Consular assistance
British Embassy contacts for the United States: when someone dies abroad
If a British national dies in the United States, the Embassy is usually the first official body to contact. A death must be registered with the local authorities in the United States 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. The local emergency number is 911.
Emergency numbers
FCDO 24-hour line (from UK)
+44 (0)20 7008 5000British Embassy in the United States
+1 202 588 6500Handling a death in the United States
Local emergency number: 911
Authority that must release the body: Medical examiner (qualified pathologist) or county coroner (may be elected, not necessarily a doctor). System varies by state and county.
When a post-mortem is ordered: Autopsy ordered by medical examiner or coroner if cause of death is unknown, suspicious, or involves violence. System varies by state (some states use medical examiners, others use elected coroners).
Effect on the timeline: Can delay repatriation by 1-4 weeks. Medical examiner holds jurisdiction over the body until released.
Getting the report: Family may have access to autopsy reports, but this varies by state law. Some states allow family to request an independent autopsy at their own expense.
Documentation language: English (de facto national language). Spanish widely spoken in Florida, Texas, California, New York, and southwestern states.. English: Yes. No language barrier for British families, though accents, legal terminology, and bureaucratic processes differ from UK expectations.
Healthcare: Excellent quality but extremely expensive without insurance. No public healthcare equivalent to NHS. Emergency rooms must treat regardless of ability to pay (EMTALA), but bills will follow. Hospital costs before death can be catastrophic for uninsured travellers.
British community: ~700,000-1,000,000 British-born residents in the USA
Most common causes of British deaths here: Natural causes (elderly visitors and residents); Road traffic accidents (US roads and driving culture differ from UK); Gun violence (rare for tourists but a factor in US death statistics); Medical emergencies (heart attacks, strokes); Drowning (Florida, California, Hawaii); Hiking and outdoor recreation accidents (Grand Canyon, national parks); Drug overdose
Areas needing extra care: Florida: Highest volume of British tourists. Theme parks, beaches, elderly snowbirds. Orlando, Miami, Tampa.; New York: Tourist volume, elderly visitors; California: Tourist volume, road accidents, outdoor recreation; Nevada/Las Vegas: Tourist excess, alcohol, heat exposure; Hawaii: Drowning, hiking accidents
Always verify numbers before calling
Embassy phone numbers change. Confirm current details at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/usa 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 the United States
British Embassy
Washington DC
3100 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008
+1 202 588 6500 Official websiteThe UK has extensive consular coverage across the USA. Check gov.uk for current list and contact details.
What you need to know
What the British post in the United States can and cannot do
The British post covering United States 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.
In United States specifically: Can delay repatriation by 1-4 weeks. Medical examiner holds jurisdiction over the body until released.
The full list of what consular staff can and cannot do applies in every country.
Death registration in the United States
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 the United States
What the Embassy can and cannot pay for
Consular staff in the United States 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 the United States involvesNeed help bringing someone home from the United States?
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.