Consular assistance
British Embassy contacts for Portugal: when someone dies abroad
If a British national dies in Portugal, the Embassy is usually the first official body to contact. A death must be registered with the local authorities in Portugal 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. The local emergency number is 112.
Emergency numbers
FCDO 24-hour line (from UK)
+44 (0)20 7008 5000British Embassy in Portugal
+351 21 392 4000Handling a death in Portugal
Local emergency number: 112
Authority that must release the body: Instituto Nacional de Medicina Legal e Ciencias Forenses (INMLCF)
When a post-mortem is ordered: Post mortem ordered by the public prosecutor (Ministerio Publico) if death is sudden, violent, suspicious, or cause of death is unknown.
Effect on the timeline: Can delay repatriation by 1-4 weeks. Prosecutor must authorise release of the body.
Getting the report: Reports can take weeks to months depending on complexity.
Documentation language: Portuguese. English: Good in the Algarve (large British community), Lisbon, and Porto. Younger Portuguese generally speak English well. Limited in rural inland areas. Hospital staff in tourist areas and private hospitals usually speak English.
Healthcare: Good public healthcare system (SNS). EHIC/GHIC provides emergency cover. Private healthcare also available. Algarve has hospitals accustomed to treating British patients.
British community: ~50,000-80,000 registered British residents in Portugal. Concentrated heavily in the Algarve region. True number likely higher including seasonal residents.
Most common causes of British deaths here: Natural causes (large elderly expat population in the Algarve); Road traffic accidents; Drowning (Atlantic coast, strong currents, hotel pools); Falls (elderly population); Pre-existing medical conditions exacerbated by heat; Golf course cardiac events (Algarve has major golf tourism)
Areas needing extra care: Algarve (Faro, Lagos, Albufeira, Portimao, Vilamoura): Largest British population. Elderly natural causes dominant.; Lisbon: Tourist volume, road accidents.; Porto: Tourist volume.; Madeira: Elderly tourists, hiking accidents, road accidents.; Azores: Small tourist volume, outdoor activity risks.
Always verify numbers before calling
Official lists for Portugal
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/portugal 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 Portugal
Consulate
Portimao (Algarve)
Consulate
Porto
The Portimao consulate is critical given the Algarve's large British population. Check gov.uk for current list.
What you need to know
What the British post in Portugal can and cannot do
The British post covering Portugal 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 Portugal specifically: Can delay repatriation by 1-4 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 Portugal
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 Portugal
What the Embassy can and cannot pay for
Consular staff in Portugal 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 Portugal involvesNeed help bringing someone home from Portugal?
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.