Cameroon: Bereavement Pack
This guide gives advice about the death of a British person in Cameroon, including information on burial, cremation and repatriation.
If you are dealing with the death of a child, multiple deaths, a suspicious death or a case of murder or manslaughter, contact:
The British High Commission in Cameroon has details below:
Contact Details:
British High Commission
Avenue Winston Churchill,
P.O Box 547, Yaounde.
Tel: +44 207 008 3355 (24H/7) / +237 222 220 545 (only during working hours).
Email: Consular Yaounde Enquiries consularyaoundeenquiries@fco.gov.uk
Website: www.gov.uk/government/world/cameroon/
Contact 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 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 offer assistance, support and information to people affected by a death abroad. The FCDO provides a list of UK-based charities and organisations.
Register the death and obtain a death certificate
Deaths must be registered in the country where the person died. You must register the death with the Hospital where the person died and you should have done all the police and legal registration.
To get a death certificate, you will need:
- passport of the person who died
- the Cause of Death certificate, the hospital where the person died issues this as soon as the person died
- the post-mortem report, if the person died outside a hospital
- your passport or any others ID like your CNI (National identity Card)
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. You can buy a UK-style death certificate, known as a Consular Death Registration certificate. A record will be sent to the General Register Office within 12 months.
If the person who died suffered from an infectious condition, such as hepatitis, HIV or COVID-19, you must tell the local authorities, so they can take precautions against infection.
Standard procedures following the death of a British national in Cameroon; the next of kin or a formally appointed representative, must decide whether to:
- Repatriate the deceased’s remains to the UK.
- Have a local burial in Cameroon.
- Have a local cremation and the ashes repatriated to the UK.
- Have a local cremation and the ashes scattered in Cameroon. If the deceased had travel insurance, it is important for next of kin to contact the insurance company without delay.
If the deceased had no insurance cover, the cost of repatriation or cremation will have to be met by the family. The services of an international undertaker are normally necessary to help with these arrangements. Neither the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office or British High Commission in Cameroon can meet these costs.
The next of kin should also be aware that all hospital bills may need to be paid before the body can be released. The Cameroon authorities can provide a basic burial for those without adequate finances (pauper’s burial) or with no family or friends willing or able to pay the costs involved.
Deal with a local post-mortem
Post-mortems are normally 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.
In Cameroon, these services are offered at the Yaounde and Douala General hospitals, the Military Hospital and the Gyneco-Obstetric Hospital.
Autopsies
Autopsies are generally only carried out when the cause of death is suspicious (examples include cases where complaints by relatives or other reliable sources suggest unnatural death such as suicide or murder). It is frequently difficult to obtain autopsy reports. An autopsy will usually be carried out upon the request of the police, the court and/or a request by a legal representative.
Even in these circumstances it is possible that an autopsy will not be conducted due to insufficient time/medical staff in the hospital concerned. It should be noted that the standard of autopsies carried out in Cameroon falls somewhat below the UK standard. In most cases, it will be preferable to have an autopsy carried out in the United Kingdom once the body has been repatriated.
Normally, a copy of the autopsy report will be requested by the British High Commission Yaounde; although this process can be very long and may not always result in a copy of the report being made available. The British High Commission Yaounde is not aware of any instances of organs being retained, either with or without the consent of the next of kin.
Bringing the body home
Repatriation and burial
Both repatriation and local burial are possible. Authorization to repatriate the body can be obtained by a funeral home or service with the assistance of the High Commission. A quote is usually given to the client at the beginning of the operations and the High Commission advises reaching an agreement in writing on costs of services prior to any rendering of services to avoid disputes about costs later in the process.
Repatriation costs to the United Kingdom are approximately £2000, including local ground transportation. Funeral homes also do provide embalming and treatment services (about £500), assistance for clearance (about £700), and can provide coffins and accessories (about £750)
In addition to the services fees above, a funeral home may also charge an administrative fee of about £400. Note that these costs, especially repatriation costs, are estimates and are variable upon the transportation company. Most commonly used airline companies based in Cameroon that will transport remains are Air France (+237) 22222-9327 and Brussels Airlines (+237) 23342-0243/ 23342-0515.
Local burial is possible with the assistance of a funeral home. Alternatively, local churches and missionary organisations can also help. The cost for coffins suitable for local burial range from £150 to £250, transportation of remains, funeral home and administrative fees approximately £200.
Find 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 and a list of funeral directors is available on: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/list-of-funeral-directors-in-cameroon
Standards of funeral directors vary widely. It is important that you use a reputable funeral director. International Undertakers in the UK can usually suggest an undertaker to use.
Advice and financial assistance for repatriation
The British High Commission Yaounde cannot assist you financially. You will need to liaise with your family and friends if there is any need.
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’).
Repatriation
If the deceased is covered by travel insurance, the insurance company will normally liaise with the international funeral director in the UK 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 Cameroon are equipped to carry out repatriation procedures.
The local undertaker will work with the international undertaker and will be able to arrange the documents required for the repatriation of the deceased. Local formalities for repatriation will be delayed if a post-mortem is required.
Mortuaries
The deceased will normally be cared for by the hospital morgue. The next of kin will need to present themselves to the morgue to secure release of the body, although a nominated designate may do this on their behalf with written permission. Local funeral directors can advise on the procedure. Most of the large hospitals will have mortuary facilities but standards do vary across the nation with a number falling below UK standards.
Bury or cremate the body locally
Cremation
Cremation services are available on a limited basis. Currently, Yaounde General Hospital, the Military Hospital and the Gyneco-Obstetric Hospital are the only known service providers in Yaounde City. The Douala General Hospital is the only service provider in Douala. Cremated remains are stored in a small bag, encased in a hardwood box, and sealed by soldering to facilitate repatriation outside of the country.
Costs
The fees below are provided by “Funeservice Belgique” an international funeral home with a branch in Yaounde, Cameroon that deals in the repatriation of remains abroad. All fees are approximate and actual costs may vary depending on the distance from the actual place of death to the nearest airport, availability of flights and time period of the year (low or high season). Charges are based on the estimated exchange rate (local currency).
- transportation: local ground transportation: £200
- other services: embalming and treatment: £400
- assistance for clearance: £800
- coffin and accessories: £700 Internal
- cost service provider administrative fees: £600
Retrieve belongings
Personal effects are normally returned to the family by the authorities. If the family is not in Cameroon, the authorities may hand them over to a nominated person in Cameroon (usually a friend or family member).
The FCDO cannot help with the cost of returning personal belongings to the family.
Find a lawyer
You can apply to appoint a lawyer in certain circumstances, such as a suspicious death. The FCDO provides a list of List of translators and interpreters in Cameroon
Cancel 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 require their passport to do this. In these circumstances, you should cancel the passport after they have been repatriated.
Check 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 after someone has died. You can find information on how to tell the government about the death, UK pensions and benefits and dealing with the estate of the person who died.
Disclaimer
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) provides lists of service providers for information only, to assist British nationals who may need support overseas. This list is not exhaustive and is subject to change at any time. None of the service providers are endorsed or recommended by the FCDO. You should research whether a service provider will be suitable. The FCDO does not accept any liability arising to any person for any loss or damage suffered through using these service providers or this information.
Last updated 19 April 2023 + show all updates
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A new phone number has been added.
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First published.