When someone dies in Turkmenistan
The process when a British national dies in Turkmenistan, 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 Turkmenistan 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 before a death certificate can be issued. Depending on the circumstances of the death, registration will be carried out by a doctor, police officer or other relevant professional. If a person dies other than in a medical institution, the emergency medical services and police must be called to assess the circumstances and confirm the person’s identity.
Getting a death certificate
After the death has been registered, a death certificate can be requested from the local civil registry office (known as ZAGS) by the person’s next of kin or someone granted Power of Attorney to act on the next of kin’s behalf. The certificate can take a few days to issue.
In Turkmenistan the legal definition of next of kin includes a spouse, an adult child, an adult sibling, a parent and a grandparent.
In requesting a death certificate, you will need the following information about the person who has died:
- British passport or other official identity document if the passport is not available
- residential address in the UK or the country the person usually lives in
- religion (if applicable)
You will also need to provide evidence of your relationship to the person, such as a marriage or birth certificate, or confirmation of your power of attorney.
The ZAGS office may require a consular officer from the British Embassy to be present when the death certificate is issued.
The death certificate will be written in the Turkmen language. It is advisable to request two or more copies in case one copy is needed for repatriation of the person’s body. You can use a translator and notary in Turkmenistan to obtain an official translation of the certificate into English or Russian.
Turkmen death certificates record the cause of death. If the cause of death is still being investigated it may not be possible to obtain a death certificate and proceed with other arrangements in the time frame you would like.
Post mortems in Turkmenistan
A post mortem is a medical examination of the body. In Turkmenistan the consent of a person’s spouse or next of kin is needed for a post mortem to be carried out, except in circumstances such as suspected murder, an infectious disease or a pregnancy-related death.
Any post mortem report will be issued to the prosecutor at the ZAGS office, who will share it with the person’s next of kin or legal representative.
Burying the body in Turkmenistan
You need a local funeral director to arrange a burial in Turkmenistan. The local authorities need to give special permission for the burial of a foreign citizen. The funeral director should ask the British Embassy to request this permission through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Ceremonies can be arranged in accordance with Muslim or Christian rites.
There are no cremation facilities in Turkmenistan.
Bringing the body to the UK
Ask your funeral director about options for bringing the person’s body to the UK from Turkmenistan.
When taking the person’s body to the UK from Turkmenistan you will need to:
- obtain a letter of repatriation from the local Prosecutor’s Office, which confirms that there are no signs of violent or suspicious death. Consular staff of the British Embassy can help you with this
- show the Turkmen death certificate
- show the passport of the person who died
- arrange a special casket through the local funeral director
Getting the person’s belongings back
Belongings the person had with them when they died are normally given to a family member with the person in Turkmenistan, or to the police.
If you will bring the person’s body to the UK, you can ask the local or UK funeral director to collect all the belongings and transport them together.
If there is an investigation into the person’s death and any belongings are kept by the police as evidence, these may only be returned when the investigation is closed.
Finding a Turkmen translator
You may need a translator to help you understand Turkmen rules or get documents translated. Check official translators in Turkmenistan. The British Embassy cannot provide translation services or pay for translation costs.
Finding a Turkmen lawyer
You may need a lawyer to help you understand the Turkmen legal system when someone has died. Check English-speaking lawyers in Turkmenistan. The British Embassy 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:
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in the UK call +44 (0)20 7008 5000