Consular assistance

British Embassy contacts for Tunisia: when someone dies abroad

Rue du Lac Windermere, Les Berges du Lac, Tunis 1053; +44 1908 516666; British Embassy Tunis; +216 71 108 700 handles cases in Tunisia. A death must be registered with the local authorities in Tunisia 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 5000

Handling a death in Tunisia

British representation: Rue du Lac Windermere, Les Berges du Lac, Tunis 1053; +44 1908 516666; British Embassy Tunis; +216 71 108 700

Authority that must release the body: Officier d'Etat Civil, local municipality civil registrar; Ministere de la Sante (Ministry of Health); Institut National de Medecine Legale (INML), Tunis; Parquet (Public Prosecutor's Office)

medium

Treaty position: Not a signatory to the Strasbourg Agreement on the Transfer of Corpses

Always verify numbers before calling

Official lists for Tunisia

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/tunisia 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 Tunisia

What you need to know

What the British post in Tunisia can and cannot do

Rue du Lac Windermere, Les Berges du Lac, Tunis 1053; +44 1908 516666; British Embassy Tunis; +216 71 108 700 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 Tunisia

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 Tunisia

Average case10-14 days
No complications7 days
With post-mortem21-28 days

What the Embassy can and cannot pay for

Consular staff in Tunisia 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 Tunisia involves

Need help bringing someone home from Tunisia?

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.

We respond by email within one hour, 24/7.

No obligation. Your details are kept confidential.