What to do after a British person dies in Zambia
Find out about local procedures, burials and cremations, and returning the body to the UK
If you are dealing with the death of a child, multiple deaths, a suspicious death or a case of murder or manslaughter, call +260 211 423200 and choose the consular option for consular enquiries.
Contacting 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.
If the person who died had insurance, the insurance company will appoint a funeral director both locally and in the UK.
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 funeral director and be responsible for all costs. The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) provides a list of UK-based international funeral directors.
The FCDO cannot help with any costs. In some cases, funeral directors and lawyers may provide services on a pro bono basis. Pro bono work is done for free or for a reduced cost, depending on your circumstances. This is decided on a case by case basis.
Charities and organisations that offer support
Some UK-based charities and organisations may be able to provide help and information to people affected by a death abroad. The FCDO provides a list of UK-based charities and organisations.
Registering the death and obtaining a death certificate
You must register the death in the country where the person died. In Zambia, deaths must be registered with the Registrar General of Births, Death and Marriages.
In Lusaka, you can register the death at the offices of the Registrar General at Kambendekela House, Independence Avenue (+260 211 228196 or +260 211 228197). If you are outside Lusaka, you will need to visit the local Boma Office (+260 211 221128).
You can ask a funeral director to register the death if you are the next of kin.
The Registrar General will issue a death certificate. Death certificates are printed in English and can be collected within 48 hours of registering the death.
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, COVID-19 or HIV, you must tell the local authorities, so they can take precautions against infection.
Next of kin
The next of kin for the person who died needs to carry out these legal procedures. Under Zambian law the next of kin is defined as their married partner or closest living blood relative.
Same-sex partners, whether married or not are not recognised as next of kin under Zambian law.
If you are not the next of kin, you may need authorisation from that person to register the death or carry out other legal procedures.
Mortuary facilities
Mortuary facilities can vary throughout Zambia. 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.
Dealing with a local post-mortem
In Zambia, post-mortems are usually performed when the cause of death is unknown, unnatural, sudden or violent. Forensic doctors appointed by the hospital or court carry out post-mortems at The University Teaching Hospital and other provincial government hospitals. The FCDO cannot stop or interfere with the process.
The next of kin can object to a post-mortem or request an external-only or partial post-mortem. The coroner will take into account cultural or religious sensitivities.
If a post-mortem is not carried out, the death certificate may have limited information, which can affect matters such as travel insurance and estate settlement. A post-mortem will always be carried out if murder or manslaughter is suspected.
During a post-mortem, small tissue samples and organs may be removed and retained for testing without the consent of the family. You will not automatically be told if this happens.
If you want a copy of the post-mortem report, you must apply through the coroner in the UK (if you bring the body home) or through the local court dealing with the death.
Bringing 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. If so, they will make all the necessary arrangements.
If the person who died is not covered by insurance, you will need to appoint an international funeral director yourself.
Finding an international funeral director
A relative or a formally appointed representative must 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
There are UK organisations and charities that may be able to offer assistance with repatriation.
Requesting a post-mortem in the UK
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’).
Bringing 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. When leaving Zambia with human ashes you will need to:
- show the certificate of cremation
- fill in a standard customs form when you arrive home
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.
Burying or cremating 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 Zambia.
The funeral director will be able to explain the local process.
If the next of kin does not pay for a funeral or repatriation, the local council will arrange a public funeral. This could be a single or mass grave depending on the cause of death and local circumstances. The local council offices in the town of burial hold burial records.
If a local burial or cremation takes place, there will not be a coroner’s inquest carried out in the UK.
Retrieving belongings
Personal belongings found on the person who died at the time of death are given to the police if the family is not present.
If you choose to repatriate, instruct the local funeral director to collect all personal belongings from the police or court and ship them together with the body.
If there is an investigation into the death, clothing may be retained as evidence and will not be returned until the court case is finished.
The FCDO cannot help with the cost of returning personal belongings to the family.
Finding 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 Zambia.
Cancelling a passport
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 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.
Checking 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
- dealing with the estate of the person who died