Consular assistance
British Embassy contacts for Egypt: when someone dies abroad
If a British national dies in Egypt, the Embassy is usually the first official body to contact. The local emergency number is 122. This page lists the numbers you need and what the post can do.
Emergency numbers
FCDO 24-hour line (from UK)
+44 (0)20 7008 5000British Embassy in Egypt
+20 2 2791 6000Handling a death in Egypt
Local emergency number: 122
Authority that must release the body: Forensic Medical Authority (Maslahat al-Tibb al-Shar'i)
When a post-mortem is ordered: Post mortem ordered by Egyptian public prosecutor (niyaba) for all unnatural, sudden, violent, or suspicious deaths. Routinely ordered for foreign national deaths in tourist areas.
Effect on the timeline: Can delay repatriation by 2-6 weeks. Prosecutor must authorise release of the body.
Getting the report: Reports issued to the prosecutor. Family access can be difficult. British Embassy can assist in obtaining information.
Documentation language: Arabic (Egyptian Arabic dialect). English: Good in tourist areas (Hurghada, Sharm el-Sheikh, Cairo tourist zones, Luxor tourist areas). Hotel staff, tour operators, and tourist police speak English. Limited outside tourist zones. Official documentation is in Arabic only.
Healthcare: Variable. Private hospitals in Cairo are good (As-Salam International, Dar Al Fouad). Red Sea resort towns have hospitals accustomed to treating tourists but facilities are more basic than European standards. Hyperbaric chambers available in Sharm el-Sheikh and Hurghada for diving accidents. Rural and Upper Egypt healthcare is basic.
British community: ~10,000-20,000 British residents in Egypt. Some in Cairo, some in Red Sea resort areas.
Most common causes of British deaths here: Natural causes (elderly tourists, particularly on Nile cruises); Drowning (Red Sea, hotel swimming pools); Diving accidents (Sharm el-Sheikh and Hurghada are major diving destinations); Road traffic accidents (Egyptian road safety is poor); Boat accidents (Red Sea boat trips, Nile river boats); Heat-related illness (summer temperatures exceed 45C in Upper Egypt); Food poisoning complications (rare as primary cause of death but can exacerbate existing conditions); Shark attacks (rare but have occurred in Red Sea resort areas)
Areas needing extra care: Hurghada: British tourist hub. Drowning, diving accidents, boat trips, hotel incidents.; Sharm el-Sheikh: Diving capital. Diving accidents, drowning, boat incidents. Sinai security.; Cairo: Tourist volume, road accidents, heat illness, pollution.; Luxor: Elderly tourists (Nile cruises, Valley of the Kings). Heat illness.; Nile cruises: Elderly passengers, medical emergencies far from major hospitals.; Red Sea coast: General drowning, boat accident risk.
Always verify numbers before calling
Embassy phone numbers change. Confirm current details at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/egypt 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 Egypt
Consulate
Alexandria
VERIFY all numbers before go-live. Check gov.uk for current list.
What you need to know
What the British post in Egypt can and cannot do
The British post covering Egypt 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.
In Egypt specifically: Can delay repatriation by 2-6 weeks. Prosecutor must authorise release of the body.
The full list of what consular staff can and cannot do applies in every country.
Death registration in Egypt
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 Egypt
What the Embassy can and cannot pay for
Consular staff in Egypt 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 Egypt involvesNeed help coordinating repatriation from Egypt?
We can take over the arrangements from wherever you are in the process. Call us or leave your details and we will call you back.