Consular assistance

British Embassy contacts for The Bahamas: when someone dies abroad

Nassau, New Providence; British High Commission Nassau; High Commission; https://www.gov.uk/world/organisations/british-high-commission-nassau handles cases in The Bahamas. A death must be registered with the local authorities in The Bahamas before a body or ashes can leave the country. Consular staff will register the death with UK authorities, issue consular documents and give you a list of local funeral directors. They cannot meet any cost, arrange the repatriation, or authorise release of the body. If the person who died was not British, contact the embassy or consulate of their own country instead.

Emergency numbers

FCDO 24-hour line (from UK)

+44 (0)20 7008 5000

Handling a death in The Bahamas

British representation: Nassau, New Providence; British High Commission Nassau; High Commission; https://www.gov.uk/world/organisations/british-high-commission-nassau

Authority that must release the body: Department of Pathology, Princess Margaret Hospital, Nassau (New Providence) / Rand Memorial Hospital, Freeport (Grand Bahama)

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Treaty position: Not a signatory to the Strasbourg Agreement on the Transfer of Corpses

Always verify numbers before calling

Embassy phone numbers change. Confirm current details at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/bahamas before a trip. The FCDO 24-hour line (+44 (0)20 7008 5000) is the most reliable point of contact in an emergency.

Contact details

British Embassy and consulates in The Bahamas

What you need to know

What the British post in The Bahamas can and cannot do

Nassau, New Providence; British High Commission Nassau; High Commission; https://www.gov.uk/world/organisations/british-high-commission-nassau is the post that registers the death and can give you a list of local funeral directors. It cannot pay any repatriation cost, arrange the repatriation itself, release the body, or shorten a local timeline.

The full list of what consular staff can and cannot do applies in every country.

Death registration in The Bahamas

The Embassy can register the death separately under UK law. This is optional and does not replace the local certificate, but some families find the UK death certificate useful for administrative purposes.

Typical timeline from The Bahamas

Average case12-18 days
No complications7 days
With post-mortem21-30 days

What the Embassy can and cannot pay for

Consular staff in The Bahamas cannot pay repatriation costs, funeral director fees, or any local charges, and cannot lend money to cover them.

They can give you a list of local funeral directors, contact next of kin, and help you reach an insurer. If there is no insurance and no family funds, they can explain what limited options exist.

What repatriation from The Bahamas involves

Need help bringing someone home from The Bahamas?

We can take over the arrangements from wherever you are in the process, and bring your loved one home to the UK, Ireland or any other country. Send us the details and we will come back to you with a quote.

We respond by email within one hour, 24/7.

No obligation. Your details are kept confidential.