Repatriation from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Addis Ababa, at 2,355 metres above sea level, is the capital and largest city of Ethiopia and the headquarters of the African Union. The city’s British resident population spans NGO and development workers, diplomatic staff, business professionals in the growing finance and logistics sectors, and a small but established Ethiopian-British diaspora community visiting family. Ethiopia also has a category unique to East Africa: Addis Ababa serves as a regional transit hub via Ethiopian Airlines, meaning British nationals who die while transiting through Ethiopia — or who arrive unwell and die after an emergency medical diversion — are occasionally processed through Addis Ababa.

What the British Embassy does — and does not do

The British Embassy Addis Ababa (Comoros Street, Higher 23, Kebele 13, House Number new, Addis Ababa) covers all of Ethiopia.

The Embassy can: Register the death in UK consular records. Advise on Ethiopian documentation requirements. Provide a funeral director referral list for Addis Ababa.

The Embassy cannot: Repatriate the body. Pay any costs. Instruct Ethiopian Federal Police or hospital authorities.

FCDO 24-hour emergency line: +44 (0)20 7008 5000.

What Ethiopian law requires

Under the Ethiopian Criminal Procedure Code 1961 (Proclamation 185/1961), sudden, violent, or unexplained deaths are reported to the Ethiopian Federal Police (Addis Ababa Metropolitan Police, AAMP) and may be referred for a forensic investigation. Post-mortems for deaths in Addis Ababa are conducted at Saint Paul’s Hospital Millennium Medical College or Black Lion (Tikur Anbessa) Specialised Hospital, the main government teaching hospitals in the city.

Death certificates in Ethiopia are issued through the Addis Ababa City Administration Vital Events Registration Agency.

The documentation chain

1. Death certificate. Issued by Addis Ababa City Administration Vital Events Registration Agency.

2. Police clearance (in sudden or violent deaths — Ethiopian Federal Police AAMP).

3. Post-mortem report (Saint Paul’s Hospital or Black Lion, where applicable).

4. International transport permit. Issued by the Ethiopian Food and Drug Authority (EFDA) or the Federal Ministry of Health, depending on the case.

5. Embalming certificate.

6. IATA cargo documentation — ADD to LHR.

Source: Ethiopian Criminal Procedure Code 1961 (Proclamation 185/1961); Addis Ababa City Administration Vital Events Registration Agency, 2024.

Airport and cargo routing

Addis Ababa Bole International Airport (ADD) is Ethiopian Airlines’ main hub and one of Africa’s busiest airports. Ethiopian Airlines operates ADD-LHR direct service. The airport’s cargo infrastructure is well-developed for African standards, and the Ethiopian Airlines cargo division handles human remains for international cases regularly. For deaths in the Ethiopian highlands or in Addis Ababa, ADD is the departure airport. For deaths in other parts of Ethiopia (Lalibela, Aksum, Gondar — destinations visited by British heritage tourists), domestic transfer to ADD precedes the international leg.

Timeline from Addis Ababa

In-hospital natural death, expected: 10 to 18 days
Police involvement: 14 to 21 days
Extended investigation: 4 to 8 weeks

Key local considerations

Altitude is a genuine medical risk for British nationals arriving in Addis Ababa for the first time — at 2,355 metres, the city sits above the altitude at which AMS becomes a consideration for susceptible individuals. NGO and development workers often arrive with prior briefing on this risk; tourists and visiting family members may not. Where altitude is a contributing factor, the medical record from any hospitalisation before death becomes relevant to the insurance and post-mortem assessment. British Embassy Addis Ababa has extensive experience with repatriation cases for the NGO and diplomatic community, making it one of the better-resourced British consular posts in sub-Saharan Africa for this process.

For guidance on next steps, contact our team via our enquiry form or WhatsApp.

Information based on Ethiopian Criminal Procedure Code 1961 (Proclamation 185/1961) and Addis Ababa City Administration Vital Events Registration Agency. Last reviewed May 2026.