Consular assistance
British Embassy contacts for Canada: when someone dies abroad
If a British national dies in Canada, the Embassy is usually the first official body to contact. A death must be registered with the local authorities in Canada 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. The local emergency number is 911.
Emergency numbers
FCDO 24-hour line (from UK)
+44 (0)20 7008 5000Handling a death in Canada
Local emergency number: 911
Documentation language: English and French (both official). English dominant in all provinces except Quebec.. English: Yes. No language barrier except in parts of Quebec. English documentation available in all provinces.
Healthcare: Excellent public healthcare (Medicare). Non-residents are not covered by provincial health insurance. Private travel insurance needed. Hospital standards comparable to UK.
British community: ~500,000-700,000 British-born residents in Canada
Most common causes of British deaths here: Natural causes (elderly visitors and residents); Road traffic accidents; Ski and snowboard accidents (Whistler, Banff, Tremblant); Drowning (lakes, rivers, coastal); Hiking and wilderness accidents; Bear and wildlife encounters (rare but notable); Avalanche (backcountry skiing)
Areas needing extra care: Toronto and Ontario: Largest British community, tourist volume; Vancouver and BC: Tourist volume, ski resorts, wilderness; Calgary and Alberta: Ski resorts (Banff), road accidents; Quebec: Ski resorts (Tremblant), winter sports; Northern territories: Extreme remote, limited medical access
Always verify numbers before calling
Official lists for Canada
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
Embassy phone numbers change. Confirm current details at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/canada 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 Canada
British High Commission
Ottawa
80 Elgin Street, Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5K7
+1 613 237 1530 Official websiteConsulate
Toronto
Consulate
Vancouver
Consulate
Montreal
Consulate
Calgary
What you need to know
What the British post in Canada can and cannot do
The British post covering Canada 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 Canada
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 Canada
What the Embassy can and cannot pay for
Consular staff in Canada 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 Canada involvesNeed help bringing someone home from Canada?
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.