When someone dies in Trinidad and Tobago
The process when a British national dies in Trinidad and Tobago, including registering the death, funerals and cremations, and repatriation of body to the UK.
Contacting the insurance company
If the person who died had insurance, contact their insurance company as soon as possible. Read the general guidance on what to do when someone dies abroad, if you’re not sure if they had insurance.
The insurance company should appoint a funeral director in Trinidad and Tobago and the UK. They may also cover the cost of bringing the person’s body to the UK (repatriation) and help with any medical, legal, interpretation and translation fees.
Registering the death
You must register the death with the local District Registrar in Trinidad and Tobago.
You will need information and documents about the person who has died, including their:
- birth certificate of deceased
- medical cause of death. Certificate from the attending doctor
- Valid photo ID of informant
- ID of deceased (if available)
- In the event of a delay (1 year after death), an affidavit stating the reason for delay in registration of death
- Other documents depending on facts of the case
Getting a death certificate
After registering the death, you will get a death certificate.
The death certificate is usually issued within a week. All documents are issued in English. If the police are investigating the death then the death certificate will be delayed.
Apply to the Registrar General’s Office to get copies of the death certificate. Copies cost TTD$25. You will also need to pay a delivery fee. You should find out the total number of copies you need before ordering. It’s worth asking for extra copies of the death certificate, as you might need them to show to people later.
If you appoint a local funeral director to register the death on your behalf, you will also need to give them a ‘letter of authorisation’ stating that you authorise them to act on your behalf. The funeral director will tell you what the letter needs to include and what documents they need.
To register the death, the funeral director will need the:
- passport of the person who died
- medical certificate of the cause of death completed and signed by an attending physician, a District Medical Officer or a pathologist.
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 (ORU). You can buy a UK-style death certificate, known as a Consular Death Registration certificate. The ORU will send a record to the General Register Office within 12 months.
If the person who died suffered from an infectious condition, such as hepatitis or HIV, you must tell the local authorities, so they can take precautions against infection.
Post mortems in Trinidad and Tobago
A post mortem is a medical examination of the body. There might be one in Trinidad and Tobago if the cause of death is unknown, unnatural, sudden or violent.
A certified pathologist will carry out the post-mortem, usually within 2 to 3 days of the body arriving at the mortuary. Cultural or religious sensitivities may not be taken into account. The FCDO cannot stop or interfere with the process.
Small tissue samples and organs may be removed for testing without the family’s permission. You will not automatically be told if this happens.
You can ask the British High Commission to request a copy of the post-mortem report on your behalf. It can take 12 to 18 months to get the report. You may be able to get a preliminary report until the full report is issued. Documents are issued in English.
Burying or cremating the body in Trinidad and Tobago
You need a local funeral director to arrange a burial or cremation in Trinidad and Tobago.
Your funeral director can give you advice.
There are facilities in Trinidad and Tobago that can provide Christian, Muslim, Hindu, and Jewish burials. There are cremation facilities in Trinidad only. You must get a cremation permit from the government authorities if the body is going to be cremated.
Bringing the body to the UK
Ask your funeral director about options for bringing the person’s body to the UK from Trinidad and Tobago.
When taking the person’s body to the UK from Trinidad and Tobago you will need to:
- show the death certificate
- get permission to remove the person’s body, issued by a coroner
- show the passport of the person who died
- provide a letter of embalming and sealing of the coffin
Bringing the ashes to the UK
Ask your funeral director about the rules for bringing ashes to the UK.
Bringing the ashes to the UK yourself
If you are taking the ashes with you when you leave Trinidad and Tobago you will need
- a letter from the County Medical Office
- a signed letter of authorisation from the next of kin (if you are not the next of kin)
- the medical certificate with the cause of death, signed by the doctor who attended the person who died
- transit papers
- the death certificate
- the certificate of cremation
- a ‘certificate of sealing’
You will also need to fill in a standard customs form when you arrive in the UK.
Check with your airline about specific restrictions or requirements before traveling.
Arranging for the ashes to be taken to the UK
Ask your funeral director for advice if you cannot take the ashes yourself. You may not be able to send them by post or courier. Ashes can be shipped by air freight, although this can be expensive.
Getting the person’s belongings back
Belongings the person had with them when they died are normally given to you or the Trinidad and Tobago police.
If you bring the person’s body to the UK, you can ask your local funeral director to collect all the belongings and transport them together.
If they were a Trinidad and Tobago resident you may not be able to take the belongings as they may be part of their estate. Get legal advice[5] if this happens.
Belongings may be kept as evidence if there is an investigation into the death. This will only be returned when the court case is over.
Finding a Trinidad and Tobago lawyer
You may need a lawyer to help you understand the Trinidad and Tobago legal system when someone has died. Check Find a Lawyer Abroad. The embassy or consulate in Trinidad and Tobago cannot give you legal advice or pay for legal costs.
Telling the UK authorities
Although you do not have to register the death in the UK, when someone dies abroad you still need to tell the UK authorities. Read general guidance on what to do when someone dies abroad to find out what to do.
Contacting the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO)
You can contact the FCDO if you still need advice:
- in the UK call +44 (0)20 7008 5000
- see how to get help from the UK government abroad
Updates to this page
Published 16 December 2024Last updated 16 December 2024 + show all updates
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This guidance has been reviewed and updated where necessary,
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First published.