When someone dies in Senegal
Find out about local procedures, burials and cremations, and returning the body to the UK.
If you are dealing with the death of a child, multiple deaths, a suspicious death or a case of murder or manslaughter, call +221 33 868 60 31.
Contacting 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.
Registering the death and getting a death certificate
You must register the death in the country where the person died. In Senegal, you need to have the death declared by the state registrar to register the death. The next of kin usually registers the death. This can also be carried out by a local firm of funeral directors.
Take the following documents to the state registrar:
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your own proof of identity, for example your passport
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the death certificate issued by the doctor, the police station or the gendarmerie
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proof of identity for the person who died, for example a family record book, identity card, birth or marriage certificate, or passport
Following the declaration of death, a death certificate will be issued by the town hall.
If you appoint a local funeral director to register the death on your behalf and collect the death certificate, 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.
The death certificate will be issued in French. If you need to officially inform any other organisations of the death, you should ask for extra copies of 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 (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.
Next of kin
The next of kin for the person who died needs to carry out these legal procedures. In Senegal, the next of kin is defined as their married partner or closest living blood relative.
Same-sex partners, whether married or not are not recognised as next of kin in Senegal.
If you are not the next of kin, you may need authorisation from that person to register the death or carry out other legal procedures.
Mortuary facilities
Hospitals in Dakar have mortuaries and cold storage facilities. Hospitals outside of the capital may not have cold storage facilities. This may mean the body cannot be preserved in a good condition.
Dealing with a local post-mortem
In Senegal, post-mortems are usually only carried out when the police believe a death is suspicious.
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.
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.
If a post-mortem was carried out in Senegal, you can ask for a copy of the report by contacting:
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your local UK coroner if you bring the body back to the UK
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the British Embassy in Dakar
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the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office in the UK
If you bring the body back to the UK, the UK coroner will automatically assume responsibility and open an inquest. The coroner can investigate the cause of death, and help with translation and interpretation of any medical findings.
Bringing 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.
Finding 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 meet all the necessary requirements 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.
Requesting a post-mortem in the UK
If you want to have a post-mortem in the UK after 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’).
Burying or cremating the body locally
Cremation is not legal in Senegal and there are no cremation facilities.
To have a local burial, a relative or a formally appointed representative needs to appoint a local funeral director. You will need a medical certificate stating the cause of death for a local burial.
The FCDO provides a list of English-speaking funeral directors in Senegal.
The funeral director will be able to explain the local process.
If a local burial takes place, there will not be a coroner’s inquest carried out in the UK.
Retrieving 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 the body, instruct the local funeral director to collect all personal belongings from the police or court and ship them together with the body. They may need to show some form of identification for 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.
The FCDO cannot help with the cost of returning personal belongings to the family.
Finding a translator
You may need a translator to help understand information from local authorities or translate certain documents. The FCDO provides a list of English-speaking translators in Senegal.
Finding 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 Senegal.
Cancelling a passport
To avoid identity fraud, the passport of the person who died should be cancelled with His 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 need their passport to do this. In these circumstances, you should cancel the passport after they have been repatriated.
Checking 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. You can find information on:
- how to tell the government about the death
- UK pensions and benefits
- dealing with the estate of the person who died