Consular assistance
British Embassy contacts for Puerto Rico: when someone dies abroad
British Embassy, Washington DC (non-resident); Honorary British Consul, San Juan handles cases in Puerto Rico. A death must be registered with the local authorities in Puerto Rico 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 Puerto Rico
British representation: British Embassy, Washington DC (non-resident); Honorary British Consul, San Juan
Authority that must release the body: Puerto Rico Institute of Forensic Sciences (non-natural deaths); Puerto Rico Vital Statistics Registry; US federal and Puerto Rico territorial law applies
Documentation language: Spanish; English
Areas needing extra care: None.
US unincorporated territory, US federal law and Puerto Rico territorial law apply. Institute of Forensic Sciences jurisdiction for non-natural deaths. US federal embalming certificate required. Direct UK flight available.
Always verify numbers before calling
Embassy phone numbers change. Confirm current details at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, which covers Puerto Rico 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 Puerto Rico
What you need to know
What the British post in Puerto Rico can and cannot do
British Embassy, Washington DC (non-resident); Honorary British Consul, San Juan 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 Puerto Rico
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 Puerto Rico
What the Embassy can and cannot pay for
Consular staff in Puerto Rico 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 Puerto Rico involvesNeed help bringing someone home from Puerto Rico?
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.