What to do if someone dies in Brazil

The IML and the Certidão de Óbito

For any death outside a hospital, or where cause of death is not immediately certified by a treating physician, Brazil’s Instituto Médico Legal (IML) becomes involved. The IML is the state forensic medical service. IML examination is mandatory for deaths by violence, accident, or unexplained circumstances. In cities where the IML operates under high caseload — Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo in particular — the process can take from several days to three weeks.

The certidão de óbito (death certificate) cannot be finalised until the IML process is complete. All documentation is in Portuguese. Certified English translation is required for UK use.

Apostille: The Hague Convention Step

Brazil is a signatory to the Hague Apostille Convention. This means documents intended for international use — including the death certificate — require apostillisation before they carry legal weight abroad. The apostille is issued by the Brazilian authority responsible for the document type and must be obtained before the death certificate is considered valid for UK purposes. This is an additional processing step that adds at least two to five days in normal conditions.

ANVISA (Brazil’s national health surveillance agency) must also issue clearance for the international transport of human remains. This is a separate step handled through ANVISA’s regional offices.

Carnival and Holiday Closures

Carnival in Brazil typically runs for four to six days in February or early March. During Carnival, government offices effectively close. The IML operates on reduced capacity for emergency functions only. The cartório (registry office), the apostille authority, and ANVISA all slow dramatically. A death that falls during Carnival week can face a delay of a full week beyond the normal timeline through no fault of anyone in the process.

Brazil has other significant national holidays throughout the year, including Tiradentes (April), Corpus Christi (June), and various regional observances. Check the calendar when estimating timelines.

Geography and Connections

Brazil is the fifth largest country in the world. Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo are the primary international cargo hubs, with connections to the UK via Lisbon, Madrid, Paris, and Frankfurt. A death in a major city is challenging but manageable within the system. A death in a smaller state capital — Manaus, Belém, Recife — involves additional internal transport to an international hub, adding time and cost. There are no direct cargo flights from Brazil to the UK.

Sources: FCDO Brazil guidance (updated November 2025); IML procedures by state; ANVISA RDC regulations on international transport of human remains; British Embassy Brasília guidance.