Consular assistance
British Embassy contacts for South Sudan: when someone dies abroad
British Embassy Juba handles cases in South Sudan. A death must be registered with the local authorities in South Sudan 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 South Sudan
British representation: British Embassy Juba
Authority that must release the body: South Sudan National Police Service, Ministry of Health, Office of the Registrar General
Documentation language: English; Arabic
Areas needing extra care: Unity State (FCDO against all travel); Upper Nile State (FCDO against all travel); Western Equatoria (FCDO against all travel); Central Equatoria outside Juba (FCDO against all travel)
World's youngest country (independence 2011). Civil war 2013 to 2018 with fragile ceasefire. Ongoing armed conflict in Unity State, Upper Nile, and Equatoria regions. Civil registration infrastructure very limited. FCDO advises against all travel to multiple states.
Always verify numbers before calling
Embassy phone numbers change. Confirm current details at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/south-sudan 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 South Sudan
What you need to know
What the British post in South Sudan can and cannot do
British Embassy Juba 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 South Sudan
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 South Sudan
What the Embassy can and cannot pay for
Consular staff in South Sudan 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 South Sudan involvesNeed help bringing someone home from South Sudan?
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.