Cremation and ashes transport

Cremation in Senegal and bringing ashes home

For some families, arranging cremation locally and carrying ashes home is the right choice, and it can be quicker than full repatriation. This page sets out what Senegal requires, and what to check before you decide.

Send an enquiry Full repatriation guide for Senegal

Cremation in Senegal

Can you cremate someone in Senegal?

Cremation arrangements in Senegal depend on local facilities and on whether an investigation is open. Contact us and we will confirm the current position before you make any decision.

Weighing cremation abroad against bringing your loved one home intact? How families decide between the two.

Who must release the body

Etat Civil (Civil Registry) in the commune of death; Ministry of Interior laissez-passer; Ministry of Health certificate; Institut Medico-Legal (IML), Dakar; Parquet (Prosecutor's Office) for unnatural deaths

Treaty position

Not a signatory to the Strasbourg Agreement on the Transfer of Corpses

Airline guidance

Can you carry ashes on the flight home?

Departure airports: DSS (Blaise Diagne International, Dakar)

Carriers serving the UK: Air Senegal; Air France; Royal Air Maroc; Brussels Airlines

Airline rules that apply on any route.

What affects the cost from Senegal

We do not publish a figure, because it turns on the specifics of the case. For Senegal the things that move it are:

Distance from where the death happened to the nearest crematorium
Whether Etat Civil (Civil Registry) in the commune of death; Ministry of Interior laissez-passer; Ministry of Health certificate; Institut Medico-Legal (IML), Dakar; Parquet (Prosecutor's Office) for unnatural deaths has to release the case first
Whether you carry the ashes yourself or need them shipped

Considering full repatriation instead?

Some families decide they want their loved one brought home intact. The full Senegal guide sets out that process.

Full repatriation guide for Senegal

First steps guide

What to do if someone dies in Senegal

The step-by-step first response guide covers the first 24 hours in Senegal.

Official lists for Senegal

Published by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office for British nationals. We are not connected to the firms listed.

Lawyers, where an estate or an investigation needs local legal advice

Sources: FCDO: death abroad · FCDO travel advice · Repatriation from Senegal

Talk to us about cremation in Senegal

We deal with Etat Civil (Civil Registry) in the commune of death; Ministry of Interior laissez-passer; Ministry of Health certificate; Institut Medico-Legal (IML), Dakar; Parquet (Prosecutor's Office) for unnatural deaths and the local funeral directors directly. Tell us what has happened and we will take it from there.