Consular assistance
British Embassy contacts for : when someone dies abroad
British Embassy, Khartoum (suspended operations since April 2023; FCDO advises against all travel to Sudan) handles cases in . This page lists the numbers you need and what the post can do.
Emergency numbers
FCDO 24-hour line (from UK)
+44 (0)20 7008 5000Handling a death in
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
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
What you need to know
What the British post in 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
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
What the Embassy can and cannot pay for
Consular staff in 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 involvesNeed help coordinating repatriation from ?
We can take over the arrangements from wherever you are in the process. Call us or leave your details and we will call you back.