Consular assistance
British Embassy contacts for Bonaire: when someone dies abroad
British Embassy The Hague, Netherlands (non-resident); Honorary Consul Willemstad, Curaçao handles cases in Bonaire. A death must be registered with the local authorities in Bonaire 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 5000Handling a death in Bonaire
British representation: British Embassy The Hague, Netherlands (non-resident); Honorary Consul Willemstad, Curaçao
Authority that must release the body: Public Entity Bonaire (Openbaar Lichaam Bonaire); Dutch Caribbean Police Force (KPCN); Court of First Instance Bonaire Sint Eustatius Saba (BES Islands); Civil Registry Bonaire
Documentation language: Papiamentu; Dutch; English
Areas needing extra care: Washington Slagbaai National Park covers the northern third of the island. No restrictions relevant to repatriation logistics.
Bonaire's status as a special municipality of the Netherlands (not a separate Caribbean country) means Dutch law applies directly. UK families should engage a specialist firm familiar with Dutch Caribbean legal procedures, which differ from Netherlands Antilles procedures that applied pre-2010. Sint Eustatius and Saba are the other BES islands: separate islands with the same framework.
Always verify numbers before calling
Embassy phone numbers change. Confirm current details at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, which covers Bonaire under the responsible post 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 Bonaire
What you need to know
What the British post in Bonaire can and cannot do
British Embassy The Hague, Netherlands (non-resident); Honorary Consul Willemstad, Curaçao 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 Bonaire
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 Bonaire
What the Embassy can and cannot pay for
Consular staff in Bonaire 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 Bonaire involvesNeed help bringing someone home from Bonaire?
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.