When someone dies in Panama
The process when a British national dies in Panama, 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 Panama 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 with the Dirección Nacional del Registro Civil from the Tribunal Electoral. Your funeral director can normally do this for you.
You will need information and documents about the person who has died, including their:
- death certificate
- official identity document (for example their British passport)
- written authorisation (if applicable)
- marriage certificate (if applicable)
- divorce papers (if applicable)
Getting a death certificate
You do not need to register the death with the UK authorities. The death certificate issued by the local authorities will be sufficient for all purposes in the UK. A local Death Certificate can also be obtained from the local funeral director, including probate. If it is not in English, you will need to obtain and pay for an official translation.
Post mortems in Panama
A post mortem is a medical examination of the body. There might be one in Panama if the cause of death is unknown, unnatural, sudden or violent.
Certified pathologists carry out autopsies. During an autopsy, organs may be removed for testing, including toxicological studies, at the discretion of the pathologist, without consent from the next of kin. The autopsy report is usually available after the post-mortem is carried out.
In some instances, we have experienced great delays in getting the autopsy report. Some pathologists will charge for carrying out an autopsy.
If organs are removed they will normally be returned before the person’s body is released for burial. In exceptional circumstances body parts may be kept without permission. This might happen if further investigation is needed. The next of kin will be told if this happens.
Post-mortem reports are not usually given to the next of kin. If you have a lawyer they can apply for a copy.
Burying or cremating the body in Panama
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.
Local funeral directors can help with arranging the cremation. They would usually need a letter from the next of kin giving permission to cremate, copy of the deceased’s passport, and passport photos. If the next of kin choose to have a local cremation and take the ashes back to the UK themselves. Your funeral director can advise on the procedure. If this is not possible, they can arrange the necessary paperwork for the return of the ashes to the UK.
A local burial is possible. If the next of kin does not purchase a burial plot in a private cemetery in Panama, they must hire an undertaker to obtain permission for burial in a local government cemetery. You will have to pay for this.
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.
If the person who died was covered by travel insurance, the insurance company will normally have a standing agreement with an international funeral director in the UK to arrange repatriations. If they were not covered by insurance, the next of kin will need to appoint a funeral director in Panama or an international funeral director themselves.
Local funeral directors in Panama are equipped to carry out repatriation procedures and will provide the special caskets required for the international carriage of human remains. Documentation such as a local death certificate, a certificate of embalming, and a certificate giving permission to transfer the remains to the UK may be required to ship the remains.
This will be arranged by the Panamanian funeral director. Local procedures vary depending on the circumstances under which the deceased died and local bureaucracy. The Funeral Director can advise on time frames. In certain circumstances immediate repatriation may not always be possible. Our consular staff will try and inform the next of kin as soon as possible, if this is the case.
If the death was accidental, or happened under suspicious circumstances a legal post mortem report, burial permit and acknowledgement from the next of kin will be required before burial. The funeral director can arrange all the above. Your funeral director can give you advice.
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 Panama.
Bringing the ashes to the UK
Ask your funeral director about the rules for bringing ashes to the UK. There are different rules depending on where you are in Panama.
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
The person who died’s clothing is normally destroyed during the postmortem examination. On some occasions it is retained as evidence and is not returned until any court case is finished.
Personal belongings found on the person who dies at the time of death are handed over to the family if they are present. The police may also take them and hand them over to the court/funeral director.
The British Embassy in Panama City cannot take responsibility for the personal belongings of the person who died.
Finding a Spanish translator
You may need a translator to help you understand Spanish rules or get documents translated. Check official translators in Panama. The British Embassy in Panama cannot provide translation services or pay for translation costs.
Finding a Panamanian lawyer
You may need a lawyer to help you understand the Panamanian legal system when someone has died. Check English-speaking lawyers in Panama. The British Embassy in Panama 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.
British passport cancellation
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”. Read about what to do with a passport when somebody has died.
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.
Death of a child
A child’s death would be investigated the same way as an adult’s death. In some specific circumstances child services would get involved, for example, suspicion of death due to child abuse and/or where other surviving children could be affected.
Local funeral directors can help with burial, cremation or repatriation.
Deaths in road traffic accidents
Deaths caused by road traffic accidents will be properly investigated and processed through the Panamanian Public Ministry. This may involve a court hearing and sentencing procedure. All parties involved including the deceased might need legal representation. Here you can find a list of lawyers in Panama.
Deaths investigated as murder or manslaughter
If the local police have confirmed that they are investigating the death as a murder or manslaughter, a dedicated team within the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO)]( will be available to provide support, including by referring you to a specialised organisation.
Cases of murder or manslaughter are investigated and processed through the Panamanian Public Ministry. This may involve a court hearing and sentencing procedure that can take several months. All parties involved including the deceased might need legal representation. See the list of lawyers in Panama.
UK coroners and inquests
If you repatriate the person who died to England and Wales there may be an inquest. The decision on whether to hold an inquest is made by His Majesty’s Coroner.
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.
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 Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) guide on death abroad.
Legal Aid
There is no legal aid available in Panama.
Compensation
There is no government compensation scheme in Panama.
You can find information on UK compensation for victims of terrorism overseas online www.gov.uk/compensation-victim-terrorist-attack
Translation and interpretation
In Panama the official language is Spanish. English is widely understood but not spoken within Panama.
All documents that will be used legally in the UK need to be translated to English. Panamanian local authorities do not provide translation or interpretation in English; here you can find a list of Translators and Interpreters in Panama City
Also, all documents should be legalised through the Panamanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. You can find more information on https://www.mire.gob.pa/index.php/es/servicios . Your local funeral director can also assist with this service.
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: www.gov.uk/government/publications/coping-with-death-abroad
Contacting the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO)
You can contact the FCDO if you still need advice:
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in the UK call +44 (0)20 7008 5000