Guidance

Egypt: bereavement information

Updated 18 January 2023

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 guide is designed to help you through some of the practical arrangements you may need to make. You should also read general guidance on death abroad.

Disclaimer

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

Contacting the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office

You can speak to someone by phone 24/7, any day of the year by contacting the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office in London on 0207 008 1500.

If you are in Egypt, you can contact the British Embassy in Cairo.

The priority of the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office is to provide assistance to British nationals overseas who need the most help. The level and type of assistance they can offer is tailored to the individual circumstances of each case.

Next of kin

The next of kin of the person who died will usually need to make decisions and practical arrangements. The next of kin can sometimes appoint another person to act on their behalf.

If you are not the next of kin, they will need to be informed. The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office can help you do this. They will pass the details to the UK police, who will inform the next of kin.

There is no legal definition of next of kin in the UK. If there is a disagreement over who is the next of kin, or the person who died did not identify a next of kin, this can cause additional complications.

Release of information to next of kin

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office will try to obtain as much information as possible after your relative or friend has died abroad. Some of this may be made available only to the next of kin. Consular officers may be able to obtain information themselves, or they may put you in touch directly with the authorities in Egypt. They may be able to provide you with details of others who can advocate on your behalf such as lawyers, or other organisations.

Insurance

You should check if the person who died had insurance. If they had insurance, contact the insurance company as soon as possible. They may have a list of approved funeral directors to help you make arrangements, or be able to cover some of the costs.

If the person who died did not have insurance, the next of kin will usually have to appoint a funeral director and will usually be responsible for all costs. The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office cannot help with these costs.

Appointing a funeral director

If you decide to bring the deceased back to the UK for the funeral, you will need to appoint an international funeral director. The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office produces a list of international funeral directors based in the UK.

The funeral director will appoint a local undertaker. The local undertaker will need a permission letter signed and stamped by the British embassy for repatriating the body. You should request this from British Embassy Cairo.

If you decide to hold a funeral in Egypt, you can appoint a funeral directors from the embassy’s list of funeral directors in Egypt. The local undertaker will need a permission letter signed and stamped by the embassy for burial. You should request this from British Embassy Cairo.

Registering the death and obtaining a death certificate

You should register the death at the district health office. A funeral director can usually do this for you. You will usually need to show official documents about you and the person who has died, which includes full name, date of birth and passport number.

You should inform 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.

The Egyptian authorities will issue a death certificate in Arabic. You may wish to get this translated into English using a local translator or interpreter.

If a post mortem had been conducted, but the forensic report is not yet finalised, a death certificate may be issued with the cause of death stated as ‘not yet verified/determined’. This enables the body of the person who died to be repatriated. If you wish for the cause of death stated on the local death certificate, speak to your funeral director.

You do not need to register the death with the UK authorities. The local death certificate can usually be used in the UK for most purposes, including probate. If you still wish to get a British-style death certificate, read more information about registering a death.

Post mortem examinations (autopsies)

Post mortems are conducted by the Egyptian authorities, without consent from the next of kin. Organs and tissue samples may be retained for the duration of the post mortem examination without informing the next of kin. The retained organs may be returned after the post mortem examinations are complete.

The duration of a post mortem examination varies depending on the circumstances of the case. Post mortem reports may be obtained but the process can take some time. Egyptian authorities will not release their reports until the case has concluded. The British Embassy may be able to help with obtaining the post mortem report.

Mortuary facilities

Mortuary and refrigeration facilities are available throughout Egypt although facilities and fees vary depending on conditions and location. Facilities may not be of the standard of those in the UK.

Burial, cremation and repatriation

The next of kin of the person who has died will usually need to decide between a local burial or bringing the person home (‘repatriation’). Your funeral director should be able to explain the options available, the costs, and help you make arrangements.

Cremation is not prohibited in Egypt but there are no official facilities available. There is one unofficial crematorium in Alexandria but this can only be used after obtaining permissions from the local authorities. As such this process can be complicated so where possible, we advise you to pursue alternate means such as repatriation or burial.

If a local burial takes place, then an inquest in the UK will not be possible. For more information, see information on UK coroners and inquests in general guidance.

Embalming is required for repatriation. Embalming procedures may effect any subsequent post mortems, for example, if one is ordered by a Coroner in England and Wales.

Return of personal belongings

Personal belongings are usually returned to the next of kin, or their authorised representative. If they need to be returned to the UK and next of kin are not present in Egypt, a local undertaker can assist with making arrangements by commercial means. However, it is not possible for money to be sent by commercial means. Arrangements will need to be made through local banking channels. The cost would normally be met by the insurance company or by the next of kin.

The British Embassy in Cairo cannot take responsibility for the personal belongings of the person who died.

Steps to take in the UK

Read more information on this step-by-step guide . This includes information on arranging the funeral, telling the government about the death, UK pensions and benefits, and dealing with the estate of the person who died.

Cancelling a British 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 will need to complete a ‘D1 form’. Read guidance on what to do with a passport when a person has died.

If you plan to repatriate the body to the UK, you may require their passport to do this. You should cancel the passport after the body has been repatriated.

If the next of kin wishes to retain the passport, the cancelled passport will be returned to them.

Deaths investigated as murder or manslaughter

If the local police have confirmed that they are investigating the death as a murder or manslaughter, the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office will be available to provide support, including referring you to specialised organisations. Find more about what they can do.

If the deceased is repatriated to the UK, a coroner or procurator fiscal may decide to hold an inquest.

Local police investigations in cases of deaths in suspicious circumstances can sometimes take years to complete. If you are in Egypt you will usually be interviewed by the police and prosecutor as part of the investigation. Witnesses, friends and neighbours of the deceased may also be interviewed.

Prosecutors will usually share information with families. You should appoint a local lawyer, who will be able to get updates, give advice on the local judicial system and request reports on your behalf. This is particularly important if you are not in Egypt.

If a case is closed, it is unlikely that it will be reopened unless new evidence becomes available, and only on appeal by a lawyer.

The judicial process in Egypt is different to the UK. Prosecutors play a leading role in investigations and the process can take at least 1 to 2 years.

The death penalty is legal in Egypt. The UK government opposes the death penalty in all circumstances as a matter of principle. We believe its use undermines human dignity, there is no proof of its deterrent effect, and errors made in its use are irreversible.

Where there is a risk of the death penalty being imposed and carried out for the crime under investigation, the UK will seek assurances that anyone found guilty would not face the death penalty.

UK coroners and inquests

If you repatriate the body of person who died to England and Wales, there may be an inquest. The decision on when to hold an inquest is made by His Majesty’s Coroner. An inquest will usually only happen in certain situations, for example, when someone has died in suspicious, unnatural, and violent circumstances or whilst in detention.

If you repatriate the person who died to Scotland, the Procurator Fiscal may decide to request a Fatal Accidents or Injuries Inquiry.

If you repatriate the person who died to Northern Ireland, there will be no coronial inquest or further inquiry.

Procurators Fiscal and Coroners neither have jurisdiction in another country, nor do they seek to apportion blame to a named individual.

Find more information on Coroners and the Procurator Fiscal in the general guidance on death abroad.

Legal Aid

The British Embassy Cairo is not aware of any Legal Aid or support organisations in Egypt that can help. You should ask your lawyer about this.

Compensation

The British Embassy Cairo is not aware of compensation that can be offered in Egypt. Read information on UK compensation for victims of terrorism overseas.

Additional support

Support organisations in the UK

In the UK, there are many organisations that can help bereaved families. Some of these are listed in the coping with death abroad guidance.

Funeral directors in Egypt

See the list of funeral directors in Egypt.

Cemeteries in Egypt

The local religious representatives and local undertakers can advise on burial grounds. The most commonly used local cemeteries in Cairo are:

The Latin Cemetry
Magra El Eyoun St
Old Cairo
Tel: 002 02 23645398

The Protestant Cemetery
Old Cairo
Tel: 002 02 22901247