What to do after a British person dies in the Dominican Republic
This guide gives advice about the death of a British person in the Dominican Republic, 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, or have read the guide below and need more support, call +1 809 472 7111, or the Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO) in London +44 207 008 5000. Both numbers are available 24 hours every day.
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.
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 local funeral director and be responsible for all costs. The FCDO provides a list of English-speaking funeral directors in the Dominican Republic.
The FCDO cannot help with any costs.
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 that can help.
Register the death and obtain a death certificate
You must register the death in the country where the person died. In the Dominican Republic, deaths must be registered at the Registration Office (Oficialía del Registro Civil). You must do this at the nearest office to where the death occurred in order to obtain a death certificate. The death certificate is usually issued within 3 working days. Dominican death certificates are written in Spanish and do not give details of the cause of death.
A locally appointed Funeral Home may be able to help you with the death registration process.
You can obtain copies of the death certificate from the Registration Office where the death was registered, or from the General Registry Office (Dirección de Registro Civil) in Santo Domingo. You can appoint a representative or a lawyer to request copies on your behalf. You will need to pay a fee for the copies.
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.
Next of kin
The death usually needs to be registered by the next of kin. Under Dominican Republic law the next of kin is defined as someone’s married partner or closest living blood relative.
Same-sex partners, whether married or not, are not recognised as next of kin under Dominican Republic law.
If you are not the next of kin, you may need authorisation from that person to carry out legal procedures.
Mortuary facilities
Mortuary facilities vary throughout the Dominican Republic. Most major towns and cities have mortuaries with temperature-controlled storage facilities, but these may not be available in rural areas. This may mean the body cannot be preserved in a good condition.
Deal with a local post-mortem
All foriegn nationals who die in the Dominican Republic have a post mortem.
The procedure takes place at the Pathology Institute in Santo Domingo (+1 809 682 5525), or the Pathology Institute in Santiago (+1 809 225 1018). Cultural or religious sensitivities may not be taken into account. The FCDO cannot stop or interfere with the process.
Any organs that are removed as part of the post mortem are replaced afterwards. You can ask for a copy of the post-mortem report. The report will be in Spanish and will be issued within 4 to 6 weeks.
Bring 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. They will make all the necessary arrangements.
If the person who died is not covered by insurance, you will need to appoint a local funeral director and cover the cost yourself.
The local funeral director will usually be able to explain the local process.
Find an international funeral director
A relative or a formally appointed representative may 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 make sure all the necessary requirements are met 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
For organisations and charities that may be able to offer assistance with repatriation, see information on LBT Global in Coping with death abroad: specialist support and advice for repatriation charities in Northern Ireland and Wales.
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’).
Bring 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 so. Check with your airline about specific restrictions or requirements, for example whether you can carry the ashes as hand luggage. To leave the Dominican Republic with human ashes you will need to:
- show the certificate of cremation
- 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.
Bury or cremate the body locally
To have a local burial or cremation, a relative or a formally-appointed representative needs to appoint a local funeral director.
The FCDO provides a list of English-speaking funeral directors in the Dominican Republic.
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.
Retrieve belongings
Personal belongings found on the person who died at the time of death are handled by the District Attorney’s Office (Fiscal Procurator) if the family is not present.
If the person who died had insurance, check whether it covers the return of their personal belongings.
The FCDO cannot take responsibility for, or help with the cost of returning personal belongings to the family.
Find a translator
You may need a translator to help understand information from local authorities or get certain documents translated. The FCDO provides a list of English-speaking translators in the Dominican Republic.
Find 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 the Dominican Republic.
Cancel a passport
To avoid identity fraud, the passport of the person who died should be cancelled with Her 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.
Last updated 7 September 2023 + show all updates
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Updated information on "Register the death and obtain a death certificate" section, eliminating the previous 24-hour limit to register the death.
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Links for providers have been updated: lawyers, funerals, translators.
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First published.