Cape Verde has become one of the most popular UK package holiday destinations in Africa, and most families we speak to are surprised by how much the specific island changes the picture. Sal and Boa Vista are well connected. The other eight islands are not.
Ten islands, two with direct flights
TUI, Jet2, and easyJet all fly direct from regional UK airports to Sal and Boa Vista. A death anywhere else, Fogo, Santo Antao, Sao Nicolau, Sao Vicente, Brava, or Maio, needs to reach one of those two islands before any international documentation process can properly begin. Inter-island options exist, a mix of TACV Cabo Verde Airlines services, charter flights, and in some cases a ferry crossing, and typically add three to seven days.
Consular support comes from Senegal
There is no resident British Embassy anywhere in Cape Verde. An Honorary Consul in Praia, on Santiago island, can provide initial registration and assistance, but does not hold full consular authority. Once the case moves beyond that first step, it is the British Embassy in Dakar, Senegal, that takes over, which means an extra layer of coordination compared with a country that has its own resident Embassy.
No cremation, anywhere in the archipelago
This is one fact families are rarely told in advance. Cape Verde has no crematorium on any of its ten islands. If cremation matters to the family, the only route is to repatriate the body to the UK first and arrange cremation there once the funeral director has received it.
Water sports are the recurring cause
Surfing off the northern coast of Sal, kiteboarding, and diving conditions around Boa Vista are a consistent source of British fatalities, often more demanding than they look to recreational visitors. Where drowning is involved, recovery of the remains can add time before the Instituto Nacional de Medicina Legal’s forensic clearance process even starts.
What we can offer
We coordinate inter-island transfers as part of the case, not as a separate problem the family has to solve first.
Read about how airline cargo delays typically happen and what causes them, or see the full Cape Verde repatriation guide for the complete picture.
Contact Repatriate Service on +44 7703 577246 at any hour, or use the enquiry form below.