Guidance

Côte d’Ivoire's Bereavement Information

Published 19 August 2020

The death of a relative or friend is always distressing. When the death occurs overseas, family and friends in the UK can feel additional distress as they are unfamiliar with foreign procedures and perhaps are unable to communicate in the language of the country where the death occurred. You may be uncertain on what to do next or who to contact for advice. Consular Directorate at The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office in London and our Embassy in Abidjan are ready to help in any way that we can.

These notes are designed to help you through the practical arrangements you will need to make. While care has been taken in compiling this information, it is not meant to be a definitive statement of the law, nor is it to be taken as a substitute for independent legal advice.

You should be aware that Côte d’Ivoire’s procedures differ significantly from those in the United Kingdom. While we understand your need to make arrangements quickly, this may not always be possible.

Standard Procedures

Following the death of a British National in Côte d’Ivoire, the next of kin, or a formally appointed representative, must decide whether to repatriate the deceased or have a local burial.

1. Repatriation

If the deceased was covered by travel insurance, the insurance company will normally have a standing agreement with an international funeral director in the UK to arrange repatriations. If the deceased is not covered by insurance, the next of kin will need to appoint an international undertaker in the UK. A list of these companies is at the end of this document.

The international undertaker will work with a local undertaker. Currently Ivosep (see contacts below) is the only one local undertaker in Côte d’Ivoire equipped to carry out repatriation procedures. Working with the international undertakers and you, Ivosep will be able to arrange permissions for repatriation from the Ministry of Health and Ministry of the Interior.

There may be circumstances where repatriation may not be possible. Our consular staff will try and inform the next of kin as soon as possible if this is the case.

The following steps below should be followed by the family/ next of kin. They need to:

• obtain a medical death certificate and a “letter of non-contamination” from the doctor or hospital
• declare the death to the town hall (mairie), of the borough where the death occurred, and the mairie will issue a death certificate
• issue a copy of their marriage certificate, if the deceased was married
• provide the full names of both parents of the deceased, should both parents be alive (this information can be given verbally to the local undertaker)

On receipt of the above, request a letter of No Objection for Repatriation from the British Embassy. When you have all of these documents, submit the originals of these along with the death certificate to the Ivosep. Ivosep will arrange all other necessary documents and organise the repatriation of the deceased.

COVID-19 considerations: Ivosep can arrange repatriation during travel re-strictions but will require the international funeral director or family/ next of kin to confirm that an airline company will take the deceased on the flight.

2. Local Burial/ Cremation

Burial can be arranged through the local undertakers. Please note that there are no cremation facilities in Côte d’Ivoire. The closest crematory facility in the region is located in Ghana.

Things You Need to Know

1. Death Certificate

Medical death certificates will usually be issued by doctors at the hospital where the death occurred or where the deceased was taken to. This certificate states the date, place, and cause of death. Further copies can be obtained from the hospital. When obtained, you need to go to the town hall of the place of the death, to make a formal declaration and be issued with a formal death certificate.

2. Morgues

The deceased’s body will be kept at a local hospital morgue or at the request of the next of kin, could be transferred to a local undertaker morgue.

3. Autopsies

It is normal for autopsies to be conducted when there is a doubt as to the cause of death. Autopsies are performed at the request of the police. This can happen without the authorisation of the next of kin and may take place as soon as the deceased reaches the morgue. However, the authorities may be able to accommodate any special requests made by the next of kin.

4. Inquests

If the circumstances of the death were not unusual, registration of the death is permitted and the body will be released for repatriation or burial within a few days. However, if the police are not satisfied after a preliminary examination of the facts, an autopsy may be required.

In cases of sudden or unexpected death whether by accident or misadventure, or where a person dies unattended, the police will prepare an initial report of their findings. However, if death was caused by a criminal act the police will be ordered to conduct a full investigation. The State Prosecutor will then decide whether to prosecute. This can sometimes delay the release of the body.

5. UK Coroners

When a body is repatriated to England or Wales, a coroner will hold an inquest only if the death was violent or unnatural, or if the death was sudden and the cause unknown. In some countries, the cause of death is not given on the death certificate, and coroners do not generally have access to judicial files from other countries. Subsequently coroners may order a post-mortem as part of the inquest.

Coroners can request copies of post-mortem and police reports from the Ivoirian authorities via the FCDO in London. However, these will only be provided when judicial proceedings are completed in Côte d’Ivoire. In some cases, this can take months.

In Scotland, the Scottish Executive is the responsible authority. However, they are not obliged to hold an inquest into cause of death. Coroners in Northern Ireland are also not obliged to hold an inquest into cause of death. However, next of kin can apply for a judicial review if no inquest is held.

6. Release of Information

Access to information concerning a death, other than post-mortem and police reports, can be restricted. Requests for this information should be made through a legal representative. Please see our list of English speaking lawyers if you would like more information.

7. Legal Aid/ Court Proceedings

You can engage the services of a local lawyer to represent your interests, and this is recommended if you want to have detailed feedback. Please see our list of English speaking lawyers.

8. Consular Death Registration

There is no legal obligation for you to register the death of a British National overseas with the General Registry Office in the UK, but you can do so if you wish. This service carries a statutory fee for the registration and an extra fee if a copy of the death certificate is required. For more information please check on the British government website Registering a Death. The British Embassy in Abidjan does not register deaths of British Nationals overseas.

Local Undertakers

Organisation	Address	Telephone	Email	Website
Ivoire Sepulture (IVOSEP)	Boulevard Giscard d’Estaing, Abidjan, Treichville, 08 BP 2386, Abidjan 08	+225 21 25 69 25	[email protected]	Visit website
		+225 07 82 31 59	[email protected]
PFGA (Pompes Funèbres Générales d’Afrique	Hȏpital Général de Grand-Bassam BP 681, Grand-Bassam	+225 21 25 27 80
	Administrative Office: 20, Rue Pierre et Marie Curie, 18 BP 2730 Abidjan 18	+225 21 24 67 57

IVOSEP, the undertaking company has told us that:

• they don’t have English speaking staff
• they are registered to the Trade register of the Court.
• they have experience of representing Europeans nationals
• they can’t offer repayment plans
• they provide services throughout the country
• they offer the following services: funeral arrangements, burial services, coffins, preservation & handling, cremation, death notices, administrative procedures, flowers, coffins

UK Useful Addresses

Organisation	Address	Telephone	Email	Website
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), Consular Directorate	King Charles Street, London, SW1A 2AH	+44 (0)207 008 1500		Visit website
British Embassy Abidjan	Cocody Quartier Ambassades, Rue A58 Impasse du Belier, Abidjan	+225 22 44 26 69 / +44 (0)190 851 6666	[email protected]	Visit website
Victim Support	Cranmer House 39 Brixton Road, London SW9 6DZ44	+44 (0)845 303 0900		Visit website
BRAKE (the road safety charity) [footnote 1]	Brake, PO Box 548 Huddersfield, HD1 2XZ	+44 (0)148 455 9909 / 0845 603 8570 (Helpline)	[email protected]	Visit website
SAMM UK (Support After Murder & Manslaughter) [footnote 2]	Kings Norton Police Station 20 Wharf Road, Kings Norton, B30 3LT	+44 (0)121 451 1618	[email protected]	Visit website
CHUMS [footnote 3]	Wrest Park Enterprise Centre, Wrest Park, Silsoe Bedforshire, MK45 4HS	+44 (0)152 586 3924	[email protected]	Visit website
TCF (The Compassionate Friends)		+44 (0)345 123 2304 (Helpline)		Visit website
Incorporated Law Society Northern Ireland	Bedford House, 16-22 Bedford Street, Belfast BT2 7FL	+44 (0)123 224 6441		Visit website
Scottish Executive Public Health Policy	St. Andrew’s House, Regent Road, Edinburgh EH11 3XD	+44 (0)131 244 25091		Visit website
Legal Services Commission	85 Gray´s Inn Road, London WC1X 8TX	+44 (0)20 7759 0000		Visit website
Scottish Legal Aid Central Committee	44 Drumsheigh Gardens, Edinburgh EH3 7SW	+44 (0)131 226 7061		Visit website
Cruse Bereavement Care	PO Box 800, Richmond Surrey TW9 1RG	+44(0)808 808 1677	[email protected]	Visit website
The Bereavement Counselling Charity	PO Box 250, Peters field Hampshire GU 32 9EJ	+44(0)785 749 1902 / 2 749 2158	[email protected]	Visit website

International Funeral Directors in the UK

Organisation	Address	Telephone	Email	Website
Rowland Brothers International	299-305 Whitehouse Road, Croydon CR0 2HR	+44 (0)208 684 2324 / 1667	[email protected]	Visit website
National Association of Funeral Directors	618 Warwick Road, Solihull B91 1 AAR	+44 (0)121 711 1343 / 51		Visit website
Co-Operative Funeral Care – International	50 Whitta Road Manor Park, London E12 5DA	+44 (0)208 788 5303		Visit website
Heaven Repatriation Services	13 The Broadway, Gunnersbury Lane, London W3 8HR	+44 (0)20 8993 8040	[email protected]	Visit website

1. Brake provides dedicated support for people bereaved or seriously injured in road crashes. The Support Helpline operates weekdays from 10:00am to 4:00pm. ↩

2. SAMM UK provides support for families bereaved by murder or manslaughter, including that which takes place overseas. Not to be confused with SAMM International, which is a different organisation. ↩

3. CHUMS is a Child Bereavement Trauma and Emotional Wellbeing Service which provides support for children, young people and their parents/ carers. ↩