What to do after a British person dies in Malawi
This guide gives advice about the death of a British person in Malawi, including information on burial, cremation and repatriation.
This guide gives advice about the death of a British person in Malawi, 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 +265 1772 400 or +265 1772 182.
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 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 Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) provides a list of UK-based international funeral directors.
The FCDO 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 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 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 in the country where the person died. In Malawi, deaths must be registered with the National Registration Bureau (NRB).
To register the death and get a death certificate, you must submit a ‘death report’ to the NRB. The death report is issued by the district hospital where the death took place. Any family member or a local funeral director can register the death and collect the death certificate.
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.
Mortuary facilities
Mortuary facilities vary throughout Malawi. Most major towns and cities have mortuaries with temperature-controlled storage facilities, but these may not be available in rural areas. 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. The FCDO cannot stop or interfere with the process.
In Malawi, post-mortems are carried out by the pathology section of government hospitals (eg, Kamuzu Central, Queen Elizabeth Central and Malawi College of Medicine).
Relatives normally need to pay for a post-mortem.
If the person who died is to be buried or cremated locally, a post-mortem may not be required, unless local law enforcement believe a death is suspicious.
Next of kin can observe post-mortems if they wish to do so. If you do not want a post-mortem to take place due to religious beliefs, you will need to tell consular staff from the British High Commission and your funeral director.
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 but this would be indicated on the post-mortem report.
If you want a copy of the post-mortem report, you must apply through the coroner in the UK (in the case of a repatriation) or through the local court dealing with the death.
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.
You will need:
- the original burial permit
- the embalming certificate, and
- a copy of the registration of death or death certificate
A funeral director should be able to obtain these documents for you.
Some airlines will also require a copy of the passport of the person who died. The airline will usually require a post-mortem for repatriation, and the body will need to be embalmed. A funeral director can arrange this for you.
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. 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
There are UK organisations and charities that may be able to offer assistance with repatriation.
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’).
Bring the ashes home
You should not have the person cremated abroad if you want a UK coroner to conduct an inquest into their death.
If you choose local cremation and wish to take the ashes back to the UK yourself, you can usually do so. A funeral director can arrange this with international airlines. Check with your airline about specific restrictions or requirements, for example whether you can carry the ashes as hand luggage. When leaving Malawi with human ashes you will need to:
- show the certificate of cremation
- fill in a standard customs form when you arrive home
If it is not possible for you to transport the ashes yourself, a funeral director will be able to make the necessary arrangements. The FCDO provides a list of UK-based international funeral directors.
Bury or cremate the body locally
To have a local burial or cremation, 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.
Cemeteries in Malawi are usually managed by the local city council. Cremation facilities are available in Lilongwe and Blantyre.
For local burial or cremation you will need to provide:
- a letter of instruction from next of kin
- the death report or death certificate
- police clearance (only required if the death is suspicious; this is provided when the post-mortem has concluded)
If a local burial or cremation takes place, a coroner’s inquest will not be carried out in the UK.
If the next of kin cannot pay for repatriation, a local burial or cremation, Malawian authorities will usually bury the body in a mass grave. This usually happens after 3 months but may take place sooner.
Retrieve belongings
Personal belongings found on the person who died at the time of death are given 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. You should ask your funeral director if you want clothing taken in evidence to be returned.
The FCDO cannot 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 Malawi.
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.