Information & advice

There can be significant cultural differences around death and dying in different countries and sometimes these differences can cause further distress if you are not aware of them and have not considered your options in advance.

For example‚ in some countries it is common for funerals to take place within a couple of days of a death allowing very little time for relatives from overseas to travel and attend the funeral. Cremation may also be the norm.

When a UK national dies overseas the host country authority needs to be contacted to register the death locally and the British Consulate in the host country should be contacted to register the death in the UK as well.

Further information

See our information guide What to do when someone dies for further information.

Much of the information contained within this guide is relevant for people overseas.