sometimes number of bodies to be disposed of. Records of the burial are held with the local council offices in the town of burial. Please note if a local burial or cremation takes place, then an inquest in the UK will not be possible. For more information on inquests, see the information on UK coroners and inquests.

Return of personal belongings

Please note, the British High Commission cannot take responsibility for the personal belongings of the person who died.

The police will return any personal effects that are in their care to the next of kin or nominated person. If personal effects need to be returned to the UK and next of kin are not present in Zambia, your funeral director is normally best placed to help you to arrange their delivery to the UK.

If the person who died had insurance, check with the insurance company if this covers the return of their personal belongings.

Steps to take in the UK

You can find more information on the steps to take in the UK online. This 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. There is a systematic guide on gov.uk

British passport cancellation

In order to avoid identity fraud, the passport of the person who died should be cancelled with HM Passport Office (HMPO). To do this, you will need to complete a “D1 form”.

The form, and instructions on where to send it is available online

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.

Child deaths

There are no separate procedures for deaths involving children. If there were any investigations that need to be carried into the death of a child, the procedure would be similar to deaths of adults.

Deaths in road traffic accidents

Police in Zambia will hold a full investigation into any unnatural or traumatic death and there are no separate procedures for deaths involving road traffic accidents.

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 and Commonwealth Office will be available to provide support, including by referring you to a specialised organisations. You can find more about how the FCDO can help with murder and manslaughter abroad

If the police in Zambia determine that a death is suspicious or unnatural, they will investigate the death and if possible, prosecute those responsible. This can take months or even years in certain circumstances.

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

UK coroners and inquests

If you repatriate the person who died 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 happens in certain situations, for example, when someone has died in suspicious, unnatural, and violent circumstances or whilst in detention. If the person who died is cremated and only their ashes are brought home, 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 on Coroners and the Procurator Fiscal in the FCDO guide on death abroad

Legal Aid

Legal aid is available for non-citizens In Zambia. However, note that there is a huge demand for free legal services and allocation of support is concentrated on people facing prosecution. You may not be able to access representation as soon as you may need or want. Under certain circumstances, such as a suspicious death, you may wish to engage the services of a local lawyer to represent your interests should a trial be necessary. Should you wish to have detailed feedback from court proceedings, you may wish to engage a lawyer before the case passes to the public prosecutor. Please see our list of lawyers

Compensation

Dependents of any person who is killed in a road crash at any place in Zambia where the public has access to may be eligible to compensation. This only applies to residents of Zambia. Compensation normally covers funeral expenses, loss of earnings, loss of support and incidental expenses. You can obtain further information through the online inquiry form or visit their offices at 11001 Dedan Kimati road in Kamwala, Lusaka.

You can find information on UK compensation for victims of terrorism overseas

Translation and Interpretation

English is widely spoken in Zambia, so you are less likely to need a translator or an interpreter.

Additional support

Local support organisations

As far as we are aware, there are no organisations established in Zambia with the specific purpose of providing grief counselling or other bereavement support. Local churches may provide support or advice to bereaved families.

Support organisations in the UK

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