Guidance

When someone dies in Pakistan

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 +92 51 201 2000 or +92 (21) 35827000.

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

In Pakistan, you must register the death with the local government authority of the district where the person died. This could be a Union Council, Municipal Committee or Metropolitan Corporation. You will then be given a death certificate which you can use for all legal matters relating to the person who died.

To register the death you will need:

  • proof of identity for the person who died, for example their passport
  • a ‘hospital-issued death certificate’ (if the death occurred in hospital) or a post-mortem report (if the cause of death is unknown or unnatural)

The hospital-issued death certificate can be inaccurate and cannot be used for legal matters.

If the death occurred outside hospital, a note entitled “Received/Brought Dead” is usually issued by the hospital which receives the body. You will need to send this along with a formal written request to register the death to the local authority.

The next of kin usually registers the death. This can also be carried out by a local firm of funeral directors. If you appoint a local funeral director to register the death on your behalf, 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.

Death certificates are issued in English and Urdu.

In Pakistan, deaths can only be registered if the body is going to be buried or cremated in Pakistan. The local government will not issue a death certificate if the body is going to be taken out of the country.

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.

Mortuary facilities

Mortuary facilities are only available in larger cities in Pakistan. None are up to the standard of facilities in the UK. As such, it is important that decisions on repatriation, local burial or cremation are made quickly.

You usually need the following documents to keep the body at a mortuary:

  • the passport or Pakistan Identity Card/NICOP of the person who died
  • either the death certificate issued by the hospital or the medical report from the attending doctor describing the apparent cause of death

If the police are involved, the mortuary will only store the body with a letter of permission from the police.

Dealing with a local post-mortem

Post-mortems are usually performed when the cause of death is unknown, unnatural, sudden or violent. 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.

You can also ask for a post-mortem to be carried out as the next of kin.

If the body is buried locally, the post-mortem report can be used to register a death with a Union Council or other local government authorities.

The post-mortem is normally completed within 24 hours.

If you want a copy of the initial post-mortem report you can make a written request to the local police station in Pakistan. A report is usually released within 2 to 3 days. However, detailed laboratory reports can take several months to be issued.

You can ask for a full copy of the report by contacting one of the following:

  • your local UK coroner if you bring the body back to the UK

  • the British High Commission in Pakistan

  • the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office in the UK

If you have a lawyer in Pakistan, you can also ask them to contact the police for a copy of the report.

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 body is embalmed, which is usually a requirement by airlines, it may not be possible to have a post mortem in the UK.

If the person who died is not covered by insurance, you will need to appoint an international funeral director yourself.

Your funeral director will usually get all the documents required for repatriation. The British High Commission may be able to assist if there are delays in getting these documents.

The following documents are usually required for repatriation of human remains:

  • letter from the British High Commission confirming that the person who died was a British Citizen and that it has no objection to the body being repatriated to the UK
  • copy of the passport of the person who died
  • death certificate issued by the hospital or the local authority
  • embalming certificate
  • a ‘No Objection Certificate’ to repatriate the body from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

In addition to the above, airlines may ask for additional documents, which may include:

  • employer’s letter if the person who died was employed locally
  • police certificate stating that there is no police involvement or objection to the repatriation
  • certificate of payment for repatriation costs
  • letter to the Department of Customs requesting prior release of shipment
  • a declaration stating that the coffin does not contain any restricted items
  • contact details of the person or funeral director who will be collecting the remains on arrival

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’).

Bringing the ashes home

You should not have the person cremated abroad if you want a UK coroner to conduct an inquest into their death.

If you choose local cremation and wish to take the ashes back to the UK yourself, you can usually do this. Check with your airline about specific restrictions or requirements, for example whether you can carry the ashes as hand luggage.

The following documents are usually required for repatriation of human remains:

  • the certificate of cremation
  • letter from the British High Commission confirming that the person who died was a British Citizen and that it has no objection to the body being repatriated to the UK
  • copy of the passport of the person who died
  • death certificate issued by the hospital or the local authority
  • a ‘No Objection Certificate’  to repatriate the body from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

In addition to the above, airlines may ask for additional documents, which may include:

  • employer’s letter if the person who died was employed locally
  • police certificate stating that there is no police involvement or objection to the repatriation
  • certificate of payment for repatriation costs
  • letter to the Department of Customs requesting prior release of shipment

You will also need to fill in a standard customs form when you arrive in the UK.

If it is not possible for you to transport the ashes yourself, a funeral director will be able to make the necessary arrangements. The FCDO provides a list of UK-based international funeral directors.

Burying or cremating the body locally

Not all cities in Pakistan have cremation facilities. In the districts of Karachi, Sheikhupura and Attock, cremation can be carried out at Hindu and Sikh temples.

To have a local burial, a relative or a formally appointed representative needs to appoint a local funeral director. In major cities such as Islamabad, the graveyard authorities will require  proof that the person who died was resident in Pakistan before allocating a burial plot. Documents required may include the ID card, rental agreement or deeds to a property for the person who died.

The FCDO provides a list of English-speaking funeral directors in Pakistan.

The funeral director will be able to explain the local process.

If a local burial or cremation 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.

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 Pakistan.

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 Pakistan.

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, including registering the death with local authorities in Pakistan. 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
Published 2 June 2023