Consular assistance
British Embassy contacts for Macau: when someone dies abroad
Non-resident, British Consulate General, Hong Kong (covers Macau) handles cases in Macau. A death must be registered with the local authorities in Macau 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 Macau
British representation: Non-resident, British Consulate General, Hong Kong (covers Macau)
Authority that must release the body: Conservatória do Registo Civil (Civil Registry Conservatory); Polícia Judiciária (Judicial Police, non-natural deaths)
Documentation language: Cantonese Chinese, Portuguese
Macau SAR has its own Portuguese-influenced civil law system. Documentation in Chinese and Portuguese requires certified English translation. Non-resident British CG Hong Kong covers Macau. Routing via Hong Kong is most practical. The gambling tourism industry means the territory has professional mortuary infrastructure.
Always verify numbers before calling
Embassy phone numbers change. Confirm current details at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, which covers Macau under the responsible post 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 Macau
What you need to know
What the British post in Macau can and cannot do
Non-resident, British Consulate General, Hong Kong (covers Macau) 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 Macau
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 Macau
What the Embassy can and cannot pay for
Consular staff in Macau 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 Macau involvesNeed help bringing someone home from Macau?
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.