Consular assistance
British Embassy contacts for Iraq: when someone dies abroad
British Embassy Baghdad (resident). British Consulate Erbil (resident, Kurdistan Region). handles cases in Iraq. A death must be registered with the local authorities in Iraq 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 Iraq
British representation: British Embassy Baghdad (resident). British Consulate Erbil (resident, Kurdistan Region).
Authority that must release the body: Civil Status Directorate (Mudiriyyat al-Ahwal al-Madaniyyah), Ministry of Interior, Medico-Legal Directorate
Documentation language: Arabic; Kurdish
Areas needing extra care: Anbar province; Nineveh Plains (disputed territory); Areas near Syrian border; Southern Baghdad outskirts with militia presence; Areas of active ISIL activity in northern/western Iraq
FCDO advises against all travel to certain provinces and against all but essential travel to most of Iraq. Active security threats include militia groups, residual ISIL activity in disputed territories, and the risk of regional escalation. The Kurdistan Region (Erbil, Sulaymaniyah) is significantly more stable and has better-developed civil administration. Arabic and Kurdish documentation requirements. Islamic burial practices create timeline pressure. Non-Islamic funerals in some areas may face community or administrative resistance.
Always verify numbers before calling
Official lists for Iraq
Published by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office for British nationals. We are not connected to the firms listed.
- Funeral directors, for arranging local care and preparation
Embassy phone numbers change. Confirm current details at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/iraq 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 Iraq
What you need to know
What the British post in Iraq can and cannot do
British Embassy Baghdad (resident). British Consulate Erbil (resident, Kurdistan Region). 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 Iraq
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 Iraq
What the Embassy can and cannot pay for
Consular staff in Iraq 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 Iraq involvesNeed help bringing someone home from Iraq?
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.