Guidance

Burkina Faso: bereavement information

Published 14 September 2023

Disclaimer

This information is not meant to be definitive, nor is it to be taken as a substitute for independent legal advice. Neither His Majesty’s 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.

BURKINA FASO: bereavement information

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 country specific information is designed to help you through some of the practical arrangements you may need to make. It supplements the general information on death abroad produced by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, which applies to all countries.

Please note, as each country has its own laws and customs when a death occurs, it may not be possible to make the arrangements that you prefer, or at the time you would like.

How to contact the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office

There is a lot of information below, but you may have questions. You can speak to someone by phone 24/7, any day of the year by contacting the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office in London on 0207 008 5000.

If you are not in the UK, you can find the contact details of the nearest British embassy, high commission or consulate.

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. If required, the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office can help you do this.

There is no legal definition of next of kin in the UK. Please note that if there is a disagreement over who is the next of kin, or the person who died did not choose 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 only be available to the next of kin. Consular officers may be able to obtain this themselves, or they may put you in touch directly with the authorities overseas. They may be able to provide you with details of others who can advocate on your behalf such as lawyers, charities, or other organisations.

Local authorities usually communicate any further developments to the British High Commission in Accra, via the Honorary Consul, who then passes on information to family of the deceased. Although local authorities will have the ability to make international calls, they are unlikely to do so and will route all information through the British High Commission. No information is withheld from the family.

Insurance

It is very important to 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 person who died to the UK for the funeral or cremation, you may only need to appoint an international funeral director. The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office produces a list of international funeral directors based in the UK.

Following the death of a British national in Burkina Faso, next of kin, or a formally appointed representative, must decide whether to repatriate them to the UK, or carry out a local burial or cremation.

If the person who died was covered by travel insurance, it is important for next of kin to contact the insurance company immediately. If there is no insurance cover, the cost of repatriation or burial will need to be met by the family. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office cannot meet these costs.

It is important to remember that if the person who died was travelling with a tour operator, they can be a valuable source of assistance and advice. The next of kin should also be aware that all hospital bills should be paid before the body can be released.

We appreciate that the next of kin may not always live in the UK. Repatriations can be organised to most countries in the world.

The international funeral director will liaise with local undertakers to ensure that all necessary requirements are met in Burkina Faso. When the person is to be repatriated, the remains must be embalmed and placed in a zinc-lined coffin. Local undertakers in Burkina Faso are equipped to carry out these procedures. A local civil registry death certificate, plus the doctor’s death certificate (indicating cause of death), a certificate of embalming, and a certificate giving permission to transfer the remains to the UK is required for repatriation. This will be arranged by the international funeral director or locally appointed funeral director.

Registering the death and obtaining a death certificate

You will need to register the death with the local authorities in the country where the person died. Sometimes a local funeral director can do this for you. You will usually need documents about you and the person who has died, which include information such as full name, date of birth and passport number.

The local authorities will need to be told if the person suffered from an infectious condition such as hepatitis or HIV so they can take precautions against infection.

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 it is not in English, you will need to obtain and pay for an official translation.

If the person died in hospital, the hospital would cause the death certificate to be issued and this may be done in a week. If they did not die in a hospital, then a coroner must establish the cause of death to permit the issuance of a death certificate – this may take some time. Death certificates usually state the cause of death.

Post-mortem examinations (autopsies)

A post-mortem, which is also known as an autopsy, is not performed in all cases. In Burkina Faso, post-mortems are usually carried out by government appointed pathologists in a hospital.

Post-mortems can be done urgently but usually takes some days. No statutory fee is prescribed for an autopsy/post mortem. However, in practice, the pathologist may charge a fee for his services and expenses. Additionally, fees may also be charged for toxicology and histology reports. It is important to stress that practice and the level of fees which may be charged are not consistent. It is therefore essential that enquiries be made beforehand.

During a post-mortem, the whole or a part of a body may be retained if it is in the interest of medical science and if the relatives consent. Post-mortem reports are usually made available for the next of kin. The next of kin can request a preliminary post request by sending a request to the pathologist.

In some cases, it may be necessary to have a further autopsy in the UK even though one has been carried out overseas and, when repatriation is to England or Wales, it is probable that the coroner will wish to hold an inquest.

Mortuary facilities

Mortuary facilities in Burkina Faso are adequate but not of the same standard to that in the UK. It is possible for next of kin/family to view and identify the body of the deceased.

Cold storage facilities are readily available only in larger towns. The fact that there are cold storage facilities in larger towns will have no impact on obtaining certificates required to repatriate the body. There is usually a fee for mortuary facilities in Burkina Faso.

Burial, cremation, repatriation

The next of kin of the person who has died will usually need to decide between a local burial, cremation or bringing the person home, which is known as repatriation. Your funeral director will usually be able to explain the options available, the costs, and help you make arrangements.

If you choose a local burial, you will need to instruct a local funeral director and they can make the necessary arrangements with either a private or government owned cemetery. A ceremony can be organised by the funeral director or a registered celebrant. You can make specific arrangements depending on your cultural and/or religious beliefs.

Cremation is possible for foreign nationals in Burkina Faso. If you are thinking of arranging a local burial or cremation, a burial or cremation certificate must be obtained. There are no regulations in Burkina Faso to the local scattering of ashes, but given the sensibility of Burkinabes in matters relating to death, care must be taken about locations where such ashes are dispersed. Please seek advice from your local funeral director.

Bodies to be repatriated must be embalmed. Embalming is usually done after a post-mortem. An export licence – a document granting authorisation of the body to the UK is needed to repatriate a body or release it for repatriation.

Please note, if a local burial or cremation takes place, then an inquest in the UK will not be possible. For more information on inquests, see the information on UK coroners and inquests.

In Burkina Faso, it is possible for a body to be donated 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.

Return of personal belongings

If the person who died had insurance, check with the insurance company if this covers the return of their personal belongings.

Personal belongings found on them at the time of death are either handed over to the family, if they are present, or taken by the police. If the next of kin chooses repatriation, it is advisable to instruct the local undertaker to collect the belongings from the police and to send personal belongings together with the body.

Please note, the British High Commission cannot take responsibility for the personal belongings of the person who died.

Steps to take in the UK

You can find more information on the steps to take in the UK online. 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. There is a step-by-step guide about what to do when someone dies.

British passport cancellation

In order 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.

The form and instructions on where to send the passport is available online.

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.

Child deaths

Police in Burkina Faso will hold a full investigation into any death, and this includes deaths involving children.

Social services in Burkina Faso will only be involved where a child dies in their care or where there is an allegation of abuse leading to death.

There are no special procedures for neonatal and stillbirths in Burkina Faso.

Deaths in road traffic accidents

Police in Burkina Faso will hold full investigations into any death - there are no separate procedures for deaths involving road traffic accidents.

Deaths investigated as murder or manslaughter

If the local police have confirmed that they are investigating the death as a murder or manslaughter a dedicated team within the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office will be available to provide support, including by referring you to a specialised organisation. You can find more about how the FCDO can help with murder and manslaughter abroad.

You should note that if the person who died is repatriated to parts of the UK a coroner or procurator fiscal may decide to hold an inquest. See the section on UK Coroners and inquests below.

The police, judicial inquiries, the local equivalent of coroner’s inquests usually decides if a death should be investigated. Local police lead the investigation if the death is being investigated as murder and manslaughter. Family should note that police in Burkina Faso can be poor at keeping families updated.

If a suspect has been detained but then let go, they can be investigated again if there is further relevant evidence. The murder rate in Burkina Faso is low in comparison to the UK.

UK coroners and inquests

If you repatriate the 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. Please note, 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 the person who died is cremated and only their ashes are brought home, there will not be an inquest.

If you repatriate the person who died to Scotland, the Procurator Fiscal may decide to call for 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.

Please note, Procurators Fiscal and Coroners do not have jurisdiction in another country, nor do they seek to apportion blame to a named individual.

You can find more information on Coroners and the Procurator Fiscal in the FCDO guide on death abroad

Legal Aid

There is no legal aid scheme available in Burkina Faso.

For further information on how to find a lawyer if you need one, see our list of lawyers in Burkina Faso.

Compensation

Government compensation scheme is not available in Burkina Faso.

You can find information on UK compensation for victims of terrorism overseas

Translation and Interpretation

The official language in Burkina Faso is French. English is not widely-spoken. You will need to obtain and pay for an official translation of all documents.

Additional support

Local support organisations

There are no charities in Burkina Faso that can provide information, support or advice to bereaved families.

Support organisations in the UK

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