Consular assistance
British Embassy contacts for Sudan: when someone dies abroad
British Embassy, Khartoum (suspended operations since April 2023; FCDO advises against all travel to Sudan) handles cases in Sudan. A death must be registered with the local authorities in 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 Sudan
British representation: British Embassy, Khartoum (suspended operations since April 2023; FCDO advises against all travel to Sudan)
Authority that must release the body: Civil Registry for death registration; Ministry of Health for documentation; active conflict involving Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) makes standard procedures unreliable across most of the country
Documentation language: Arabic; English
Areas needing extra care: All of Sudan, FCDO advises against all travel; Khartoum and surrounding areas: active SAF/RSF combat; Darfur: ongoing atrocities, FCDO advises against all travel; North Kordofan, South Kordofan, Blue Nile state: active conflict; Sudanese-Eritrean border region
Sudan is in active civil war since April 2023. The British Embassy in Khartoum suspended all operations. FCDO advises against all travel. Standard repatriation procedures are not functioning across most of the country. The Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) control different areas. Khartoum International Airport is non-operational. Only a small number of highly specialist firms with active Sudan and conflict-zone networks can manage cases. Families should not expect a standard repatriation timeline or process.
Always verify numbers before calling
Official lists for Sudan
Published by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office for British nationals. We are not connected to the firms listed.
- Lawyers, where an estate or an investigation needs local legal advice
Embassy phone numbers change. Confirm current details at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/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 Sudan
What you need to know
What the British post in Sudan can and cannot do
British Embassy, Khartoum (suspended operations since April 2023; FCDO advises against all travel to Sudan) 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 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 Sudan
What the Embassy can and cannot pay for
Consular staff in 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 Sudan involvesNeed help bringing someone home from 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.