When someone dies in Solomon Islands
The process when a British national dies in Solomon Islands, 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 Solomon Islands 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 at the Registrar General Office in Honiara, Solomon Islands. Your funeral director can normally do this for you.
You will need information and documents about the person who has died, including their:
- birth certificate, showing their place of birth and parents’ names
- official identity document (for example their British passport)
- spouse’s details (if applicable)
- marriage certificate (if applicable)
- divorce papers (if applicable)
- copy of the ‘Death Notification Form’ from the hospital or health facility where the person died; and /or
- copy of a burial notification from a church minister; and/or
- statutory declarations signed by the parents/guardians or immediate relation of the person who died, in the presence of a magistrate or Commissioner for Oaths
Getting a death certificate
After registering the death, you will get a death certificate issued in English. Solomon Islands death certificates do not give the cause of death and may take a few days up to a few weeks to be issued. If the person died in hospital, the attending doctor may issue a medical death certificate. It’s worth asking for extra copies of the death certificate, as you might need them to show to people later.
Post mortems in Solomon Islands
A post mortem is a medical examination of the body. One may be conducted in Solomon Islands in certain circumstances. A basic report may be made by the doctors who attended to the person who died.
Cultural or religious sensitivities may not be considered. Small tissue samples and organs may be removed for testing without the family’s permission. You will not automatically be told if this happens.
Post-mortem reports are not usually given to the next of kin. If you have a lawyer or the person who died had insurance, they can apply for a copy.
Burying or cremating the body in Solomon Islands
You need a local funeral director to arrange a burial or cremation in Solomon Islands. There are no known funeral directors outside of Honiara, Solomon Islands. If the person died outside of Honiara they will need to be transported at a cost. The exact rules on burials and cremations are different depending on where you are in Solomon Islands.
Cremation is not common practice in Solomon Islands and there is no guarantee of receiving ashes. Organising a cremation can take some time. Availability and fees will need to be discussed with Honiara City Council, 24 hours in advance and need to be paid before cremation occurs. Honiara City Council maintains and manages the Honiara cemetery. Written permission from the city clerk is required ahead of burial in the Honiara cemetery. Your funeral director can give you further 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 Solomon Islands.
When taking the person’s body to the UK from Solomon Islands you will need to:
- show the death certificate
- get permission to remove the person’s body, issued by a coroner
- show the passport of the person who died
- tell a coroner in England or Wales if the death was violent or unnatural
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 Solomon Islands.
Bringing the ashes to the UK yourself
If you are taking the ashes with you when you leave Solomon Islands you will need to:
- show the death certificate
- show the cremation certificate
- follow local Solomon Islands regulations about leaving Solomon Islands with ashes - your funeral director can give you more information
- tell the airline in advance
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
Belongings the person had with them when they died are normally given to you or Solomon Islands police.
If you bring the person’s body to the UK, you can ask your local funeral director to collect all the belongings and transport them together.
If they were a Solomon Islands resident you may not be able to take the belongings as they may be part of their estate. Get legal advice if this happens.
Belongings may be kept as evidence if there is an investigation into the death. This will only be returned when the court case is over.
Finding a Solomon Islands translator
You may need a translator to help you understand Solomon Island rules or get documents translated. The High Commission in Solomon Islands cannot provide translation services or pay for translation costs. See ‘Finding a Solomon Islands lawyer’.
Finding a Solomon Islands lawyer
You may need a lawyer to help you understand Solomon Islands legal system or assist with translating documentation if not issue in English when someone has died. Check English-speaking lawyers in Solomon Islands. The High Commission in Solomon Islands 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.
Contacting the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO)
You can contact the FCDO if you still need advice:
- in the UK call +44 (0)20 7008 5000
- see how to get help from the UK government abroad
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.
This bereavement pack in the Solomon Islands has been prepared for British Nationals who require information on death in the Solomon Islands. Read the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office’s general guide for bereaved families.
These notes are designed to help you through the practical arrangements you will need to make. While care has been taken in compiling these notes, the British High Commission in Honiara or HM Government accepts no legal liability for their contents.
You should be aware that Solomon Islands procedures differ significantly to those in the United Kingdom. The police are normally notified upon the death of a foreign national, but seldom notified as promptly as we would like. While we understand your need for arrangements to be made quickly, this may not always prove possible.