When someone dies in South Sudan
The process when a British national dies in South Sudan, 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 are not sure if they had insurance.
The insurance company should appoint a funeral director in South Sudan 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 local South Sudan registry office. Your funeral director can normally do this for you.
You will usually need information and documents about the person who has died, including their:
- passport/ID date of birth
- occupation
- most recent address
- place of death
- cause of death
- burial permit (if relevant)
Getting a death certificate
After registering the death, you will get a death certificate. The certificate will be in English. In South Sudan, the cause of death appears on the death certificate. It is worth asking for extra copies of the death certificate, as you might need them to show to people later.
Postmortems in South Sudan
A postmortem is a medical examination of the person who died. There might be one in South Sudan if the cause of death is unknown, unnatural, sudden or violent. Deaths that take place outside of a hospital should be reported to the local police.
Payment may be required prior to a postmortem taking place, even where there is a police investigation into the cause of death.
If the next of kin is not present in South Sudan, the local authorities may require written permission for a friend or family representative to identify the person who has died prior to the postmortem.
Cultural or religious sensitivities may not be taken into account. Tissue samples and organs may be removed for testing without the family’s permission. You will not automatically be told if this happens.
If organs are removed for further analysis, they will not normally be returned. This might happen if further investigation is needed. The next of kin will not normally be told if this happens but it is usually shown on the postmortem report and your funeral director may be able to advise you whether this has occurred.
Postmortem reports are not usually given to the next of kin. If you have a lawyer, they can apply for a copy.
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) cannot stop or interfere with the process of a postmortem.
Burying or cremating the body in South Sudan
You need a local funeral director to arrange a burial or cremation in South Sudan. Your funeral director will usually be able to explain the options available and the costs, and help you make arrangements.
An inquest or coroner’s investigation cannot take place in the UK if the burial or cremation takes place abroad.
Bringing the body to the UK
Ask your funeral director about options for bringing the person’s body to the UK from South Sudan.
When taking the person’s body to the UK from South Sudan, the funeral director will arrange the necessary documentation.
Bringing the ashes to the UK
Ask your funeral director about the rules for bringing ashes to the UK.
Bringing the ashes to the UK yourself
If you are taking the ashes with you when you leave South Sudan, you will need to:
- show the death certificate
- show the cremation certificate
- follow local South Sudanese regulations for leaving South Sudan 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
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. 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 the family or the police in South Sudan.
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 with the body.
If they were a South Sudanese resident, you may not be able to take the belongings as they may be part of their estate. Get legal advice if this happens.
The police may keep the person’s belongings as evidence if there is an investigation into the death. These may only be returned when the court case is over.
Finding a lawyer in South Sudan
You may need a lawyer to help you understand the South Sudanese legal system when someone has died. Check English speaking lawyers in South Sudan.
The FCDO 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 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 UK government abroad