Guidance

Mauritius: bereavement information

Updated 21 June 2022

1. Disclaimer

This information is not meant to be definitive, nor is it to be taken as a substitute for independent legal advice. Neither Her 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.

2. 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.

2.1 How to get consular support

In the UK, call Consular Directorate at the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office in London on +44 207 008 5000.

In Mauritius, call the Consular Section, British High Commission on +230 660 4900. Office hours are: Monday to Thursday, 07h45 to 15h45 and on Friday, 07h45 to 13h45. Alternatively, you can contact us via our contact form.

If you are calling out of our normal office hours, you should call the same number +230 660 4900 and your call will be directly transferred to our Global Response Centre or if calling from the UK, call +44 207 008 3353.

2.2 What we can and cannot do for you

Please see our separate leaflets. You can also view our guidance on coping with death abroad for more information.

3. The role of the Police and District Magistrate

If a death involves a British national and is accidental or suspicious, the Mauritius Police will be involved and they will usually, but not always, inform the British High Commission in Mauritius. When a person dies from a sudden, violent, unnatural death or where the cause of death is not known, a doctor cannot issue a death certificate. We do not have a coroner system as such in Mauritius, therefore every unnatural/unexplained death is referred to the police.

The police request the authority of a magistrate to perform a post-mortem examination (autopsy) to ascertain the means, manner and cause of death. A Police Medical Officer (PMO - holder of a specialist degree in Forensic Medicine) is contacted by the police to perform the post-mortem examination. Upon their findings and laboratory results, the PMO can advise the Police whether it is a natural or unnatural death. In the case of natural death the Police will file the case.

In the case of suspicious or unnatural death, a judicial enquiry will be held by a District Magistrate (this can take months), normally in the district where the death has occurred. In case of homicide, a preliminary enquiry is carried out within 1-2 years, where the District Magistrate decide to which higher court (either Intermediate Court or Assizes) to refer the case. This process takes into consideration the elements (i.e. witnesses, scientific evidence, laboratory results etc) from the Police enquiry. How the case progresses thereafter will depend on the result of this enquiry.

The Police Medical Officers are directly answerable to the Commissioner of Police. The post mortem report is submitted to the District Magistrate. If all laboratory results are available, the final report can normally be ready within 6 weeks but in some cases the process can be longer.

3.1 Will there be an inquest?

Most deaths reported will not result in an inquest. If the District Magistrate is able to consider all available evidence such as medical reports and witness statements, and is satisfied that there are no outstanding matters to be determined, they can decide an inquest is not necessary.

An inquest must be held where the deceased has not been identified, the cause of death has not been determined, or the person died as a result of a homicide or in certain other circumstances.

4. Mortuary facilities

Mortuary facilities, including storage, are available in Mauritius. There are mortuaries at all major hospitals. Amongst other services offered, Elie & Sons Ltd Funeral Directors, Moura Funeral Enterprise and Valere Undertaker Funeral Services, which can be found in the list of funeral directors in Mauritius, also offer private refrigerated room facilities.

4.1 Post mortem (autopsy) examination

Unless a doctor has certified the cause of death and the death is a natural one, the police will request a magistrate’s authority for a post mortem (autopsy) examination to be carried out. This is the only certain method of determining and recording the cause of death, and is necessary to ensure an accurate finding as to the cause of death.

Post-mortems are normally carried out within 24 hours of death, or as soon as possible thereafter. An interim post-mortem result is usually available within a few days but the final cause of death may not be known for some time, because it may depend on the results of toxicology tests. Next of kin are entitled to receive a copy of the final post-mortem report, but you need to request this in writing.

It is advisable that the family requests a copy of the post mortem in writing before leaving the country. This request must be addressed to:

The Commissioner of Police
Line Barracks
Port Louis

The British High Commission can also request this on your behalf but we must have your written authorisation to do this.

4.2 Can the body be seen?

The police may ask a family member or friend of the deceased to view the body for identification purposes before a post-mortem takes place. Arrangements will be made for the deceased to be taken to the mortuary where the body may be viewed by any of the next of kin.

If the deceased had travel insurance, you should contact their insurance company as soon as possible. They can significantly reduce the stress on family and friends by providing advice and taking care of most of the arrangements and costs associated with a local funeral or repatriation to the UK. However, you should be aware that in some cases the insurer might wish to use its preferred funeral directors. Therefore it is better to consider talking to the insurance company before you appoint a funeral director.

These local funeral directors have previously been used by British families, both for local burial/ cremation and for repatriation to the UK. Note that we supply their names without any recommendation.

The funeral director will make the arrangements for local burial/ cremation or for repatriation to the UK (or another country should you wish it) for burial/ cremation there. They will attend to all the documentation required. In the case of repatriation to the UK, they will need the contact details of the funeral director in the UK who will be responsible for receiving the deceased. This may also be a funeral director appointed by the insurance company.

Estimated costs for the funeral options will be obtained from the chosen undertakers. All funeral directors will take care of administrative formalities on your behalf.

Note that Elie & Sons Ltd now have their own cold room and standard mortuary. They also have 3 new chapels where relatives can view their loved ones before the cremation or repatriation takes place. They have a certified embalmer qualified from Australia and an embalming machine for Arterial embalming which needs to take place before repatriation can take place. An arterial embalming allows more than 30 days before cremation or repatriation is required. Elie & Sons Ltd can also practice mortuary make up and if needed, Cosmetology for trauma cases (e.g. death occurring in road accidents).

If not embalmed, burial must take place within 24 hours. Embalming is compulsory for delayed burial or for repatriation. The funeral directors should be aware of the documentary and other requirements for repatriating the deceased to the UK.

Following a local cremation, the next of kin can carry the ashes back to the UK if they wish. They should be in a sealed container, and be accompanied by the death certificate and a statement from the funeral director or crematorium that the contents are ashes only. Ashes can be carried as hand luggage if they meet the requirements above. It is nevertheless better to advise the airline before doing so.

When the deceased is repatriated to the UK for burial or cremation, the UK Coroner in whose area this will take place is obliged by law to open an inquest into the death if it was unnatural or violent, even if it occurred overseas. This inquest may be delayed pending the UK Coroner receiving the necessary documents from the appropriate authorities in Mauritius. This is why the next of kin, if present at the time of death, is advised to request a copy of the post mortem report (see above).

5. Local cremation

Local cremation is possible. A certificate of cause of death signed by a doctor and a cremation permit is necessary. A fee is payable for the use of the Crematorium Burner (fees may vary depending on whether the cremation is with or without coffin).

As local customs and religious beliefs tend to see more burial than cremation, the facilities for cremation are very basic although the standard is improving. Be prepared and do not expect the same standard as available in Europe. There are 6 Crematorium Burners on the island. 3 of them (The Phoenix Cemetery, Bigara Cemetery in Curepipe and the crematorium in Bambous) have a room where the coffin can be placed before it is sent into the burner. These 3 crematoriums do not show directly the coffin being placed in the burner. A religious ceremony can also be arranged upon request.

The other 3crematoriums consist of a burner only and you will see the coffin being placed directly into the burner. This can add to what is already a very distressing time.

6. Registration of death

We no longer register deaths at the British High Commission in Port Louis, Mauritius but this can be done by applying directly with the General Register office in the UK. This is not a compulsory process as the local death certificate is acceptable. To register the death of a British citizen whose death occurs in Mauritius, check the following website for registering a death.

A death certificate is not issued automatically; an application must be lodged through the website and a fee of £150 paid for the registration. If you want a copy of the death certificate, you need to pay an additional fee of £50. All fees need to be paid online when applying for the certificate.

7. Return of personal effects

Personal effects are normally returned to the next of kin, or their authorised representative, without any formalities. If the police have been investigating the death, they have to authorise the return or retrieval of personal effects.

8. Police/ judicial inquiries

The Police investigate all accidental or suspicious deaths. As well as examining the scene of the death, they will take statements from witnesses, and also interview family and/ or friends of the deceased who are present in the country.

Mauritius’s legal system is similar to the UK’s. If the police apprehend a suspect in a case of suspicious death, he/ she will probably be remanded in custody whilst the police conduct an investigation. It usually takes several months (sometimes years) before a case comes to court for a full hearing.