Consular assistance
British Embassy contacts for Ecuador: when someone dies abroad
Naciones Unidas Avenida y Republica del Salvador, Edificio Citiplaza, Piso 14, Quito; +44 1908 516666; British Embassy Quito; +593 2 397 2200 handles cases in Ecuador. A death must be registered with the local authorities in Ecuador 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 Ecuador
British representation: Naciones Unidas Avenida y Republica del Salvador, Edificio Citiplaza, Piso 14, Quito; +44 1908 516666; British Embassy Quito; +593 2 397 2200
Authority that must release the body: Registro Civil; Ministry of Health (Ministerio de Salud Publica); Instituto Nacional de Medicina Legal (INML), Quito or Guayaquil; Fiscalia General del Estado (Prosecutor's Office)
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Treaty position: Not a signatory to the Strasbourg Agreement on the Transfer of Corpses
Always verify numbers before calling
Official lists for Ecuador
Published by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office for British nationals. We are not connected to the firms listed.
- Translators and interpreters, for certified translation of the death certificate and permits
- Lawyers, where an estate or an investigation needs local legal advice
Embassy phone numbers change. Confirm current details at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/ecuador 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 Ecuador
What you need to know
What the British post in Ecuador can and cannot do
Naciones Unidas Avenida y Republica del Salvador, Edificio Citiplaza, Piso 14, Quito; +44 1908 516666; British Embassy Quito; +593 2 397 2200 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 Ecuador
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 Ecuador
What the Embassy can and cannot pay for
Consular staff in Ecuador 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 Ecuador involvesNeed help bringing someone home from Ecuador?
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.