Guidance

Mozambique bereavement pack: death abroad

Updated 18 February 2026

1.  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.

2.  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 and 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.

3.  How to contact the Foreign, Commonwealth and 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 and Development Office in London on 0207 008 1500.

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

The priority of the Foreign, Commonwealth and 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.

4.  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 and 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.

Following the death of a British national in Mozambique, the next of kin, or a formally appointed representative, must decide whether to:

• repatriate the deceased to the UK
• have a local burial
• have a local cremation and the ashes repatriated to the UK or
• have a local cremation and the ashes scattered in Mozambique

If the deceased was covered by travel insurance, it is important for the next of kin to contact the insurance company without delay. If there is no insurance cover, the cost of repatriation or cremation will need to be met by the family. The services of an international undertaker are normally necessary to help with these arrangements. Neither the FCDO, nor our High Commission in Mozambique can meet these costs. The next of kin should also be aware that all hospital bills must be paid before the body can be released.

Consular Staff in London will pass on to the High Commission in Mozambique the wishes of the next of kin about the disposal of the body, and details of who is taking responsibility for the costs involved. We will do our best to ensure these wishes are carried out.

If the deceased was travelling with a tour operator, they can be a valuable source of assistance and advice.

5.  Release of information to next of kin

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office will try to obtain as much information as possible after your relative or friend that has died abroad. Some of this may be only available to 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.

Access to information concerning a death is restricted until a Coroner has reviewed the evidence such as post-mortem and police reports. The Mozambican authorities will usually not provide information directly to next of kin, or to third parties, include our Consulates, until after the conclusion of the preliminary investigation. The release of any information can take several weeks and in some more complicated instances, years.

6.  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 and Development Office cannot help with these costs.

7.  Appointing a funeral director

If you decide to bring your relative or friend to the UK, you may only need to appoint an international funeral director. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office produces a list of international funeral directors based in the UK.

If you decide to hold a funeral or cremation in Mozambique, you can find a list of funeral directors in Mozambique.

List includes various funeral directors represented in different parts of the country such as the following:

7.1 Agência Funerária Pfunani

Av. Salvador Allende No. 1025 R/C, Maputo

Tel: +258 21 486586/7, Fax: +258 21 488658, Mobile: +258 82 696913

Email: agencia.f.pfunani@gmail.com 

This company has confirmed that they have English speaking staff and provide services in different regions in country:  Maputo, Matola, Beira, Quelimane & Nampula.

7.2 Funerária Moçambicana, Lda

Rua Do Ponto Final No 16 Alto Maé, Maputo

Tel: +258 21 303579, Fax: +258 21 303580, Mobile: +258 82 300 4050

This company has told us they do not have English speaking staff but provide services in any required area of the country and have experience of representing British nationals.

8.  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 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. 

As Mozambique is a member of the Commonwealth only a local Mozambican death certificate will be issued in Portuguese therefore a translation is required. Please see our list of translators/interpreters.

The British High Commission does not undertake to register the death of a British national in Mozambique.

9.  Post-mortem examinations (autopsies)

A post-mortem, also known as an autopsy, for foreigners is mandatory in Mozambique and is carried out by appointed forensic doctors. This service is charged (the current fee is 10.000. Meticais). An additional fee of 1,500.00 Meticais is charged for an autopsy report.

During an autopsy, organs can be removed for testing, including toxicological studies, at the discretion of the doctor, without consent of next of kin. This is done in order to better understand the cause of death and to evaluate any disease or injury that might be present. It can be crucial to establish cause of death in cases where criminal or civil legal procedures may eventuate. We understand that this can be upsetting and we will do everything that we can to keep you informed and prepare you.

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.

10.  Mortuary facilities

The deceased will normally be held at a local hospital morgue. Standards vary widely. There are facilities for temperature-controlled storage in Maputo and Beira (for a fee) but outside these cities this may not be possible.

11.  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.

Burial can be arranged through the local undertakers. Cemeteries in Mozambique can be overcrowded and multiple occupancy of plots does occur. We advise that if the next of kin wish to have the deceased buried that they should consider having the body repatriated and the funeral take place in the UK.

Cremation is unusual in Mozambique and facilities are not widespread. In Maputo, the crematorium is basic but enclosed and run by the Hindu Community, although it is open to all faiths. In addition, a request must be made to the local Civil Registry to cremate the body. The deceased would be placed on a pyre and oil is used. The ashes should be collected the following day by the next of kin, or a formally appointed representative.

If the next of kin chooses to have a local cremation and wishes to take the ashes back to the UK themselves, they can do so with minimal bureaucracy. The local undertaker will be able to arrange the necessary paperwork for the return of the ashes to the UK.

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 below.

If the deceased was covered by travel insurance, the insurance company will normally have a standing agreement with an international funeral director in Britain to arrange repatriations. If the deceased is not covered by insurance, the next of kin will need to appoint an international undertaker in the UK.

Few local undertakers in Mozambique are equipped to carry out repatriation procedures and may not be able to provide the special caskets required for the international carriage of the deceased quickly. However, working with the international undertaker, they will be able to arrange a local civil registry death certificate, a certificate of embalming, and a certificate giving permission to transfer the deceased to the UK, which are required to ship the deceased.

Locally issued certificates are in Portuguese and therefore translations are necessary. Depending on flight availability and possible formalities with the local authority, repatriations can normally take 8 to 10 days to complete.

In certain circumstances, repatriation may not be possible. Our consular staff will try to inform next of kin as soon as possible if this is the case.

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

11.1 Formal process of repatriations in Mozambique

1. The Mozambican Penal Code requires that every foreigner that dies in Mozambican territory must undergo an autopsy. A local coroner conducts the autopsy and will then issue a death report explaining the cause of death. It is recommended to check if the insurer in the home country requires an autopsy.

2. The Mozambican State must issue a repatriation permit – funeral directors frequently make this request. Once received, a local notary stamps the permit and the funeral director hands it to the company executing the repatriation.

3. There must be a certificate of transfer if the deceased in provinces outside of Maputo.

4. Local authorities will ask for a copy of the passport or ID card of the deceased for the purposes of the death certificate and confirm the affiliation. The address of the funeral director in the UK will also need to be provided to the local undertaker.

5. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, body repatriation permits are not being issued, only ashes are allowed.

6. It is advised to have a copy of the death certificate for future purposes.

12.  Return of personal belongings

Personal belongings found on the deceased 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 funeral director to collect the belongings from the police and to ship personal belongings together with the body. If there is an investigation into the death, the deceased’s clothing can be retained as evidence and is not returned until the court case is finished.

The British High Commission cannot take responsibility for repatriating the deceased’s personal possessions. A funeral director would usually help to return the belongings.

13.  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 on gov.uk.

14.  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 it 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.

15.  Child deaths

The National Service of Criminal Investigation (Serviço Nacional de Investigação Criminal - SERNIC) does the investigation of deaths in Mozambique (child or adult). For specific procedures regarding the death of a child, please seek to one of the funeral directors available on our official list available online.

16.  Deaths in road traffic accidents

If the circumstances of the death were not unusual, registration of the death is permitted and the body will be released for repatriation or cremation within a few days.  However, if the police are not satisfied after a preliminary examination of the facts, an autopsy may be required. 

In cases of sudden or unexpected death whether by accident, misadventure or where a person dies unattended, the police will prepare an initial report of their findings.

17.  Deaths investigated as murder or manslaughter

If the death is a result of a criminal act, the police will conduct an investigation.  The State Prosecutor will then decide whether to prosecute.  This can sometimes delay proceedings.

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

You should note that if the deceased 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.

18.  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 Her 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 [FCO guide on death abroad.

19.  Legal Aid

Legal Aid is not available for legal representation in Mozambique. However, under certain circumstances, such as a suspicious death, you may wish to engage the services of a local lawyer to represent your interests should a trial be necessary. Should you wish to have detailed feedback from court proceedings, you may wish to engage a lawyer before the case passes to the public prosecutor. Please see our list of lawyers available online.

20.  Compensation

According to Mozambican social services there is no Government compensation available for death of foreigners abroad without a proper compensation claim in the tribunal. You are advised to reach out to a local lawyer for more information regarding this matter. Please consult our list of lawyers available at our official website, it was prepared for the convenience of British Nationals who require legal advice in Mozambique.

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

21.  Additional support

21.1  Local support organisations

You may reach out to the Mozambican Social Services through the Ministry of Gender, Child and Social Action for Guidance on additional support:

21.2 MGCAS

Av. Ahmed Sekou Toure, 908 - Maputo

Phone Number: +258 21350300

Additionally, you can contact one of the social services from the Police of the Republic of Mozambique (PRM) available and request them to sign post you to the line of which province you currently stand:

21.3 PRM Social Services Manica

R Barue Bº Eduardo Mondlane-Chimoio

Phone Number: +258 25 123 411

PRM Diplomatic police station

Summerschild Maputo

+258 848341215

21.4 The Anglican Church in Mozambique

Av 24. De Julho 1516

Maputo

22.  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.

We also have information for victims of crime abroad, which you may find helpful.