Sudan is, without question, one of the most difficult cases anywhere this site covers, and honesty about that matters more than reassurance. Before April 2023, families dealing with a death in Sudan faced a challenging but workable process. Since civil war broke out between the Sudan Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, the picture has changed entirely, and it’s important families understand that before anything else.
What changed, and when
The British Embassy in Khartoum suspended all operations in April 2023 and was fully evacuated; there is no British consular presence in the country now, and support is provided remotely through FCDO London. Khartoum International Airport sustained serious damage during the fighting and has been non-operational since. The country is now effectively split by territorial control between the SAF and RSF, and which authority applies to a given case depends entirely on who controls the area where the death occurred.
What’s still possible
Port Sudan, currently under SAF control, has limited scheduled international flights and is, at present, the only realistic exit point. Cases that can reach it may complete in 8 to 16 weeks in favourable conditions. Darfur remains subject to severe ongoing violence, and bodies there may simply be unrecoverable for now. A small number of specialist firms maintain contact with local agents able to work within SAF or RSF-controlled areas, coordinate body preservation while documentation is pursued, and use Egyptian, Qatari, or Saudi connections to route a case via Port Sudan.
What isn’t possible
Expediting documentation in areas with no functioning government isn’t something any firm can promise. Extracting bodies from active combat zones isn’t achievable. And nobody can offer timeline certainty while the conflict continues; families should be told this plainly rather than given a false sense of speed.
If the death happened before the war
Where a death occurred before April 2023 and remains are still in Sudan, documentation from the previous Khartoum authorities may not be accepted by whoever currently controls the relevant area. This needs specialist, Sudan-specific advice rather than an assumption that old paperwork still works.
Who to call
FCDO advises against all travel to Sudan. Call the Emergency Travel Line, 020 7008 5000, and provide the full name and last known location of the deceased; the FCDO will confirm current consular capability and refer to firms known to operate in the region.
Read how an insurer’s assistance company coordinates repatriation, or see repatriation from Sudan to the UK for the full country breakdown.
Contact Repatriate Service on +44 7703 577246 at any hour, or use the enquiry form below.