When someone dies in Burkina Faso
The process when a British national dies in Burkina Faso, including registering the death, funerals and cremations, and bringing the person’s 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 Burkina Faso 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
The death must be registered at the local Burkinabe registry office. Your funeral director can normally do this for you.
You will need information and documents about you and the person who has died, including:
- full names
- dates of birth
- passport numbers
Getting a death certificate
After registering the death, you will get a death certificate in French. You can ask for an English version, which you will have to pay for. Burkinabe death certificates usually give the cause of death. It is worth asking for extra copies of the death certificate, as you might need them to show to people later.
If the person died in a hospital, the hospital will arrange the death certificate. This may be done in a week.
If the person did not die in a hospital, a coroner must establish the cause of death before a death certificate is issued – this may take some time.
Post mortems in Burkina Faso
A post mortem is a medical examination of the body. This is not performed in all cases of death. There might be one if the cause of death is unknown, unnatural, sudden or violent. In Burkina Faso, post mortems are usually carried out by government-appointed pathologists in a hospital.
There is no official fee for a post mortem. However, in practice, the pathologist may charge a fee for services and expenses. Also, there may be fees for toxicology and histology reports. Fee levels are not consistent, so you should ask beforehand.
During the post mortem, all or part of the body may be kept if it is in the interest of medical science and if the relatives consent.
Post-mortem reports are usually given to the next of kin. Next of kin can request a preliminary report from the pathologist.
Burying or cremating the body in Burkina Faso
You need a local funeral director to arrange a burial or cremation in Burkina Faso. Your funeral director can give you advice.
It is possible to cremate the body of a foreign national in Burkina Faso. Ask your funeral director for advice if you want to scatter the ashes in Burkina Faso and take care about where you do this.
In Burkina Faso, it is possible to donate a body to medical science. Family of the person who died can decide to arrange body donation through a local funeral director or an international funeral director. If family cannot afford to pay for a funeral, the body will be part of a mass burial.
You should not have the person cremated abroad if you want a coroner in England and Wales to conduct an inquest into their death. In Scotland, a further investigation may still be possible.
Bringing the body to the UK
Ask your funeral director about options for bringing the person’s body to the UK from Burkina Faso.
When taking the person’s body to the UK from Burkina Faso you will need to an export licence.
Bodies brought to the UK must be embalmed. Embalming is usually done after a post mortem.
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 Burkina Faso, you will need to:
- show the death certificate
- show the cremation certificate
- follow local Burkinabe regulations about leaving Burkina Faso with ashes – your funeral director can give you more information
- tell the airline in advance
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
If the person who died had insurance, check with the insurance company if this covers the return of their personal belongings.
Belongings the person had with them when they died are normally given to you or the Burkinabe 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.
The British High Commission in Accra cannot take responsibility for the personal belongings of the person who died.
Finding a French translator
You may need a translator to help you understand Burkinabe rules or get documents translated. Check official translators in Burkina Faso. The British High Commission cannot provide translation services or pay for translation costs.
Finding a Burkinabe lawyer
You may need a lawyer to help you understand the Burkinabe legal system when someone has died. Check English-speaking lawyers in Burkina Faso. The British High Commission 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