If the Death Occurs Abroad or in Scotland or Northern Ireland

When a death occurs abroad or on a foreign ship or aircraft, you must register the death according to the local regulations of that country and get a Death Certificate. It is also advisable to register the death with the British Consul so that a record of the death will be kept in England. You will then be able to get a copy of the Death Certificate from the consulate later or from the:

Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Nationality and Passport Section
Room G/35
Old Admiralty Building
London SW1A 2PA
Telephone: 0207 008 1500
Email: BMDenquiries@fco.gov.uk
Website: www.fco.gov.uk

There are certain circumstances whereby you must also report a death that has occurred abroad to a coroner (a doctor or lawyer responsible for investigating deaths):

• if the deceased was not attended by a doctor during the last illness or the doctor treating the deceased had not seen him or her either after death or within the 14 days before death
• if the death was violent or unnatural or occurred under suspicious circumstances
• if the cause of death is not known or is uncertain
• if the death occurred while the patient was undergoing an operation or did not recover from the anaesthetic
• if the death was caused by an industrial disease
• if the death occurred in prison or in police custody
• if the information about the death abroad is incomplete and the body is brought to England or Wales.