Senegal has grown into one of West Africa’s most visited countries for British travellers: Dakar’s arts scene, the beaches along the Petite Côte at Saly, the island of Gorée, and increasingly the Casamance region further south. It’s a warm, welcoming country to visit. Repatriating a loved one from it, though, is not something a generalist funeral director should attempt.
Why Dakar is where everything happens
Deaths are registered at the local Etat Civil, the civil registry, in whichever commune the death occurred. For deaths in Dakar itself, registration through the Acte de Décès moves reasonably efficiently. Move outside the capital, to Saint-Louis, Ziguinchor, or Tambacounda, and the picture changes: registry offices are slower, and physical access to the right office can itself take travel time a grieving family hadn’t planned for.
Forensic post-mortems only really happen at one place with any real capacity: the Institut Médico-Légal in Dakar. So an unnatural death anywhere else in the country usually means the body has to come to the capital before an examination can even start.
The Gendarmerie and the Parquet
Violent, sudden, or suspicious deaths bring in the Gendarmerie or Police Nationale, and the case only moves forward once the Parquet, Senegal’s Prosecutor’s Office, authorises the body’s release. This step alone can add a week or two beyond what a straightforward natural death would need.
The laissez-passer
Once the Acte de Décès, the Parquet release, an embalming certificate, and a Certificat de Non-Contagion (freedom from contagious disease) are all in hand, the laissez-passer for international transfer can be applied for through the Ministry of Interior or the relevant regional authority. Allow 5 to 10 days once every document is submitted.
Getting home to the UK
Blaise Diagne International Airport sits about 45 kilometres outside Dakar and handles the country’s international cargo. There’s no direct UK service, so routing goes via Paris Charles de Gaulle on Air France or via Casablanca on Royal Air Maroc, connecting on to London.
The British Embassy in Dakar should be one of your first calls, alongside the FCDO Emergency Travel Line, +44 (0)20 7008 5000, which operates 24 hours a day.
Read certified translation for death abroad documents, or see repatriation from Senegal to the UK for the full country breakdown.
Contact Repatriate Service on +44 7703 577246 at any hour, or use the enquiry form below.