Guidance

Eritrea bereavement information pack

Updated 29 September 2025

The process when a British national dies in Eritrea, 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 Eritrea 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 Public Registration Office. Your funeral director can normally do this for you. The death must also be registered, by the deceased’s family or friends, with the local Zoba Administration, who will issue a death certificate, and also a witness of death certificate to the person reporting the death. The death must also be reported to the sub-Zoba Administration, who will issue a letter acknowledging that the report has been made. The British Embassy in Asmara may be able to assist you in liaising with the relevant Eritrean authorities.

You will need information and documents about the person who has died, including their:

• death certificate form, if the deceased passed away in a hospital, or a dead body certificate, if the deceased passed elsewhere. These are issued by the hospital.
• the deceased person’s name, sex, date and place of birth, date place and cause of death, and nationality
• birth certificate, showing their place of birth and parents’ names
• official identity document (for example their British passport)
• spouse’s details (if applicable)

Getting a death certificate

After registering the death, you will get a death certificate, issued by the Zoba Administration, and an acknowledgement letter issued by the deceased person’s sub-Zoba Administration. These will be issued in the local language. You will also be given an English language translation of the death certificate by the Zoba Administration.

You will also get a death certificate form, if the deceased passed away in a hospital, or a dead body certificate, if the deceased passed elsewhere. In either case, the certificate or form will be issued by the hospital at which the deceased was pronounced dead, in both the local language and in English.

It’s worth asking for extra copies of all of these documents, as you might need them to show to people later.

Post-mortems in Eritrea

A post-mortem is a medical examination of the body. There might be one in Eritrea if the cause of death is unknown, unnatural, sudden or violent.

Burying or cremating the body in Eritrea

You need a local funeral director to arrange a burial or cremation in Eritrea. The exact rules on burials and cremations are different depending on where you are in Eritrea.

You will need information and documents about the person who has died, including their:

• certificate of death, issued by Zoba Administration
• police clearance letter
• airport immigration police approval letter
• embalming certificate
• the witness of death certificate issued by the deceased person’s Zoba Administration
• the acknowledgement letter issued by the deceased person’s sub-Zoba Administration

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 Eritrea.

When taking the person’s body to the UK from Eritrea you will need to show the:

• certificate of death, issued by Zoba Administration
• death certificate form or dead body certificate, issued by the hospital
• passport of the person who died
• police clearance letter
• airport immigration police approval letter
• embalming certificate

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 Eritrea, you will need to:

• show the certificate of death
• show the death certificate form or dead body certificate
• show the cremation certificate
• follow local Eritrean regulations about leaving Eritrea with ashes - the British Embassy Asmara 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

Belongings the person had with them when they died are normally given to the family or the British Embassy.

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 an Eritrea resident you may not be able to take the belongings if someone else, claims to be the legal heir and has obtained a court injunction. Get legal advice if this happens.

Belongings may be kept as evidence if there is an investigation into the death. This will only be returned, by court order, when the court case is over.

Finding a language translator

You may need a translator to help you understand Tigrigna/Arabic and English rules or get documents translated. Check official translators in Eritrea. The embassy or consulate in Eritrea cannot provide translation services or pay for translation costs.

Finding a lawyer in Eritrea

You may need a lawyer to help you understand the Eritrean legal system when someone has died. Check English-speaking lawyers in Eritrea. The embassy or consulate in Eritrea 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