Consular assistance
British Embassy contacts for Guinea-Bissau: when someone dies abroad
Non-resident. UK consular services provided by the British Embassy in Dakar, Senegal. handles cases in Guinea-Bissau. A death must be registered with the local authorities in Guinea-Bissau 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 Guinea-Bissau
British representation: Non-resident. UK consular services provided by the British Embassy in Dakar, Senegal.
Authority that must release the body: Conservatória do Registo Civil (Civil Registry), Polícia Judiciária
Documentation language: Portuguese; Crioulo
Areas needing extra care: Northern border regions near Senegal's Casamance area; Remote eastern border areas with Guinea
Portuguese-language documentation in a country without resident UK diplomatic presence. Institutional capacity is limited outside Bissau. Drug trafficking routes and a history of political coups create an unpredictable environment. FCDO advises heightened vigilance in border areas with Guinea and Senegal's Casamance region.
Always verify numbers before calling
Embassy phone numbers change. Confirm current details at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/guinea-bissau 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 Guinea-Bissau
What you need to know
What the British post in Guinea-Bissau can and cannot do
Non-resident. UK consular services provided by the British Embassy in Dakar, Senegal. 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 Guinea-Bissau
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 Guinea-Bissau
What the Embassy can and cannot pay for
Consular staff in Guinea-Bissau 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 Guinea-Bissau involvesNeed help bringing someone home from Guinea-Bissau?
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.